Using Creativity To Make A Difference...

Sometimes, life events and disasters happen that make us feel completely overwhelmed. It is much easier, we tell ourselves, to hide from reality than to face something seemingly hopeless face on.

But Creativity whispers to our hearts that anything is possible, as long as we try.

Illustrator Kelly Light has found an incredibly Creative way to deal with the Gulf Oil DIsaster.  Artists from all over the world are donating tiny original paintings, drawings or digital prints to be sold to anyone who makes a $10.00 donation to two organizations helping to tackle this disaster. "Swan Song" (shown above) and "What Greed Can Do" (below) are two of the images that I will be sending in to Kelly for this cause.

INHALE:  Never give up hope.  Something beautiful or creative can come from almost any disaster or tragedy if we keep looking for possibilities.  Just look at the infinite variety of how different artists of all ages and walks of life have felt moved to contribute.  It may almost take your breath away!

EXHALE:  If you can draw, paint or doodle, consider creating a piece of artwork for this worthy cause.  If you prefer to appreciate art rather than create it yourself, browse through this blog and keep an eye out for an image that appeals to you.  Follow the blog, spread the word and make a difference.  The card I bought arrived in the mail a few days ago and now graces the wall of my office.  Remember that you can always use your Creativity to make the world a better and more beautiful place.

The Seven Month Itch...

A funny thing happened since my last blog post... I forgot how to breathe.  As life threw one curve ball after another at me, I felt as if I was sucking small gasps of air through clenched teeth instead of nice, deep inhales and exhales.

I felt as if the only thing I had to say was a scream or a sob... and I felt crushed.

I’d had such grand plans when I dove into this experiment 7 months ago.  I had wonderful visions of filling each day with more joy and creativity than the day before.  I envisioned the wonderful, enviable person I would become as I shared this wonderful adventure with an eager, waiting world out there in cyberspace.  It was like a honeymoon!

This past month has definitely been more like a couple who have been married at least 7 years... the sparkle was starting to wear off as life kept crashing down around me.

I started to resent my Creativity when it whispered that I should take a bit of time out of the chaos to just breathe.  It was like a partner suddenly pointing out an annoying habit of leaving the cap off the toothpaste or socks on the floor.

As I threw myself into the colouring book illustration project with all the changes and approvals, the shift in personnel and the inner demons of self-doubt, my Creativity waited patiently, like a faithful lover waits on the couch on a Friday night for their partner to come home from overtime at the office.

As I scrambled to finish a knitted afghan for a member of my faith family struck down suddenly only to have them die before I could finish it, my Creativity hugged me in comfort and whispered that there would be someone else to appreciate the gift in time.

As I drove my hands, eyes and body to the brink with multiple deadlines, my Creativity chided me to find a better balance the way a spouse would point out that too many cookies is bad for the waistline.

I tried ignoring Creativity’s voice reminding me to just inhale and exhale, to imagine a bit, to dream a bit and to just ride this rough patch through.  I felt I had nothing to say to it, to myself or to the world.

Now with some of the deadlines passed and a crop of new pressures on the horizon, my Creativity and I have entered a new, deeper relationship.  I have learned that I don’t have to justify this adventure to myself or make it live up to some impossible standard, I just have to go through the process.

One breath at a time.

Inhale...

Exhale...

Repeat 

As I look back on what I did during the past  41 days of my life and the silence here in cyberspace, I can see how my Creativity prodded me, encouraged me and pestered me into living this adventure despite myself.  Here’s how I know.

• the lap quilt that would have been for Betty if she'd survived the stroke and heart attack...

• the scarf I finished for Erin just as the last of the snow melted...

• the ornament I designed and stitched for next fall's JCS ornament issue... sorry, you only get a tiny peek!

• the denim blue moss stitch scarf that only worked in the car and not at the volleyball games.  I kept forgetting to K or P!

• the logo designed for a friend's family reunion this summer...

• a glimpse at two of the quick sketches I did on my tablet hooked up to the smart board during a school visit where

Paul Burns (author of Owen & the Dinosaur) and I did an enrichment workshop where they created stories as a group while I illustrated the panels.

• the pink wool I picked up to knit a baby blanket for my cousin's little daughter who was just born a few weeks ago.  It is half done thanks to a 2 day tournament in Halifax as well as the drive there and back...

No Inhale or Exhale tonight... just the whisper "I'm Back!"

Getting The Whole Family to Exercise...

As anyone knows, getting everyone to cooperate when it comes to being healthy and moving  more can sometimes be a challenge.  Last night, however, it was fun and easy.

The City of Moncton organized a “Zumba For Haiti ” night in our Coliseum's Agrena complex.  On the cement floor where trade shows are usually held, a huge stage and sound system were set up, waivers signed and each person attending paid $5.00 to dance/exercise to music for an hour and a half.

For those of you who have never done Zumba (which up until last night included my 2 daughters) it is hard to describe this new form of exercise.  Yes, there are routines that you can follow, but if you need to make things lower impact (like I do) or you lose track of where you are (like everyone does their first time) or the spirit moves you otherwise, you can just dance around to the great music.

Now picture over 500 people dancing around to routines in front of a rock concert like stage.

Now picture how much fun we had as a family.

The event raised over $3400 as well as our target heart rates.  It was a BLAST!

Yup, you can be Creative in how you get your kids to move more... it just really helps when someone else makes it for a good cause!  

INHALE:  Until I discovered Zumba and Wii Fit Plus, I will admit I’d fallen into a bit of an exercise rut.  Yes, I was still moving, but I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I am now.  The sense of play that both these forms of exercise offer, as well as the ability to customize my workout to suit the health challenges of degenerative disk disease, have made staying in shape FUN.  When something is fun, you want to do it more and more.  There is the creativity we need to pass on to the next generation.

EXHALE:  Having fun together is the best way to encourage those you love to join you in moving more.  It doesn’t have to be as vigorous a workout as Zumba.  This time last year, after a heavy snowfall, our family went for a walk in the woods near our house for almost an hour through the deep snow, leaping for snow laden branches to drop down on each other and pitching snowballs around tree trunks.  Leaving seeds for birds, exploring new walking trails, doing housework as a family to rocking tunes.  This week, be creative and find a way to get everyone in your family moving, for their health and yours!

Traveling Creatively...

I am all packed and ready to get on a variety of planes tomorrow to head from Moncton, New Brunswick to Geneva, Switzerland.  “Aunty Dragon” is needed to look after my niece and nephew for a week while by brother and sister-in-law are away on business, so between the two families, we are getting me there on a combination of airline points.

I will be waiting in one airport for almost 7 hours, so I have already planned how to travel creatively.

My small carryon bag has my iPod touch, my sketchbook, my journal, my old gameboy colour with Pokemon Blue in it (nostalgia gaming) and a pair of socks that I have been meaning to finish for a while now but got distracted by other projects.

My suitcase is full of craft supplies to do with my wonderful dragonlets over there, graph paper to chart a magazine design in cross stitch that I will need to stitch when I get home, two big sketchbooks, watercolour pencils, a manuscript to read over and a knitting project that I have been hoarding for quite some time now.

Now I just need to find enough hours in each day!

INHALE:  Traveling isn’t always easy, even though we can now fly around the globe in shorter times than ever before.  There can be waits, delays, turbulence and unplanned events.  Learning how to travel creatively can go a long way towards reducing stress.  Having things to do and read can make the hours go much more quickly.  I love writing long journal entries or working on projects while sitting in an airport because I so seldom get that time to just focus on one task.  Maybe I should learn how to carry some of that traveling creativity back over into my everyday life!

EXHALE:  Traveling teaches us a lot about ourselves and the incredible world around us.  Drop by a travel agency and pick out brochures that intrigue you.  Clip out photographs from magazines, the internet or articles in magazines that show places where you’d love to visit.  Make a list of your top ten destinations in the world and then start saving or planning for a trip somewhere. We have our coin jar ready for our next big family trip and you can bet that our children keep an eye on how often we add to it!  When we take it to the bank and add to the trip account, they learn that dreams can come true bit by bit if you just plan for it!

In Awe...

Every now and then, a movie comes along that makes you believe in something beyond your own reality.  The first experience I had with that was, as a child, seeing the original Star Wars movie in 1977.  I left the theater in awe and desperately wanting a lightsabre of my own!

There have been other movies where I walked out feeling that same incredible disorientation of not returning to my own reality right away... Lord of the Rings , Narnia , Terminator , the Passion of Christ  , some of the Star Trek movies and, of course, Titanic .

Seeing Avatar  today was even more profound.  I truly felt as if I had set foot on Pandora and experienced another culture, another way of looking at the world... one that was far more in harmony with their planet than ours.

This was not just a movie... it was an EPIC... and I believed!

To James Cameron , I tip my hat for the 3rd time in my life.  This movie not only pushed the boundaries of what has been possible up until now, it reminded me and scores of movie goers that the STORY matters.  Just as he used a make-believe love story to bring home the tragedy of the Titanic’s sinking in a way that moved people to the core, this time he has crafted a story of how love can trancend even species and how the greedy, human “consumer” way of putting profit above all else is NOT the best for any species or any planet.  If there is a world like Pandora out there, I hope that humans never discover it!

Like J.K Rowling , Stephenie Meyer , George Lucas , C.S. Lewis , Tolkein or any great storyteller, James Cameron has overseen something truly unique and original.  It is SO powerful when someone puts their creativity out there for the world to enjoy... it changes us on a level that lingers with us for the rest of our lives.

To the many, many talented people who worked on creating this movie to bring it to life, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You have reminded me of why I always wanted to draw pictures or tell stories.  It is like holding a rainbow or lightning in your hand when you see the finished project... it takes your breath away and just leaves you saying...

“WOW!”

INHALE:  I still feel out of breath from today’s experience.  When I close my eyes, I can see some of the best scenes play out against my eyelids.  I have already downloaded James Horner’s incredible soundtrack to my iPod and I can’t wait to see the film again with Nick. He had to go back to work today, but he will be my excuse to see it again at least one more time on the big screen.

EXHALE: The next time you have an idea that you are afraid to bring to life, remember that the first step in any magic, in any change, in anything becoming possible, is that you must say YES to the idea.  Then you must do all of the hard workto bring that idea to life!  Don’t be afraid of the work involved... of the sweat... of the way it will make you feel vulnerable.  You may be the only one that can bring a certain vision to life for the world to enjoy.  What dreams, stories, images have been hiding inside you, longing to be born but held prisoner by your own fears?  Writing a few of them down may be the first step in saying YES to something incredible.

Heading into a New Year Creatively...

I love the day of New Year’s Eve.  I got up early this morning and curled up on the couch to write in my journal by the light of the Christmas tree, enjoying the twinkle of the lights.

It has been almost 4 months of this adventure with more interruptions along the way than I’d expected, but bringing Creativity into my life on a daily basis has now become a way of life.  I thought it might be funny to end 2009 with a look at some of the daily exercises I tried that DIDN’T work well enough to share them.  Hope they put a smile on your face as we get ready to inhale the air of a brand new year!

1)  Being creative with your socks.  I wore 2 different socks to work to see if anyone would notice!  Less than 1% of the kids and staff at school noticed.  One student asked if I’d gotten dressed in the dark and several just looked at my with an “I hope I don’t get weird and senile like that when I am old!” look.

2)  Using food colouring to change the colours of food like potatoes.  DON’T!  (Even the pictures looked too gross to put up on the site!)

3)  Making an Acrostic with the letters of your name.

J-ust

E-xhuberant

N-ice

N-utty

I-maginative

F-riendly

E-xtroverted

R-eally not sure this is a good idea...

4)  Finger painting with your feet.  What was I thinking except to see if my toes had any talent.  Artists are always worried about something happening to their hands... but I will NOT be learning to draw with my feel if that comes about.  Luckily, I tried this one when the kids were out. I am sure they’d have been more talented, but the mess would have sent Nick into shock.

5)  Writing Your Day as a Dr. Seuss Poem.  “The last days of teaching before Christmas break, are filled with caffeine just for sanity’s sake.  The students are bouncy and giddy with glee... I might as well try to nail slush to a tree!”

INHALE: We sometimes forget that in order to become more Creative, we have to try things that WON’T work in order to find what will.  Thomas Edison is quoted as saying “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”  For the rest of this adventure, I want to keep trying and possibly failing because the discoveries along the way will be more exciting than how often I succeed.  I found this quote of his that will be one of my mantras for 2010:

“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

EXHALE: If you can find a quiet moment in the chaos of the year’s ending, write a list of 3 things that you discovered about yourself this year, 3 things you’d like to change in yourself or the world around you in the New Year and write down 3 quotes that inspire you on the same page of your book or journal.

Then go quietly out into the last day of this year and celebrate it’s ending and all the new beginnings that stretch before us!

Time For Some Holiday Fun...

When I revamped my website last week, I added a contest for the holidays and linked it to my drawing blog .  Since no one has been brave enough to enter the contest yet, I thought I would throw it out here for those of you who are trying to inhale a bit of Creativity.

This isn’t about drawing ability so much as ideas...

Are you up for some fun?  Let’s see what some of you can come up with!

INHALE:  The thing about taking chances or trying something new is that it can be scary.  We are worried about how people may judge us.  Today was report card day and Bethany was actually disappointed that she only had one A+ in a straight A report card!  So often, we create impossible expectations in our heads that keep us from trying something because we are afraid to look foolish or to fail. The more I try to be Creative, the more I realize that failing is actually a necessary part of being Creative.  It is only when you try something different or push the envelope that you may sail off in to brave, uncharted territories!

EXHALE:  Today is easy.  Print out the picture and doodle... colour it... turn it into a paper airplane.  You don’t have to enter the contest if you don’t want to, you just have to play.  We need to have more play and experimentation in our lives!

Trying Not to Hold My Breath...

This is a time of year when the veil between Heaven and Earth thins a little.  Everyone is rushing around preparing for the many celebrations that brighten this time of year.  This weekend is going to be incredibly busy as so many obligations collide...  and I keep catching myself holding my breath.

I do that while driving or as a passenger, especially now that snow has fallen, as cars cut each other off or run red lights in their hurry.  The girls were disappointed that today wasn’t a snow day after the storm blew through to quickly... but I needed that day home alone.

I hold my breath to calm myself when a wave of anxiety about my father hits.  When I exhale, I am reminded that there are things in this world over which I have no control.  I can, however, try not to make myself turn blue or purple.

I hold my breath when I am excited. There will be plenty of that this weekend as Erin’s team plays in the Provincial Volleyball Finals to establish rankings for the year.  When the score gets close, I am often so caught up in the volleys back and forth that I don’t breathe until someone scores a point!

I also find myself holding my breath sometimes while creating things.  Today was all about getting angel costumes ready for Sunday’s pageant at church.  Hemming was easy, but working with fabric paint and glitter requires steady hands... and sometimes holding your breath so that you don’t wobble.

My basement floor became the perfect place to let most of them dry overnight... as long as the rabbit doesn’t sneak out of her cage!

Every time I exhale after one of these moments, I am reminded of neat twist of fate that gave this blog its name.  I thought I was being clever and creative, but little did I know how those simple images would come to mean to me on this 365 day journey.  I can hardly believe it has been 3 months since the start of the adventure.  There was so much more that I expected to have done by now!  Through all of the fun and most of the chaos, thinking about ways to bring Creativity into my life has been a wonderful anchor.  Maybe that’s what we need most when storms hit - an anchor or a safe harbour.

INHALE:  If I have learned nothing else in the last 90 days, it has been that you cannot control everything in your life.  The wonder of all of this is that you CAN control how you respond to what is thrown at you, especially when looking for Creative solutions.  I haven’t always been successful in the past 3 months, but some of the strength I have gained along the way has been because of the effort more than because of the results.  I’m learning to love the expression “Plan all the details, then go with the flow!”

EXHALE:  There are SO many opportunities to get involved in something Creative during this time of year, especially in ways that help others.  Can you knit mittens or scarves for a shelter? Take some toys to a hospital or youth charity? Buy an extra turkey for a family who may have none?  Think about how you could stop holding your breath and just get out there to make a difference in one other person’s life.  If nothing else, you’ll get so busy that you’ll forget about whether or not you should hold your breath and one other person’s life will be enriched!

Taking The Time...

Another Saturday morning of sneaking out with my husband to do groceries while the kids relax at home.  Up until 2 years ago, groceries meant bribing the kids with dinner out after a busy day to shop as a family or one of us sneaking off by themselves to do groceries while the other did childcare.  A dozen years of buying food that way and suddenly, we are back to being able to have conversations as we find items on our list and come home to happy children... well... almost.  Erin is sick today with a horrid head cold, so Bethany left her alone and went bug-hunting in Animal Crossing City Folk while we were out.

Since the sky was grey and the wind was blustery, Nick decided to go up to work for the afternoon and I took over the kitchen.  I had muffins to bake for Sunday School tomorrow and a new recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution to try. Local new potatoes had been on sale at the supermarket today and Nick found some leeks as well, so I decided to try the Potato and Leek soup from the book.

The leeks were lovely!  Thank goodness Jamie explained about washing them under running water lengthwise though... there does tend to be a lot of silt and dirt that gets into those tight layers.  Getting it out before chopping was essential.

Carrots and celery also got chopped on my boards and added to the saucepan while the broth came to a boil in the bigger pot.

By this point, I had taken over most of the counter and had Josh Groban playing in the background interspersed with the odd John Tesh instrumental from my drawing playlist.  The afternoon sun was streaming in through my kitchen windows and I totally gave myself over to the act of being Creative with food.

New recipes are scary.  There is the urge to stick with the tried and true that we know to be safe.  I felt WAY more pressure after last Saturday’s disaster, the last half of which went in the garbage bag tonight.  After 2 days of leftovers, even I gave up on it!

Yet as I held the potatoes in my hand to peel them, I became aware of how the gritty brown peel gave way to the slippery white flesh as I peeled them.  How the smell of the garlic, leeks and other veggies simmering in the olive oil in the pan was beginning to waft its way through the house.  How, instead of feeling rushed the way I do on weeknights when there are meetings or activities to race off to, I was able to enjoy the act of preparing a meal.

So here’s the thing.  I think I am a closet “foodie”.  With this huge bag of carrots on the counter, I had a sudden urge to replicate the delicious carrotes rapées that we’d enjoyed this summer in France.  What did people ever do before they could look things up on the Internet?  Not only did I find a fabulous guide to follow, I fell in love with a whole new blog to follow!  David Lebovitz writes about France and food in a way that not only makes me smile, it takes me back to the very streets  I wandered this summer and the foods that my taste buds still dream of.  The beautiful pictures on the web site and in his blog were inspirational! (Look up some of the posts that deal with Chocolate!)

So, the soup simmered, I shredded carrots without losing any bits of finger or nail like I usually do, the rolls got warmed in the oven (no, I cheated and bought those at the bakery 3 blocks away) and by supper time, I had mastered not one but TWO delicious recipes.  A meal that was not only vegetarian, it qualified for the 100 mile diet if you discounted the olive oil that came back from France with me (at least it shared my plane).

Erin crawled out of her room to join us at the table and make appreciative croaking noises before being re-banished to her room.  Bethany declared the soup to now be on her top 10 favourite foods list as she went back for a 3rd bowl.  I was feeling Creative and pretty proud of myself right up until Nick looked at the girls with a grin and said  “Well, this certainly proves that our kitchen is a great place to take a leek!”

Hmmmm... I guess I have to let him live.  After 20 years, it would be just too hard to break in a new husband.

INHALE:  Trying new recipes can be terrifying.  We tend to be SO hard on ourselves about wanting everything to be perfect that we forget... new recipes have to be tried and tested before they ever make it into cookbooks.  Someone, somewhere had to be brave enough to try a food combination for the first time.  Everyone is going to have different tastes and sensibilities anyway... how else could you explain haggis?  Stop worrying about perfection in your Creativity.  Try instead to find the TIME to be Creative when cooking so that you don’t have to rush things.

EXHALE:  Think back to a food that you remember from a favourite trip, a childhood meal or some other special time in your life.  Memories can be linked to sound, smell, taste and texture, so being more Creative involves nurturing all your senses.  Give yourself half an hour to wander the Internet, browse through your existing cookbooks or even check out the cooking section at your local bookstore.  Pick out a recipe that excites you, that makes you feel like exploring your Creativity more... then plan where and when you can give yourself the time to try it. It just may become a new family favourite!

Back To Creativity Basics...

          Doodling certainly took me back to my childhood roots and sparked ideas for yesterday and today’s creative explorations.  It made me think about WHY I was being drawn back to these comforting, simple ways to bring more Creativity into my day. I realized that this first week of exploring, I am taking baby steps out into a big, scary, exciting new adventure.  I always pictured myself as a leap out into space kind of person, but this time, it feels more like I am building a foundation of sorts on which to ground myself for this yearlong experience.

    Yesterday, I discovered the cans of play-doh while cleaning out our craft cupboard looking for something I’d misplaced.  Most of them had dried out (my kids are now 14 and 10) but a few cans were still nice and squishy.  There is something incredibly unique about the smell and texture of play-doh that can make you feel like a kid again.  The first shape most of us ever learned to make was probably a snake. We rolled out a long uneven coil and then poked eyes into it with a pencil or toothpick.  I strongly recommend buying a can to keep on hand for when the going gets tough.  Pounding a piece of play-doh into a pancake can help get rid of a lot of pent-up frustration!!

     Today, I took out some crayons to play with. Once again, the texture and smells took me back to when I first discovered crayons drew better than they tasted.  Every birthday or Christmas held the possibility of getting a new box of sharp, pointed crayons to colour with.  We sometimes belittle the importance of PLAY as we grow older.  Today, I rediscovered how much fun it is to draw without a plan and just make marks...

INHALE:  The unexpected does not have to be something to fear.  Not everything has to have a plan in our lives.  Sometimes, it is possible to just play and enjoy the process... the ACT of being creative; rolling dough between fingers, humming a tune under our breath, moving our bodies to music, letting words flow onto a page unhindered in free verse.  There is so much in your day that is structured, scheduled, demanded.  Today, claim back a bit of time from your childhood today and remember to live in the NOW.

EXHALE:  Find some play-doh to squish around and shape or try this activity that so captivated me today.  You will need a firm piece of watercolour paper, manilla paper or card stock to draw on.  Find some crayons. If you have kids, there should be plenty of pieces lying about the house.  If you don’t, treat yourself to a basic package somewhere... or splurge and rediscover the childhood delight of having 96 colours and a built-in sharpener!  Make some marks on the paper.  You don’t have to draw a picture - you can just make some of the doodle patterns from yesterday in a variety of wax colours.  Be sure to press fairly hard as you draw.  I found it both frustrating and liberating that the white crayon was so hard to see on the white paper.  At first I panicked about making the “right” lines... then I just gave up and had fun.  Once you are done, take a big brush and some watercolour or acrylic paint (raid your kids’ supplies if you have to) in your favourite colour(s). Swirl your brush around in plain water before picking up any of the pigment and wash it across your drawing so that the paint beads off the wax crayons marks.  Don’t over paint areas to much.  Just go quickly to cover all the white space and live with what happens.  This type of wax-resist painting never loses its magic...

I called mine “DANCE”...

A Year of Living More Creatively...

Birthdays are great times to start massive, monumental projects.  Like New Year’s resolutions, there is something about beginning another year of your life that makes you incredibly reflective.  Birthdays are often excuses to do something selfish, frivolous or indulgent.  I have had lots of practice in that area!  Four years ago, to celebrate turning 40, I painted myself green.  To clarify, I entered the costume contest at DragonCon in Atlanta as She-Hulk after a whole summer of lifting weights and eating clean... but that was a whole other blog.

This adventure began  as I searched for something to make my 44th year of life on this planet more interesting.  Last year, I learned how to knit socks.  44 is somehow less exciting than milestones like 40, 45 or 50.  I wanted something a bit more substantial than picking up a new skill.  Something that would last for a full 365 days until I celebrated my 45th, but that would also make me far more aware of each day’s potential.  My grandmother said that time raced much faster the older you got and I now believe her!  I wanted something ... some adventure... some challenge that could take a whole year to tackle... which is why you are now reading these words.

Welcome to a way of living more Creatively each and every day. This blog is going to be all about discovering and befriending the creative essence that lives inside each one of us.  Creativity is nurtured rather than learned, practiced rather than acquired.  It is already inside us human beings struggling to get out, begging to be born in work, image, song, craft, cooking, dance etc.  If we are honest with ourselves and our inner nature, Creativity isn’t something we can live without.  Just as I believe we are all born with it, I know that it is as essential to our daily existence as breathing.  So... time to put this into practice.

Just like breathing, every daily meditation I am going to explore will have 2 components, 2 parts, 2 movements; inhale and exhale.  Inhalations are about inspiration, things to take in and ponder.  Exhalations are about trying to put that idea or aspect of being Creative into practice in a tangible way.  The best of these will be shared on this blog and by the end of the year, I will have spent a full year of my life trying to live more creatively in everything I do. 

INHALE:  Take a deep breath.  It’s ok to feel a bit scared and intimidated when you start something new, but putting it off doesn’t really solve anything.  A blank page can stare at you forever.  Take a leap of faith and realize that every creative act begins with a single flash point of inspiration or insanity, passion or possibility.  You cannot knit anything until you cast on, you cannot quilt until you cut and stitch, you cannot draw until you make the first mark and you cannot sing until you take a deep breath and then let it out again.  It is time to begin.

EXHALE:  As an illustrator, I tend to want to draw pictures and doodle to explore things, so I have bought myself a big black sketchbook in which to record things during this 365 day adventure.  A log book of sorts to keep a record of my journeying through this creative landscape.  Yours doesn’t have to be a sketchbook. It could be a notebook, a coil bound scribbler or anything that grabs your fancy, but it will probably be helpful to have one place in which to write your thoughts and ideas if you decide to explore along with me.  Don’t worry about making things perfect, just give yourself permission to get messy and make mistakes.  No one ever has to see what you create unless you want to share.  I think I may eventually go on a hunt for a box of some kind as well. Creative Exploration will probably involve the 3rd dimension, but that will be a challenge for another day. I am trying to take things one breath at a time!

Once you have found a book in which to begin, open it to write your name and address on the inside cover in your favourite colour of pen or pencil.  Write your address too in case your log book ever wanders away from you on one of your creative adventures so that someone can help it find its way home. 

You don’t have to write, draw or create anything else today unless you want to.  Today’s challenge was all about just getting started on the journey.  I can’t wait to see how this unfolds!