Entries from: April 2010
A Creative Dreaming Nook of My Own
April 7th, 2010, Comments (25)
When we moved into our home in September and I saw the beautiful room that would become my studio, I saw that there was a little spot against one wall that I thought would be perfect for a bench with a cushion. And yet, I waited and waited. I was hesitating about spending money on myself. Did I really need a window seat? Weren't there more important things to spend my money on? And yet, I kept thinking about it and wanting this little nook for myself.
With a little encouragement from friends, I moved beyond my initial discomfort and used the money I'd saved up for this purpose to buy a sweet white bench. It came yesterday and I spent part of the afternoon putting it together. And oh, I love it! I imagine this will be a special spot for me to daydream, sketch, read, snuggle cats, and dream up new ideas. And I have more plans for this spot too. It's already got a few small decorations on the windowsill...my cat clock, bird candle, and little spring painting. But perhaps you spotted the paint swatches up on the wall? Yes, I'll be painting that wall in a beautiful blue, hanging some things from the ceiling, and putting up some art. And I'm so excited about it! Sometimes, even when it seems frivolous at first glance, treating ourselves to something that delights our creativity is so worth it.
Do you have a little corner, a nook where you can go and dream? Could you add something to it that brings you delight and makes it a place you'll want to hang out in more often? Perhaps you could bring this month's theme into developing your space by imagining what elements you could bring in to delight your senses? What scents could you bring in? What colors? What textures? What sounds?
In a room I rented ages ago, my favorite part of it was the built in window seat. Over the two years I lived there, I decorated it with curtains, a hanging plant, cushy pillows, wind chimes, and twinkling lights. It was awesome and I loved escaping to this dreamy hideaway. In another apartment I lived in, my nook consisted of a small table covered with items I loved, such as photos, bowls of shells, candles, etc...sort of like a little altar. When I was a kid, I loved making blanket forts under the kitchen table and pulling in books, the telephone, and snacks. I suppose I'm cat-like in my desire for cozy spots to curl up in! But I know from speaking with others that I'm far from alone.
I think these little safe spaces we create are a beautiful way to express ourselves creatively and also to honor our creative selves. It's a way of remembering that we need space not just for the doing, but also for the resting and dreaming and imagining and re-connecting.
If you could create your perfect nook, what would it look like? How can you create something like it in your life now?
Spring Birds
April 6th, 2010, Comments (9)
This weekend, I was out of town visiting with the hubster's family, and oh my, there was a lot of food! To counter balance the intake, we took a two hour walk through his old neighborhoods, walking by the water, admiring old homes, enjoying the beautiful weather. I had the theme in my mind as I walked, noticing the different ways my senses were inspired.
I had a break in the action to start a painting on Sunday evening, which I finished up today. I think it was inspired in part by Easter eggs, all the birds I saw everywhere, and the feeling of Spring.
Today, on a different walk, I was inspired by bumble bees, crunchy pine cones underfoot, the smell of sunscreen, and rushing water. What's been catching your eye and inspiring your senses lately
Creative Every Day Check-In: April 5 – 11
April 5th, 2010, Comments (19)
This weekly check-in post is a place for Creative Every Day Challenge participants to share their creative activities.
Join in the Challenge: You can sign up for the 2010 Creative Every Day Challenge anytime! Find out more and fill out the sign-up form here to join in!
Ways to share: Once you've signed up, you can leave a comment on this post and/or use the "Mr. Linky" widget below to link to a blog post(s) about your creative activities during the days of 4/5/10 - 4/11/10.
The widget below is an optional method of sharing your creativity that makes it easier for others to check out what you're up to. You can use it to link to a blog post (or posts) or flickr image during the week listed. Or if you have a bunch of posts and don't want to link to all of them, you can link to your main blog page once. Do it in a way that makes sense and is fun for you! If you're unsure about how to use the widget, check out the "How to use the Mr. Linky widget" section on the Creative Every Day Challenge page. (If you're reading this in a RSS reader or email subscription, you will not see the "Mr. Linky widget", so click on over to the blog to use it.) If the Mr. Linky widget is missing from this blog post, it's probably a problem with their server and it will come back as soon as it's fixed. You can always leave your link in the comments.
You can also take advantage of the great CED flickr group to post your images and see what others are up to. If you're on Twitter, there's a growing Twitter list of CED participants and you can use the hashtag #CED2010 to help others find your Creative Every Day tweets!
Theme: The (totally optional) theme for April's theme is The 5 Senses. I'll be posting about the theme throughout the month and you can feel free to use it to inspire your creations, follow your own muse, or do some combination. You can find out more about this month's theme and some prompts to get you started with it here.
Happy Creating!
There is no way in which to understand the world without first detecting it through the radar-net of our senses. ~Diane Ackerman
Hello April, Hello Senses
April 1st, 2010, Comments (7)
Happy April, everyone! And welcome to the month of the 5 senses here at Creative Every Day. Spring and the senses seem to go so well together, especially after a month of record rainfall here in New England. Signs of life and sun and Spring are like little espresso shots to my system.
I enjoyed a walk/jog this morning and used my phone as a combination of stopwatch, mp3 player, and camera. I had to stop a few times to capture the little signs of life I saw around me. I was especially excited by all the little buds on flowers, bushes, and trees. Life bursting into action.
When I took the time to pay attention to how all my senses were taking in my surroundings, I was delighted by color combinations, like the colors of bricks and shutters against great green bushes. I noticed the snailish, muddy smell in the air, I could taste water-logged smell of growth, feel the cool moisture on my skin, and hear the scratch of my sneakers on sandy pavement. And oh, I felt so very alive.
I'm noticing now, as I look back at my phone snapshots that I've captured different colors, blue and yellow flowers, white magnolia buds, green shoots, brown bark, orange bricks, a red garage door, and gray pavement. A lovely palette to play with. The next time you're outdoors, check in with your senses and see how they might inspire you. As I'm typing this, the sun just burst through the clouds! Yay!
