Lovely Distractions

Apologies my friends. I offer you cup of hot tea as a peace offering - I've been away from my blog for way too long.

I also offer you a slice of magical cake (mom made this one for a recent graduation party).

I have been reveling in LOVELY DISTRACTION. While being forced to DO NOTHING, while recuperating from recent surgery, I have been indulging in WISHES, HOPES, and BIG DREAMS.

The DIY BLOG CABIN

blog.diynetwork.com/blogcabin

Okay, so who doesn't want to win a beautiful vacation home. And yes it comes with the most perfect possibility for a wonderful RED BARN STUDIO.

I've been distracted by the final days of the contest giveaway. The funny thing is that I've always also joked about being the girl in the country (aka the suburbs) that always wanted a weekend CITY GETAWAY (the opposite of that little home in the country - that I wouldn't mind having either)

And thus, the HGTV URBAN OASIS.

Ahhhh. To have a place to rest, relax and review after a day of filling my creative mind with museums, gallerys, architecture, and people. What drawing and painting views!

DREAM. DREAM. DREAM.

We must! Stay inspired! Keep creating!

Here come the FALL LEAVES. 

ENJOY!

Honor Creativity When It Arrives

Tornado Of Words

I recently became overtaken by an image. You know the one. The one that won't leave you alone. The one that follows you around until you honor it. The image that begs to be put down on paper, or canvas, or cloth. You try to ignore it. You say "I'm too busy right now" or "That's nice but maybe it's not worthy of manifestation"or "What if it doesn't come out the way I see it in my mind?"

But if your willing to HONOR IT, you just might learn something profound. Something wonderful. Something that reminds you that CREATIVITY IS A GOOD THING. So good that you should be using it ALL THE TIME.

I was walking around my house trying to "get things done" (ha ha) when I suddenly realized that as I moved I was engulfed by a tornado of words. It never left me. It swirled around me constantly while I moved from room to room. And if I stopped, if I sat down - well then the tornado just became more feirce. It swirled faster. The words got thicker and heavier.

It was over the course of the next few days that I uncoved the distinct possibility that I had pretty sever ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and that all these years of walking around unable to finish a project, unable to clean up "the piles", unable to really "get it together" - was NOT me failing at every turn. There wasn't something WRONG with me. Well technically there was - but it was something that might actually be somewhat fixable. All those years of depression and anxiety - they could have all durived, been cast off symptomes created form my frustration and inablility to crush the tornado.

I finally got the image down on paper! I was then flooded with ideas for even better ways to express this image (ideas for future projects). The funny thing was that I kept setting up road-blocks for myself. I'd say "well it needs to be in watercolor, but I can't find the watercolors, it'll have to wait". When I realized how much of this SILLINESS was going on, I grabbled my kids markers and got to work. Added some water with a brush, then grabbed my Sharpie and started writting. My kids came wandering by with big eyes and inquisitive questions. "Mommy, what are you doing?" or "Are you working in your dream journal?" WOW! I wondered, why would they care? It was such a moment of clarity. Of course they care. All kids are intreged by what adults are doing. They're watching our every move. And I beleive that they have an inate sense of WHAT IS GOOD. WHAT IS FUN. What is WORTH doing. "Mommy, I want to make a Dream Journal! Can I make one today?"

ACCESSIBILITY TO MATERIALS

Another lesson learned for me in the last few weeks is, YOUR MATERIALS NEED TO BE ACCESSABLE! Okay, raise your hand if everytime you decide that your want to make art, you have to:

1. Find the materials.

2. Find a clear space to work.

3. Set up.

4. Face the idea that it will have to be cleaned up immediately. (or your family won't be eating dinner)

5. OKAY, DO I REALLY WANT TO MAKE ART TODAY?

I learned this lesson the other day (strangely, I didn't really realize just how important it was) when my son had gotten out a pallet with several big blobs of acrylic paint. He was working on a project (creating his own version of a movable, diarama creation he had seen an artist create on Reading Rainbow) And YES, he had to follow steps 1 through 4. (it didn't stop him did it?)

Of course, he didn't clean up. After all, why do that when mom will probably come along and do it for me (now that's what I call 10 year old logic!) So their they were, brightly colored, eewy, gooey, delicious blobs of paint. Already beginning to dry, nice and thick. "Come and get us." they whispered. "Just throw us on the cover of your Dream Journal" they said. "You don't need to make a masterpiece or anything, just have some fun." they yelled. "For God sakes woman! Your just gonna' have to scrape us off and scrub the pallet anyway, you might as well not waste us." they screamed!

I grabbled my journal. I grabbed a brush. I HAD FUN!

(Check into earlier posts to see the beginnings of my Dream Journal.)

And ya' know what? I think it took all of 5 or 10 minutes. But I FELT AMAZING. 

I felt ENERGIZED. I felt PROUD. 

NOW HERE THIS!

HONOR YOUR CREATIVITY 

WHEN IT ARRIVES

Say hello. Give it a smile. Offer it a cup of coffee, or some fresh towels. Take out that "warm-from-the-oven" banana bread. Shake hands, or say a prayer. Thank your creativity for coming. And be sure to ask it to come back soon.

A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF 

HONORING THE ARRIVAL OF CREATIVITY!

Garden Angel (later renamed Garden Scarecrow) by Pam Stanton

My mother has always been a shining example of greeting the arival of creativity with a smile. It's something that I believe she passed on to each one of her 5 children (even if she didn't think she was doing it - we were watching!) Recently she was inspired to create this sculpture in her back-yard. I am so thankfull that we have pictures of it, because it wasn't too long after it's creation that several members of the Venomous Toad Commitee (see earlier posts for details on this coniving group) arrived and convinced her quite quickly that it must be remeoved immediately. But if you were one of the lucky ones to get to talk to her during the creation, during it's breif, but dazeling existance - you would have seen the joy and energy that it brought to her world (and the world of many others). 

TRUST IN YOURSELF.

TRUST IN YOUR CREATIVITY.

   

CREATIVITY COMES IN MANY FORMS

Okay, yes, I love shoes! I remember when I used to have to spend hours decorating my shoes. 

I find it just as much fun to stumble on a $5.00 bit of creativity. 

The best thing is, if your the art teacher, you can actually get away with wearing these to work. BONUS!

What's a mom to do when her kid comes home with that annoying smudge of red acrylic paint? 

Turn it into a cool bug of course.

God Bless Sharpie markers!

And the use of CREATIVITY to "fix" problems!

"Dreams are like the paints of a great artist.

Your dreams are your paints,

the world is your canvas.

Believing is the brush that converts your dreams

into a masterpiece of reality."

-Unknown

Quote from Sheri Gaynor's book CREATIVE AWAKENINGS.

A Little Creativity Does The Body Good!

http://www.kerismith.com/blog/

Today my daughter had a friend visiting and I decided to start rummaging  through the tiles and glazes that I recently aquired though a very thoughtful and giving artist friend of mine. Before I knew it we were painting away. All time drifted away. I didn't think about cleaning, or food, or life, or anything. It was absolutely, positively WONDERFUL!

While waiting in the dentist office for my son to get his first filling, and trying to keep my mind off the fact that he just might be screaming somewhere behind the wall, I stumbled upon a fantastic article about making art. This artical sent me to two great blogs. Images and links precede and follow todays entry. ENJOY!

http://www.benandbirdy.blogspot.com/

Inspired by...the Artist of the Everyday

Author , Illustrator, and experimental artist Keri Smith helps kids and adults create magic and beauty from daily life.

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/artist-of-the-everyday-feature-892806/

DERAILED YET AGAIN

http://brittspencer.com/index.html

The question is...How do you get back on the tracks?

I guss you have to just follow the good old adage of 

"Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again."

I feel completely distracted by everyday "stuff". The house is a mess, the baby needs to be fed, the laundry is piling up, I'm having a Christening party in 7 days, classroom project ideas intrude. If only I could rein it all in and get some ORDER going. Ahhhh the all mighty, never ending chase for that sense of order. Maybe it's not really attainable. It's days like this that I envy "those people" who run away. The people who just chuck it all, leave it all behind, start fresh. So what I want to do is achieve that state-of-mind. I figure it's that whole idea of POSITIVE THINKING or LAW OF ATTRACTION. I've decided that because I keep focusing on my disorganization, my full plate, all the inconveniences and "no time" - that, that's what I get - ALL THE TIME! Okay. Enough is enough already! Today I start over. Start again. FRESH. Wish me luck (I'm gonna' need it!)


On a side note. I love when I look for an image and it leads me to something inspiring. In my hunt for the above image I discovered the work of Britt Spencer. I've always been in love with illustration. I've also always been jealous of successful illustrators (especially ones with really nice websites) Way to go Britt! 

A Creative Week? I Think NOT!

 MONDAYGaulbladder Attack.

 TUESDAYNervous Breakdown

WEDNESDAY
"She really shouldn't be left alone"AKA: A day with mom.

THURSDAY

The Storm

FRIDAY

No Power

AKA: Another day with mom. This time, at her house.

SATURDAY

Our family doubles.
AKA: My sister and her family, displaced by the storm, come to stay with us.

SUNDAY

All things become clear!
It's amazing what you can learn from a DIFFICULT week. I definately gleaned many life lessons over the course of the week. What I have to remember about CREATIVITY is that it's always there - even if I'm not directly creating art. I'm realizing that actually "MAKING" art every single day is REALLY HARD!
We also need to remember that we are being CREATIVE when we cook, clean, hang the wash out on the line, get dressed, and lets not forget - doodling while your on the phone! 

Days 7-13

Life can get in the way of a new venture pretty fast! The trick is figuring out how to get back on track. I've been faced with fessing-up to always adding one more thing to my plate. Apparently it keeps me from actually finishing anything. It keeps me from reaching the places that seem so out of reach. Ahhhh the power of NO. The power of CHOICES. I know that I can't let go of this blog. I can say with confidence that I'd rather do this than anything else! Unfortunately, eventually I have to leave the computer and find a way to find pleasure and excitement in the OTHER STUFF.

Day 6: The first collage!

Day 6. Today I sat myself down with a few magazines. This in it's-self was really hard. I realized that I hang on to many of my magazines like books. For some reason, to cut into them is wrong. The crazy thing is that in the back of my mind, I keep telling myself that I'm keeping them to save the images - to make art with! Before I know it, my house starts to look on the brink of an episode of Hoarders. So as you can imagine, the magazines I cut into were not special ones. (ahhh another Venomous Toad!)

I ripped out pages. And then (not following the rules), I sat and laboriously cut each image out - nice and neat. The rules or guidelines I speak of are those outlined in the Creative Awakenings exercises. Now that my collage is finished - I can see the importance of the quick-ripping out technique. Right a way many ideas and feeling surfaced...

Why does it have to be so perfect?
Why do I feel so guilty that it's taking so long?
Why am I doing this instead of housework?
Why would I choose housework over feeding my creative soul?

The next thing I noticed was that I had way too many images for a two page spread. That's when I found myself categorizing. I said to myself "I'll have a whatever page, a house page, a word page, etc."

The Toad Committee Page (beginning)

Here are some things that I see (so far) in the collages.

Organization - and the need and craving for it.

Color, Collections, Magical Things, Travel, Escape

Old and Dirty vs. Clean and Bright

Landscape, Ocean, Views - Windows

If you notice anything else - please add a comment below:-)

Can Rearranging Furniture Be Considered Creative?

Day 5. Today was a dark and rainy day. Everything in the house seemed to be calling out to me. "Help us! This house is a mess. Please clean us up. Forget that silly art making stuff! We are so much more important. You can't live like this one more minute!"

I think I have just uncovered my first "Venomous Toad"

Day 4. Today was the kind of day when you really just want to do your "art stuff", but you still need to get to the grocery store, load the dishwasher, get some laundry done, and feed the baby a few times.

Somehow there were some little windows of opportunity. During those fleeting moments I could be found frantically cutting, arranging and pasting.

And voila - the Dream Journal began to take shape. I couldn't help but think about the sketchbook journals I loved making in collage. One of those "assignments" that took over. (thanks Dave Bowman) I have to make a point this week to get some of them out (after all these years) and look them over.

What fun! I have to admit, I feel really charged with excitement. I guess this may be just what I need.

Most of the "inside" of the journal today was what I would call "house keeping". I wanted to be sure to put in elements from Creative Awakenings and from Kitty's blog. I'll also be printing out the entries I make for this blog. I want the journal to be a comprehensive "hard copy" of this whole experience.

I keep thinking of Kitty's piece about Everyday Bliss - 30 days to make a habit. http://papercatdesigns.ning.com/group/creativeawakenings . I need to "schedule" devoted time - a minimum of 20 minutes. I need to form the habit.

Dream Journal Takes Shape

The Making Of The Dream Journal

Day 3. Today I took an old sketchbook journal off my shelf. I opened it to reveal that I had used only 5 pages. The pages were a true testament to how busy life can get. On the first page I listed a beginning date...April 4, 2005

The entries inside were as follows...
April 4, 2005
April 7, 2005
May 23, 2005
July 23, 2005
January 6, 2006
January 10, 2006
January 31, 2006

I considered just ripping out the five pages and starting fresh.
I decided that I better read them first.

The funny thing was that over the course of those few entries a common theme emerged. I was always STARTING SOMETHING NEW and it was usually SOMETHING BIG, like an IDEA FOR A BUSINESS, or a plan for HOME ORGANIZATION, or HOME RENOVATION.
I was often describing a FEELING OF BLISS over some type of BREAK or FREEDOM from my motherly duties (like, the kids are napping, or out with their dad). There was even a page where I seemed to be trying to list all of the things that I LIKE or HATE.

And there at the bottom of one of the pages, a pasted in clipping.

And so, as I am here to clearly state...
IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE! And yet I keep attempting to do it and it never lasts for very long.

Hopefully this idea of striving for 365 days will help to catapult me past the "beginning" stage and into the "gleaning" stage. I'm excited to see just what I will learn from this process.

My copy of Creative Awakenings arrived in the mail today. What perfect timing!

If Julie can do it - so can I

Day 2. Today I spent a little time in the morning looking over my "tasks" at hand.
I had fun watching Kitty's tutorial about faux silk. Printed out a few pages (like my official visa) and then, as most Sundays do, the day got completely away from me.
I have to say however, that in the back of my mind were all the giddy summersaults of ideas for how to begin. If you haven't indulged in it yet, you've got to see Julie & Julia. If Julie can do it - so can I
(and so can you).

The Journey Begins

Day 1. Day one of 365. Today I begin my commitment to one year of reconnecting with my creativity. I've been wanting to start my blog for so long. Everyday I walk around mumbling in my head "this is what I would write today".
Enough mumbling!
I have been inspired by the challenge of the Creative Awakenings project @ http://artfulpaperdoll.blogspot.com

Today has been devoted to preparing this blog space.
I will write each day to catalog the journey.
Will this work? Will I survive?
Keep reading and find out!