Monday's Musings

Where Are We Now?

My word for the year is "evolve".  I didn't select this word as much as it selected me, (but that's another post entirely).  I guess it's only natural to take stock of one's life from time to time.  Apparently I slowed myself enough to turn and look behind at where I've been, and I also strained my eyes to see if I could glimpse the future.  Those are not activities I'm accustomed to, but if my word is "evolve", well.....you get the point.

Anyway, synchronicity being what it is, I've been humming and/or singing David Bowie songs (Yes - I'm a huge fan since the early 70s!) over the past couple months - specifically "Seven" ("...seven days to live my life or seven ways to die..."), and "Changes" ("I still don't know what I was waiting for and my time was running wild - a million dead end streets...."  "....so I turned myself to face me...").    They somehow seem to go along with this "EVOLVE" that I can't get out of my head. Here's where synchronicity comes in:  I'm browsing Facebook, and to my absolute delight, I see that David Bowie has released a new single, "Where Are We Now?", from his new CD, "The Next Day", to be released in March.  

It's his first release in a decade, so I'm really excited to see him back and eager to hear the rest of this album.  I'm not one to keep up with celebrity news, but when I did a little research to see where he's been for 10 years, I discovered that he had a heart attack at some point.  I also discovered that he's 66 years old as of a week or so ago.  Why is any of that important to me?

I consider David Bowie to be a creative genius.  He's been an ever-evolving, outside-the-box, no holds barred, exploring, chameleon whom I've greatly admired over all these years.  He must constantly ask himself, "what if", and he doesn't seem to have any reservation toward experimentation.  His music has been a great source of inspiration to me.  Do you know that he also painted and did some print making?  http://www.bowieart.com/default.asp

Image courtesy of http://www.spin.com/articles/david-bowie-producer-the-next-day-album-details

Also, as they say, "misery loves company", and this image of David Bowie looking a tad like the grim reaper struck a chord in me.  In a way, I find it far more bizarre than the Ziggy Stardust image, and almost a little disturbing.  I  listen to "Where Are We Now?", and I look at this image and think that he must be looking back at where he's come from and looking into the future to see where he's going.   Maybe it's taken him 10 years to do it, and I guess that helps me to justify my own 10 week creative silence.  Don't expect me to return looking like the Grim Reaper though!

          CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE

Monday's Muse

I think being a creative/artist is both a blessing and a curse.  As I sit and observe people, I watch them mindlessly walk by the very things that bring The Muse to life and immediately inspire imagery in my mind.

This photograph (courtesy of dear hubby) is one such example.  I've yet to see even one person notice these signs posted in half a dozen locations along the beach.

I love the fact that "Have fun on the water!" shows up as florescent green in this photo.  I can't help but think, "surely I'm not the only person who sees the irony in this?"   Let's see here....EIGHT different conditions/images under which one should avoid going in the water.  OK.  maybe the real key here is the preposition, on.

Unless you're Jesus, I don't think you're going to be on the water unless you're in a boat or other flotation device (clearly prohibited at the beach according to other signs).  Does this little word have to do with liability?  Hmmmmm...... I digress.

Anyway, things like this send The Muse off on a tangent of sound and imagery.  The images won't necessarily end up on a journal page, but the thought process  goes something like this:

• "Oh, my gosh!  People are still dragging their kids into the water.  They don't even see these signs!"
• I hear the "Jaws" theme music playing in my head
• I get a visual of those awful, plaid polyester fabrics from the 70s
• I get another visual - this one of the "Jaws" Amitty billboard
• I begin thinking about what a blue-green algae monster might look like
• I think of a title, "Stay OUT of the Water!!!"
• I do a Google search for more information, and find "High Quality Danger Signs" to download.
• I bookmark the site for future reference
• I file it under "Funnies" in my mind and continue mulling over it every time I go to the beach.

And that's the blessing and curse of it all.  It's a blessing that creativity is sparked by the most unlikely things in the most unlikely places.  It's a curse that I'll think this topic to death - or if I'm lucky I'll think it to the page through journaling.

CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE

BUT.....

STAY OUT OF THE WATER!!!!

Tuesday Tips and Techniques: Unlikely Sources of Inspiration

One of the most frequent statements I hear about art journaling is "I don't know what I would journal about."  The obvious special occasions and events are exciting and momentous, but unfortunately, they are few and far between.  The answer: don't underestimate the value of everyday life as inspiration for your art journaling.


Like it or not, we're creatures of habit. We wake up each day to the same morning routine. We drive the same route to the same job with the same people.  We shop at the same stores, call the same friends, travel the same roads, eat the same food.  All these routines are carried out as if by auto pilot, but they can be excellent sources for art journaling material if we only turn off the "auto pilot" and really see.


If I never stepped foot out of my house again, I would have plenty of material for art journal inspiration - and so do you!

Take a look in your fridge.  Pull out a few items and examine them.  Ask yourself questions and let your imagination run wild.  What makes vanilla "French"?  Does sour cream come from a cranky cow?  Is the girl on the chicken stock carton drawn from a real person?  Why do most of us lovingly swoon over a luscious plate of deviled eggs? (I'm convinced I could dedicate an entire journal to eggs!)  And what does "Dijon" mean anyway?  Don't forget to take a look in the cupboards.

Take a look at the bric-a-brac that you mindlessly walk past on a regular basis.  What meaning do these items hold for you?  Where did you get them?  Were they gifts?  If they're "antiques", where might they have lived before?  What stories might you create from them?

What's hanging on your walls?  What do you like about these items?  Are they photos from places you've been?  Are they artworks that you've created or purchased?  Are they artworks from your favorite artists?  What emotions do you feel when you look at them?

What books, magazines and other paraphernalia do you have bedside?  What are you reading?  What have you read?  How do you feel about what you read or are reading?  What images come to mind as you read the printed word?

Take a look at your text message inbox/outbox.  Taken in or out of context, they offer some great journaling possibilities.

These everyday items and activities are just the beginning of what you have access to in your daily life.  The possibilities are endless: Twitter, Facebook, email headings, TV shows & commercials, things you see on your road trips - you get the idea.  Turn off the "auto pilot", explore your world with new eyes, and get busy - "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!".

Using Daily Prompts

I was looking through my past "Daily Prompts" and it occurred to me that A: Some of them are a little bit wacky, and B: Potential users may be taking them literally.  Don't get me wrong - it's OK to use these phrases literally, but I hope you won't stop there when thinking about them. Consider the following:

How do you come up with these? That's a great question! A lot of these prompts have come from song lyrics, but sometimes, they've come from dreams.  I usually type them up directly into my blog between 9am and 10am on Monday morning and I read through what I've already typed and try not to duplicate any.

What do you mean, "don't take them literally?" OK, that's a great question, too!  Let's take Tuesday's prompt, "Gone with the wind", for example.  Maybe you read, "Gone with the wind", and immediately think of the movie and you relate to Scarlett.  Maybe your journal page is "Fiddle dee dee - tomorrow's another day." Or maybe your boss/boyfriend/neighbor has recently ticked you off and you do a spread, "Frankly, I don't give a damn."  Maybe you read, "Gone with the wind" and Lynard Skynard's, "Tuesday's Gone" pops into your head (which is where I got this particular prompt), and you journal about how quickly Tuesday went by.  Maybe you read "Gone with the wind" and you see the word "wind" and you think "wind in the willows" and you journal a spread about willow trees.  Maybe you think to yourself, "this prompt sucks".  Journal a page about all the things that sucked on Tuesday!

What if I read a prompt and I get nothing from it? I think that would be wonderful, because that would probably mean that maybe YOU have something that you want to say in your journals and you don't need to come here to get daily prompts! That means that it's time for you to graduate and move on to the next phase - one of going within and listening to your OWN voice.  Everything on my blog is put here as an aid in helping you find your own creative voice.  I hope you're gaining confidence with each new day!

Don't take life so seriously!  Have some fun, clown around and let joy course through your veins!  Express yourself and be authentic to who you are - not to who people expect you to be.  And until next time, dear friends, "Happy Creating"!

Synchronicity and Inspiration

Yesterday afternoon Keith and I braved the smoldering heat and headed out for ice cream. I have to say it was everything I had my taste buds ready for; gooey hot fudge heaped upon warmed, homemade brownies smothered in sweet, vanilla ice cream and topped with mountains of fluffy whipped cream.  Yummy!  We returned home as soon as we scarfed down our delightful treats, and between the heat and the sugar overload, it wasn't long before I was blissfully snoring to the afternoon sitcoms Keith was watching. 

I slowly awakened to Doug Heffernan and his father-in-law, Arthur, verbally abusing each other on "King of Queens" and the thought, "Tear newspaper in strips. 3 strips. Paint one yellow, one orange, one red.  Surround each strip with it's complimentary color."  Immediately I search my mind for further information; Why do I need to do this?  What do with the strips once they're done? What? Really? OK. I'm suddenly more awake and Keith is saying "good morning" to me and inquiring about ordering pizza.  I try to put the newspaper strips out of my mind but they linger in the background whispering at me.

Keith orders the pizza and I flip through the bulb catalog that the mailman has left for my enjoyment.  The tulip on the cover looks like something out of a fairytale and each page is more delightful than the previous.  OK.  I'm convinced.  Send me one of each, please, and I'll find somewhere to plant them later.

Eventually, I pull my head out of the catalog and remember that I want to check out some more blogs on the last Blog Hop that I joined.  (If you haven't noticed the links yet, look at the bar beneath the header and click on "Blog Hops".  You're in for a great adventure!)  I've been visiting the blogs randomly by clicking on the thumbnails that appeal to me.  The first thumbnail I clicked on was #110 Paula (Little Scraps o Magic). I scrolled through her blog and came across a picture of a journal page where she's incorporated tags and I'm intrigued to read that she completed the spread as part of a monthly journal challenge from a website called  GPP Street Team.  I clicked on that link and guess what I saw?  This month's challenge is: "Strip Ease" - "tear your paper into strips and put it on your page"!  I can't believe what I'm seeing! (Well, yes I can, but synchronicity never ceases to amaze me!) That clinched the deal for me.  I knew that I would be tearing newspaper strips and painting them yellow, orange and red for my journal page today!

So, early this afternoon, I pulled out my journal and newspaper and prepared my strips "as instructed".  I then prepped my journal pages with blocks of complementary colors, but beyond that, I had no idea what direction the spread would take.  As I gazed at my drying spread, I began to see a face emerge so I quickly sketched it in.  I thought about what the vast expanse of green represented to me and I immediately thought of a brain and "information".  I began writing the word "information" over and over again and let my mind wander where it wanted. ( I often use repetition of words, phrases and shapes in my journals as a form of meditation.) The next word that came to me was "intuition", and I knew intuitively that I only need print it once and it "demanded" presence.  "Inspiration" came next, followed by "spirituality" and "synchronicity".

After I completed the hair and shadowing of the face and letters, I contemplated my spread and thought about the message.  I noted the overload of "information" on the right side, and noted that what lies in front of me is "intuition", "inspiration", "spirituality" and "synchronicity".  Those four words have much more meaning to me than all the "information" packed into my brain.  Maybe this spread is a reminder to me that everything I need is "contained within".  Anyway, I'll continue to ponder this spread and meanwhile, I hope you tune your awareness into the synchronicity in your life.  "Happy Creating!"