Creative Every Day Theme for September: Water

August 29th, 2010

At the end of each month I will announce the totally optional theme for the following month. Continuing with the elements theme, for the month of September, the theme will be the element of Water. As always, this month's theme for the Creative Every Day Challenge is totally optional. Use it if it inspires you, continue being creative every day in your own way if it doesn't, or do something in between.

I'm thinking of this theme in terms of exploring the idea of water in creative ways. You could play with water based media, go to sources of water for your inspiration, or play with the colors of water.

I'll be posting about the theme throughout the month on the blog to help keep you inspired. You can use the posts here for jumping off points or interpret the theme in your own creative way. If you need some suggestions, here are a few ideas to get you started. You could:

  • *Play with watercolors or other water-based media.
  • *Take photos of water in still, moving, and/or frozen forms.
  • *Sit by a body of water and write (one of my favorite things to do!)
  • *Explore the colors of water in your art.
  • *Go for a swim, a float, or even a soak in a bath.
  • *Reflect on the fact that we are made up of up to 75% water!
  • *Paint creatures that live in the sea.
  • *Splash in some puddles!

How to use the CED themes:

If you're feeling creatively stuck or blocked at any point during the month, use the theme as a source of inspiration to get you moving. Feel free to focus on the theme in your creative activities for the entire month or as much as you'd like.

Using the theme is entirely optional for CED participants. Use it if it inspires you, ignore it if it doesn't. I'll be sharing posts throughout the month around the theme (among other things) to get you thinking about how to incorporate it into your life. I'd love to hear how you use the theme in your creative world.

And have fun with it!

The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; I cannot quite make it out. ~Annie Dillard

p.s. The art on the right is adapted from my Dive Deep piece, prints are available here.

16 Responses

OMG yah! water is my favourite.
and i love that painting leah.

How interesting–I am just about ready to work through the “water” chapter in Denise Linn’s new book. Love it!

Water is my THING! Now that my daughter is back in school and things are settling down (it was an… unpredictable summer….) I’m looking forward to *really* playing this month.

Okay now! Fire was hard and I didn’t manage very much link to the theme. Water I can do.

Water is a wonderful theme….so many possibilities! You’ve done it again, Leah!

Nooooooooooooooo I dont like water. Except if it is in small areas like .. a glass of water… hot water in a bath tub to wallow in… but lakes and rivers…scary!!! But I love blue… and blue mixed with green..and clouds refleacted in water…. Umm… I think I am begining to feel the stirrings of creativity after all.
Water as in rain is nice to….

What a great theme! I LOVE water! I love your painting! It is gorgeous!

So happy to see you have found the joy of kayaking, Leah! Isn’t it magical skimming the water that way? Hugzzz, girlfriend. Wish we could paddle together. =]

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Leah Piken Kolidas, Fabeku Fatunmise, Jennifer Lee, Barbara Martin, Contemporary Cloth and others. Contemporary Cloth said: RT @leah_art: The (totally optional) theme for Creative Every Day in September is the element of Water: http://bit.ly/alr8Qg #ced2010 [...]

water is a good choice. i never could quite get the fire to work for me. maybe i was just to busy to really think about it.

Yes to all that diving deep that water invites us to do. And your gorgeous painting is so inspirational as a reminder about how joyful deep diving can be.

Another wonderful theme! One of my favorite autumn activities is to find a spot by a river, surrounded by nature’s painting, and just be.

One last Sundance post: the quilt is finished! Now I can move onto Water, specifically, finishing my “Morning After the Storm” Storm at Sea quilt.

Thanks and gratitude!
Tina in Sand Diego

How can I relate this new post to water? I don’t think so. But if you love kitties, and would love to see mine, plus an article on my all-time favorite sewing/quilting tool, plese come and visit my blog.

I was going to start back to work on my Morning After the Storm quilt, but realized that I need to make a small challenge quilt for the Quilt Visions gallery exhibit: Trees and Leaves. But, why not do a beautiful seaweed tree/leaves? You have inspired me once again. Thanks and gratitude for all you do, !!!

water is my favorite element

Hi Leah, I particularly like the composition of your “Dive Deep”. I like the arch of the body and how it moves the eye from the moon through the water layers down to the octopus. Splendid!

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