Entries from: March 2011

Featured Creative Every Day Challenge Participants

March 31st, 2011, Comments (11)

Every so often, I love to share with you a glimpse into what some of the amazingly talented people participating in the Creative Every Day Challenge have been up to this month. I know it's hard to find time to see everyone's work, so hopefully this will give you a peek at some things you might not have seen otherwise. I wish I had time to share even more. You are all up to such amazing things and it's so inspiring!

First up are these sweet little owls from Karoline of What Karo'Line Did Next. I might have to try making some. I love owls too!

This gorgeous necklace is from Amanda Jolley of Hidden Art. I saw it on Flickr and fell in love!

Nesting

This lovely collage about Home is from Rachel of art + food + friends. I love the Emily Dickinson quote in it, "Dwell in possibility."

I love the shadow in this beautiful landscape illustration by Nelleke verhoeff of yepr illustrations and inspirations.

I'm totally smitten with these gardening markers created by Ines of Daily Forward Tumble.

This tree sculpture was created by Jamie of Spunkyness. I love how she says it's a container for dreams. I think trees would make great dream containers!

And speaking of trees, check out this grand Eagle's nest captured in photography by Little Drum of The Dreaming Tree!

I'm loving the wonderful variety of work and the new worlds I see through your creative eyes. Thank you for sharing parts of yourself and keep on creating!

Creative Every Day Theme for April: Small

March 29th, 2011, Comments (26)

At the end of each month I will announce the totally optional theme for the following month. For the month of April 2011, the theme will be Small.

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. You can sign up for the 2011 Creative Every Day Challenge anytime. More info can be found here and the sign-up page is here.

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:

  • *Fill a page with thirty 1" squares and fill one each day with drawing, paint, words, whatever!
  • *Take your camera outside and focus on the little things around you.
  • *Make a list of the small things you are grateful for in your life.
  • *Write about what it was like to be small.
  • *Work with your favorite medium in a small format. How small can you get?
  • *Make a series of tiny paper airplanes, small boxes, or miniature charms.
  • *Make or buy a mini sketchbook. Use a page to record each day.
  • *Make a view finder to look at your world in a new way.
  • *Eat a meal of small things...finger sandwiches, tiny tarts, small sips. Savor every bite.

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 art above is modified from one of my Itty Bitty Kitty art pieces.

A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark. ~Dante Alighieri

Creative Every Day Challenge: March 28 – April 3

March 27th, 2011, Comments (26)

This weekly check-in post is a place for Creative Every Day Challenge participants to share their creative activities.

Join in the Challenge: Read all the details and sign up for the  2011 Creative Every Day Challenge here!

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 3/28/10 - 4/3/10.

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, you can use the hashtag  #CED2011 to help others find your Creative Every Day tweets!

Theme: The (totally optional) theme for March is Nest.You can read more about the theme and some ideas to get you started here. April's theme will be announced tomorrow!

Happy Creating!

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. ~William Blake

Sparkles Winner

March 22nd, 2011, Comments (2)


Congrats to Milena Widdowson for winning a spot in Jamie Ridler's creative e-course, Sparkles!! If you didn't win a spot, do check out the course, which is now open for registration. Happy Sparkling!

Creative Every Day Check-In: March 21 – 27

March 21st, 2011, Comments (30)

This weekly check-in post is a place for Creative Every Day Challenge participants to share their creative activities.

Join in the Challenge: Read all the details and sign up for the  2011 Creative Every Day Challenge here!

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 3/21/10 - 3/27/10.

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, you can use the hashtag  #CED2011 to help others find your Creative Every Day tweets!

Theme: The (totally optional) theme for March is Nest. You can read more about the theme and some ideas to get you started here.

Happy Creating!

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. ~Maya Angelou

Look Up, Look Down, Sparkles Giveaway!

March 19th, 2011, Comments (44)

Earlier this week, I went on a walk. Oh, glorious Spring! It was so nice to be outside.

One of my favorite things to do on a walk is to take along my iphone and snap pictures. Simply having the camera with me helps me see things in new ways. It reminds me to look up at the sky, to look down at my shadow, and to notice the little moments of beauty that are everywhere.

It also got me thinking about how creativity can be inserted into the smallest bits of time, like a short walk. This is the idea behind Sparkles, Jamie Ridler's creative e-course, which brings you 31 days of quick-to-read, 5 minute exercises from lots of inspiring, creative guides (including myself!) I love the idea behind this project because it's so true, creativity can be brought into your life, even when you feel like you have no time for it. And even when it feels like five minutes couldn't possibly enough, time can impossibly expand once you begin, and you'll be amazed at what you can get out of it.

Here's a sparkly idea to get you started: Go out for a short walk with a camera. Focus on looking up and taking pictures of what catches your eye. Or try focusing on your shadow or the shadow of other objects on different surfaces. You'll be amazed by what you see when you start paying attention to these things. 

*Giveaway!*


Sparkles registration begins March 22nd and I'd love to give away one spot in this course! Even if you don't win the spot, I highly recommend checking it out. It'll be a great, creative adventure!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post, before 12 pm EST on Monday the 21st, telling me your favorite way to bring creativity into your life when you just have a little bit of time. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday. Good luck!

Update: The giveaway is closed, but you can still join in the fun. Sparkles registration is now open!

Loving Your Nest

March 16th, 2011, Comments (9)

Having the nest theme this month has got me thinking a lot about my home and the little and big ways we've been making it our own in the last year and a half. Many times it's the small touches (the pictures on the wall, the great piece of art you found while traveling, the vase you got as a wedding gift) that really make it yours.

Here are some of my favorite ways to love my nest:

1. Clear out the stuff you don't love. I think sometimes there's a guilt factor with stuff we get from family and friends or even things we bought and loved long ago, but no longer care for. These objects don't reflect who we are, but we keep them around because we don't want to be wasteful or ungrateful or simply because it's easier not to think about it. Moving can often help you get rid of excess stuff (less stuff to pack!), but you don't have to wait for a big move to move things out that longer sing to you.

You hereby have permission to release unloved objects into the world. Give these items to someone who could use them, sell them on craigslist, donate them, or just toss them. It's ok. By the way, you can also do this with clothes you haven't touched in over a year, books you'll never read, and food in your pantry that you'll never eat. It's freeing, you'll feel lighter after the fact, and you'll have more space for the things that speak to you!

2. Highlight the items you love. Frame that print you've had sitting in a drawer, your child's art, or that special picture of your pet, and hang them on the wall. Put out those special soaps you've been saving, light a candle in your favorite candle holder, pull out that beautiful blue bowl you only use at holidays. Use, share, and display the things that you love and you'll feel the glow of beauty all around you.

3. Treat your space: Flowers are a great way to bring some color and life into your space. I especially love to have them around before the flowers begin blooming outside. The smell can be fabulous too. You could also try pulling out a flowered tablecloth, making an arrangement of seashells in the bathroom, or sewing a pillow to go in your favorite chair. Just a little touch can make a huge difference in how you feel in your space.

4. Make the ordinary extraordinary. Arrange your shoes in a fun pattern in your closet, focus on the presentation of your food when you make dinner, sort your books by color, leave a trail of flower petals behind you when you walk out the front door. Be playful!

5. Dream your space: If your living space isn't what you'd like it to be. take some time to write and/or collage your ideal environment. I keep a blank journal with collaged images of spaces, with items and color combos that call to me. There are no rules or expectations in this journal, it's simply a play space to go with what inspires me in the moment and dream up new ideas.

Try writing 3 words you'd like to describe your space. How can you bring more of those things into your space today? this week? this year?

Need some help with the process?

I love the work of Jennifer Hofmann. I've take lots of her Office Spa day classes when I needed a clutter-clearing boost and found it enormously helpful. She's also got a 4 month "For Haven's Sake" class starting up in May!

I've also taken Goddess Leonie's Creating Your Goddess Haven e-course through her Goddess Circle and there's loads of juicy goodness there to help you love up your space.

Lastly, a friend forwarded me a beautiful article by Anna Kunnecke today and I followed a link within it to a course that starts next week called, The Queen Sweep, which focuses in on your home, your story, your closet, your calendar, and your wallet over five weeks. It sounds great!

Creative Every Day Check-In: March 14 – 20

March 14th, 2011, Comments (31)

This weekly check-in post is a place for Creative Every Day Challenge participants to share their creative activities.

Join in the Challenge: Read all the details and sign up for the  2011 Creative Every Day Challenge here!

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 3/14/10 - 3/20/10.

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, you can use the hashtag  #CED2011 to help others find your Creative Every Day tweets!

Theme: The (totally optional) theme for March is Nest. You can read more about the theme and some ideas to get you started here.

Happy Creating!


 

I want to sing like the birds sing not worrying about who hears or what they think. - Rumi

 

Nest: A Guest Post by Goddess Leonie

March 8th, 2011, Comments (11)



This is a love letter.

To all those who are creating nests.

For babies. For projects. For wild, magical ideas. For life.

What is it to become a nest?

To grow a bird inside you, one that tweets and sings and rolls and dances.

The heartbeat that rolls like an ocean.



It is to know, in an instant, your life will change.

It will overcome you.

It will bring you to your knees.

And from there,

you will pray.



It is to give up yourself.

Give over yourself.

Let yourself swirl out into the sea of the unknown.

And slowly, find what it is

to be a wise, ancient turtle

adrift.



It is to take comfort in the changing tides,

the sweep of your new ravishing beauty,

in the way not only your belly swells

but your soul opens and blooms.

Free.



It is to dream big dreams.

Clean and open and new.

It is to devote yourself wholly to a pure cause:

one that is love

and one that is light.

It is to walk deep into your own shadow

to find the shamaness there.

The courageous one

the brave one

the one with a full heart

and strong body

who knows where she must go.

It is to hold strength and vulnerability

together

in one fist.

To be a lioness

and to also know

that all around

there are a thousand angels

chanting your name.



It is to find within yourself

the kind of glow

you've only seen in others.

It is to see yourself

for the first time perhaps

as you truly are:

the most perfect of perfect

the most divine of divine.



This is what it is

what it takes

to build a nest

and become a nest

for all your dreams

all your visions

all you desire

and all you are brave enough to seek.



It is to arrive.

At the mountain top.

And to make the decision

to leap

off the edge

into the deep.

Because you know

that is where you belong.



And like an avalanche,

she arrives.

This image of perfection,

this dream you have dreamed,

she is now alive

and awake

and walking in this world.

Because of you.

You, the nest.



The one who allowed herself to be

and become.

It took courage.

And faith.

And love.

And heart.

But you did it.

You, lioness, mama,

the abalone shell which holds new life.

You are the creatrix.

You are rounded out

and softened now.

Interwoven with soft fur

and strands of golden hair

and flinging threads of magic.

You are the nest.

The one wide enough to hold the space for new things

to spark to life,

be nurtured,

be born,

and bloom.

____

Goddess Leonie is the creator of www.GoddessGuidebook.com, a popular creativity + spirituality blog for women, and the upcoming Business Goddess course. She is also the nest of a thousand dreams come true, including her baby daughter Ostara.

Creative Every Day Check-In: March 7 – 13

March 7th, 2011, Comments (35)

This weekly check-in post is a place for Creative Every Day Challenge participants to share their creative activities.

Join in the Challenge: Read all the details and sign up for the  2011 Creative Every Day Challenge here!

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 3/7/10 - 3/13/10.

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, you can use the hashtag  #CED2011 to help others find your Creative Every Day tweets!

Theme: The (totally optional) theme for March is Nest. You can read more about the theme and some ideas to get you started here.

Happy Creating!



 

Where we love is home, Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr