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"!

Something Old, Something New

Now that I have a YouTube channel, I've spent a considerable amount of time looking at other art channels and I have come across some wonderful eye candy and a wealth of information! I never tire of watching how other artists create their works of art and I always come away thinking, "Wow! I want to try that technique!", or "Wow! I have to get some of those!"

One such video that I came across was "Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 Page Journal".  Talk about exciting!  I was really drawn to making my own journal and she made it look so easy!  One of the things that impressed me most about the making of her journal is that there is NO waste of paper.  (I'm really big on not wasting art supplies or any other materials, food, etc.)  My almost totally right brain would have NEVER thought of using a sheet of watercolor paper in this manner.  Here - have a look for yourself!



Isn't that great?  Be sure to watch part 2 to assemble and she also has subsequent sections on her different layers: paint, collage and pen work. ( Just double click on the video above and it will open a new window direct to YouTube.)

I immediately headed out to my studio later that day to see what kind of watercolor paper I had.  I really wanted to try one of these journals and I am always looking for ways to refresh my work and nurture my creativity.  This project was screaming my name!  I found just what I was looking for as I rummaged through my sleeves of paper; 2 sheets of Lanaquarelle watercolor paper with beautiful deckle edges!

That was the beginning of my handmade journal, "Teesha Moore style".  I've had a great time playing with my journal using Teesha's techniques.  Here are a few pics of what I've done so far.  It's going to take awhile for me to complete so I'll post more pics as I progress.

This is my cover and the inside left flap.  The flap isn't complete yet. (click to enlarge)

These pages aren't complete either, but I like where they're headed.  As I'm working in this journal, I'm quickly realizing that I really don't have a whimsical spirit.  I see more of a macabre side emerging and I'm having a great time with it - I've even started assembling a second journal as I feel my own style meshing with this technique.

Like Teesha, I used watercolors for my backgrounds using only one color per page.  In the new journal I'm assembling, I've blended 2 and 3 colors per page.  In both cases, I applied the paint BEFORE I assembled my pages.  I did this because I'm impatient and wanted to be able to lay the sections out and paint lots of them at once.  This method is working great for me.  You'll have to determine which method works best for you.  Another thing I changed was the binding thread (I don't remember what Teesha used).  I used hemp cord because that's what was available to me.  It seems to be working fine but I'm keeping a close eye on the knot to make sure it doesn't work loose.  I know I can also add a drop of super glue to make sure it stays knotted!

I hope you'll try some new journaling techniques.  It's not about trying to duplicate the look of another artist but it's about stepping out of your comfort zone and keeping your work fresh.  For me, my normal journaling method is like eating a perfectly prepared 5 course meal; every bite savored and quietly enjoyed to it's fullest.  Teesha's method is like a food buffet to me; lots of choices and flavors to explore, a taste of this and a taste of that.  Both meals are enjoyable but a steady diet of either becomes boring and predictable. 

Step outside of your comfort zone and create in a way that's different from your norm.  Look through your supplies and see how you can take something old and use it in a new way.  Try making an "Amazing 16 Page Journal" and as always,  "Happy Creating!" 

To see more of Teesha's work, visit her website full of eye candy!

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!"

Happy Birthday, Frida!

I was doing a little net surfing and came across an article that today is Frida Kahlo's 103rd birthday.  How can I let the day go by without paying homage to one of my favorite artists?  Frida was an outspoken, passionate artist who offered no apologies for who and what she was.  She poured her soul onto the canvas for everyone to see and was unafraid to accept every aspect of who she was.

I would like to think that I have approached my life and art with the creative energy and depth of feeling apparent in the work that Frida left behind, and I hope that I've inspired others to do the same.  Happy Birthday, Frida!

"No Time"

This is a journaling spread created to the song "No Time", by Cleveland's Drunkdude 69.  Enjoy!