Saturday, May 21, 2011

Some of today's creative endeavors...



 


Saturday is both a day for getting things (like chores) done and a day to have extra time to work on fun creative projects.  Today I spent time time altering a board book, going for a walk and snapping photos, making little journals (Mom asked for some for the bridal shower), and getting started on my end-of-year gifts for my students.  I did some other things too, but that was the fun stuff!  It was warm enough outside that I took my journaling things out onto the back porch and worked outside. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Inspiration

"When you are inspired by some great
purpose, some extraordinary project, 
all your thoughts break their bonds;
Your mind transcends limitations,
your consciousness expands in every direction,
and you find yourself in a new, great
and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties, and talents
become alive, and you discover yourself
to be a greater person by far
than you ever dreamed
yourself to be."
           --Patanjali




Friday, May 13, 2011

Art Journal Pages




Journaling ideas:  Write what's on your mind, write a list of what inspired you, write about your ideal life, write about what brings you happiness...

Monday, May 9, 2011

Summer Inspiration List


Summer Break is only about 6 weeks away and I love making lists of what I will do with myself with all of that extra time....  These pages have space left so that I can keep adding ideas when they come to me.  And if I run out of space, I can just tape more flaps of paper on top.

Balance



This journal page is all about how I'm working to find balance in my life, between work and play, mental and physical, solitude and time with others, stillness and movement....

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother's Day Walk

Today I went for a walk and snapped a bunch of photos in the gorgeous sunlight.  Between that and my new magazine filled with photos of creative projects, I felt inspired to work on art journaling.  Creative time makes me a happy person.

Monday Art Journaling

This is an art journaling page that I worked on last week and have been meaning to add to my blog.... I always have intentions of adding things to my blog on a daily basis, but then other things happen...that's OK with me though because this art part of my life is my hobby and that means that I can follow my own rhythms....I was reading an article about artist Anahata Katkin and she was talking about how rather than following any kind of schedule, she just wakes up in the morning and does whatever she feels like...and that's how she stays inspired....so even though I can't do that with all of my life, I want to do that with my time spent on art...seems like a good enough way to stay inspired....

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Reading in bed

Reading in bed...and testing this new blogger app on my i-phone.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Arrowwood Trail,Ann Arbor,United States

Truth Cards

I am working on creating "truth cards" for an online art class that I'm taking and finished a batch of them today.  I'm having fun experimenting with some new art techniques....all involved with the use of beloved mod podge.  Each card has an inspiring, affirmative quote pasted onto it and I think that looking back through them could cheer my up any day.

One of my favorite quotes:  "Be patient...things are being orchestrated on your behalf that you cannot see yet."

Ann of Green Gables

Today I finished reading Anne of Green Gables and decided that it's one of my new favorite books.  I had read it years ago, maybe when I was about 10.  It's interesting to revisit things I remember from childhood to see if I experience them differently.  I'm curious about reading the sequels, where Anne becomes a teacher, to see how much it relates to my life as a teacher.  Some of my most beloved quotes:

"I'm not in the depths of despair this morning.  I never can be in the morning.  Isn't it a splendid thing that there are mornings?"

"It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will."

"My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes."  (So melodramatic!)

"If I really wanted to pray I'll tell you what I'd do.  I'd go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep, woods, and I'd look up into the sky--up--up--up--into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there is no end to its blueness.  And then I'd just feel a prayer."

"A bosom friend--an intimate friend, you know--a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.  I've dreamed of meeting her all my life."

"'Dear old world,' she murmured, 'you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.'"



Here's a photo of the book.  I wasn't crazy about the 80s style cover of this edition that I found in the basement of the library....so I altered it. :)

Sunday, May 1, 2011

1st Day of May Art Journaling

Today is the first day of May.  I tend to get inspired on the first days of new months, weeks, years, etc... to pick new intentions and goals to work on.  This month my focus is kinda vague and includes a combination of positive thinking, keeping up with healthy habits, being kind to myself, waking up and staying cheerful....I had some fun writing about my intentions in my art journal today.