The Creative Notebook

When my Checking Account is empty and I want to create, I look to recycle.  If the budget won’t even allow a little thrift shop or yard sale cruising, I go through my own closets.  Old sweaters can be remade into bags to carry your reading or knitting in.  I slice up old sheets to use as fabric, or into strips to crochet with.  Old sweaters can be taken apart and upcycled into new garments.  Old books become altered books or with a little paint or gesso over the writing a journal. 

Green crafting, recycling, upcycling keep you creative when there are no funds.  I’ll be posting great recycled art ideas as I come across them.

This woman is my hero.  I just adore her and her work.  I wanted to share this link to her speech at the Harvard Alumni Association.  You can see the video or read the text. 

Go here!  http://harvardmagazine.com/go/jkrowling.html

I seen lots of prospects for this market bag in our donation bag of clothing.  Check it out.

It’s Coffee Pot People’s One Minute Market Bag!

9 Ways of Cultivating Creativity on the Think Simple Now blog, poses a hypothesis I’m currently exploring, the connection between creativity and spirituality.

I’ve been taking notice of all the cruises for different interests lately.  I’ve seen knitting cruises and art retreat cruises.  Wonder if they have a journaling cruise?  The idea couldn’t be more perfect!  Just think of all the wonderful pictures you could put in your journal and all the great things to write about.  How about an evening on the deck writing to prompts or trying out new methods and everyone reading back their writing with the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves as your background.  Maybe I should organize it………

I have a special bag for my “on the go” journaling supplies.  I take it with me everywhere.  Sometimes I don’t even get as far as taking it out of the car, but it always goes with.  I never want to miss an opportunity for a good journal page.

My bag is stuffed as full as I can get it.  My mom says I carry everything but the kitchen sink.  Hah!  I carry several kitchen sinks, just don’t tell her that.

I keep things like watercolor pencils, water brushes, a small spray bottle, twinkling h2o’s, scissors, a small container of gel medium, some acrylics and brushes, glazing medium, a glue stick, some bits of papers for collage, some gold leafing sheets, and my favorite pens.

What’s in your bag?

I’m trying to make small, inexpensive changes around the house to perk things up a bit.  I feel like I’m in a rut in all areas of my life, and I hope a few creative changes will make me feel better.  I bought a dark red shag throw rug and runner rug for the living room.  I love it.  Its colorful and retro.  I’m decluttering, hoping that decluttering the house will declutter my mind a bit too.  I’ve also been looking to make a few changes in the bathroom.  Fung Shui says if you want major changes in your life, give your bathroom a major cleaning and makeover.  I’m all for it.  I’ve cleaned out old makeup and cleaners.  I’ve cleared out old linens and sheets.  I’ve been looking at bathroom vanities as an easy way to dramtically change the look of the bathroom. 

Sometimes when I’m stuck creatively, if I shake things up in other areas of my life, things start to flow.  How do you get “unstuck” when things aren’t going like they should?