Weekend Journal

Feeding The Well


As your body needs nourishment to function, so does your creative spirit.  Nourishment for your creative muse is in abundance everywhere, and more often than not, it is free for the taking.

It doesn't cost anything but a little time (and the price of your favorite hot beverage) to go to your local bookstore and flip through your favorite artsy magazines.  Looking at the way other creatives use their materials often sparks new ideas in your own creative muse.

ART WITH YOUR CAMERA


Even an afternoon stroll is manna for the creative muse.  Capturing photo images of things that spark your imagination is a great way to both "feed the well" and document your journey.  

Mother nature is a great abstract artist.  Looking through the lens is a great way to focus on one area at a time.

Don't forget to look up!  You might see a great crackle effect in a beautiful blue sky.

When is the last time you really paid attention to the different colors and textures of tree bark?  Don't you think trees are amazing?  Don't forget to use these types of images on your journal pages.  You can print them "as is", or how about manipulating them in your favorite picture program.  I've taken these same four images and made copies of each.  Afterwards, I easily transformed each image by adjusting the color tint and/or saturation, and by altering the contrast and brightness.  

Altering your images provides limitless possibilities for hours of art journaling fun!


DON'T FORGET "DOWN TIME"


Just as your body needs rest, so does your creative muse.  Take a break from the paints and markers.  Get out of the house and really embrace the beauty surrounding you.  That includes the beauty of the friends and loved ones eagerly looking forward to spending some time with you, whether it be a a quiet walk on a sunny day or chowing down on pizza in front a bad movie!

Take time for quiet moments.  Enjoy the splendor of "the little things".  Slow down and just enjoy the moment of NOW.  Your creative muse will thank you.  Your spirit will thank you.

Life is but a brief moment, my dear friends.  Embrace every breath with gratitude and opportunity as you continue on your journey to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"  Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, and I'll see you again on Monday.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY

Photo by Keith Thompson

Keith captured this lovely image of the sun behind the trees as we were sitting across from the falls in the above images.  It was not as dark as it appears to be. Let me interject here, that after the hike down and back up the steep path to the falls, I have officially declared myself OUT OF SHAPE! 

Photo by Keith Thompson

While I was snapping photos of bark, someone was snapping photos of me!