Holding on to Vision

🙏This post will be a bit lengthy....but vision and life transformation cannot be conveyed in 200 characters or less. Take your time reading it if that is what is necessary.....

When I began this journey of vision back in January of 2021, I had no idea what I was doing. I let the whisperings in my soul guide my words, my actions…my art. It was a huge undertaking, and one I often wonder whether I was truly prepared to take.

But are we ever truly prepared for the longings of our souls?

I read once that if our dreams don’t scare the hell out of us…they aren’t big enough. This dream that I had was HUGE – monstrous even.

It stuck out all over

What I imagined to be beautiful and organized and fulfilling, became a mountain before me that I simply had to conquer. I learned things I never imagined I would need to, and became a person…out of necessity, that does everything scared.

And dreams&vision was born

It wasn’t perfect. I didn’t have professional lighting or sound. My camera was old, and beyond some live sessions on social media, I had no idea how to organize and run a class.

But I did it anyway

This last month has been an opportunity for me to slow down and reassess where I am in this Soul Journey. I’ve prayed, journaled, painted, sketched, and seeked with all my heart, the will of God for this next season of my life.

The process of seeking vision is never perfect -[human!]-but I have discovered several things about myself that I think maybe you can appreciate or relate to…even begin to process in the context of who YOU are in order to begin your journey anew, whether it is a new one…or a continuing story:

Lesson 1: You can’t get it wrong. I had a dream one night where God and I were having a deep conversation about this journey I’m on. He hugged me and said “Whatever you decide to do is fine with me…as long as we do it together.” You see I was so afraid of getting it wrong and walking down the wrong path that I couldn’t make any real decisions. I was adding more and more because I thought I needed to be bigger than I was. I was a huge ball of stress….and I guarantee, that is not where He wants you to be. Everything we go through, whether related to our final destination or not, contributes to the whole and most often is a necessary part. Permission granted to choose what makes you MOST joy filled.

Lesson 2: Choose the ONE thing. For the longest time I was of the opinion that in order to find what is most authentic to who you were created to be, a deep exploration of all the things could be necessary. While I still believe that if you are in that place of uncertain knowledge of who you are creatively, exploring possibility can help you to discover something deeper about yourself – but there comes a time when all that random activity simply makes you scattered. Taking time to reassess what you have been up to the last season (a year, maybe more?) will help you to put into perspective the things you are good at, bring you joy and peace, and help to make choices that will serve you best in this next season of your life. Remember that Busier is not better.

Lesson 3: Be relentless in the pursuit of what you love. I do have one caveat here: This isn’t a selfish desire that forsakes all morality in favor of what YOU want. This is a walking out of the vision that the Father has placed on your heart…unearthed through the process of discovery…with unwavering steps of focus and importance. Even the things that God has for us requires action on our part. He invites us to participate with Him in the CREATION process, but will not inflict it upon us if we are not willing to do what’s necessary. That willingness of putting Him and our creative vision first is a step all its own…and it takes, sometimes, great commitment. Commit to the Pursuit, it is something worth walking out.

All this said, a NEW dreams&vision will not be happening at this moment in time. They say when you aren’t hearing a clear answer from God – go back to where you heard Him last. For me that was “do it again, give it away”. When I heard that one year ago, I was not ready to accept it. The next year of my life felt like a wandering path that had no direction, so I’m going back to it.

For 2023, I will be attending my own courseimperfection and all. It may make me cringe at times- absolutely sure of that….and quite possibly I will need to make some adjustments to the program {ahem, perfectionist tendencies}. But I think there are more lessons to be had for me….for you. Often when we are too close to a situation, we can’t see the wisdom within, so I will step back from the judgement of it and simply engage.

For the second part of that [give it away], I am offering dreams&vision for no cost to you for 2023. The stories I received about the transformation that students experienced tells me that it is perfect in its imperfection.

But it takes a commitment to experience this transformation.

I would love to invite you along on this journey. Even if you’ve completed the course before…you’re a different person now. Dive back in…create a new journal. Express the lessons in ways that are more authentic to who you are in this moment. Allow the process to take you further down (or up as the case may be) this mountain path and change your perspective about who you were Created to BE.

God willing, we will have a new dreams&vision for 2024 – quite possibly the themes He gave me to begin anew simply need to percolate a bit more in order to take you further along this creative journey.

Here is the link to the creative classroom: DREAMS&VISION I encourage you to do them in order and from the beginning…this is the process of creating habits, and they build upon one another.

I look forward to meeting you there….

✌🏻❤️🎨 Lisa

Fine Art Originals available now:

Remembering where you’ve come from

a thousand little pieces of me 

broken & mended, then broken again. a continual repurposing of what I thought would destroy, one piece of my soul at a time, is the very thing that forms the bond around that wound…
gaping and raw – yet filled
and soothed
and made whole – again and again
wHOLeY
Is this broken place what makes me HOLY again?

-l.e.evola


Those broken places are usually what we prefer to forget.

Rarely do we see its value or effect until we have journeyed beyond it…till we are reminded of GRACE, of LIFE, of LOVE that does not fail. 
And in the REMEMBERING of it, another joining stitch bringing together the many fractured pieces of our hearts…tight and secure in body, mind and soul – in the place that was made for you…for me
Within the Broken Heart of God

This week on Creative Vision Journal LIVE, we talk about how each and every piece of our journey, good and not so much, weave together to create a beautiful self portrait of who we. Every weave in the fabric, another piece made beautiful in its mending.

Grab your journals and join me in creating a beautiful portrait of you…

…{see the session here}

https://www.facebook.com/100020736379185/videos/1108619403380992/

Click on the picture above to visit the Live Session.

Till next week~

✌🏻❤️🎨~L

…the journey ahead

Is creativity calling you? Have you experienced that tiny whisper that says…

”yes! Come and see what this art thing is all about.”

There is so much out there on the internet that It’s hard to know where to begin finding the art you want to create.

I remember in the beginning, when I decided to give this ART LIFE a go, hoping on to social media only to spend hours and hours looking at someone else’s creative expression – yet never experiencing my own. It’s so easy to get lost in all of the beautiful ways people use their creative gifts. What I finally had to do was set a limit to that exposure and follow it up with engaging in my own creative acts according to how I was inspired by what I saw.

Eventually those wanderings took less of my time away, and I spent more of those precious moments creating for myself. The healing that took place in my soul was life giving…

My creativity increased

My spiritual focus deepened

I found more joy and satisfaction in my work

and my personal relationships began to thrive

This isn’t to say that I haven’t struggled at times with inspiration, but when those times come, I know exactly what to do to regain creative strength. But this is only because I made the commitment to start a Daily Creative Practice. It’s like muscle memory for the Creative Soul.

Think about how quickly time passes without our even realizing it. When we put things off till later…later most often never comes. The KEY is to choose a time, choose a place, make sure that place is set up with all your favorite supplies, then make that commitment to show up.

Showing up is the hardest part….I know this too well. My self talk sounds like this: “I’ll just do this and get it out of the way so I can focus on the art” but the truth about “this” is there will always be this’s.

Just like spending time in prayer, Creativity is best cultivated as a priority. What that time looks like will be individual to the person. I do my best creating first thing in the morning – after prayer, but before my business day officially begins. If I wait, weariness will take over and the excuses will follow.

Do You Want To Live A Creative Life?

make the commitment and don’t look back

This week on Creative Vision Journal Live, we talk about Embracing the journey ahead….whatever that looks like for you. It’s an imperfect process of trial and error, but it is a beautiful adventure that you will never be sorry you began.

https://www.facebook.com/100020736379185/videos/1108619403380992/

Click on the picture above to visit the Live Session.

Gather your Journal and write, paint, sketch whatever your heart is leading you to. It won’t be perfect, but it will be fulfilling and authentic.

Here are the supplies I used: Van Gogh Oil Pastels, 6B Charcoal Pencil, a bit of hockey tape (haha) to keep my page together at the bottom, and a small piece of paper bag. That’s it…easy peasy!

Do you keep a journal? Is it a visual journal or only for writing? Consider adding some small sketches to those heart words you’ve written….once your creative heart catches on, you will be changed for eternity ❤️

Till next week~

✌🏻❤️🎨~L

Working Backwards – thoughts on painting in the negative

{prompts for this week are further down the page. keep reading ;}

Typically as I work on a painting or journal page, I am thinking about how I can turn something negative in my life into something more positive. I begin with a thought, a feeling, a word, and I embellish draw, paint and change that negativity into a positive healing process. 

This is what I teach my intuitive painting students, and this is how I like to process life.

For instance, I will take a word like lonely, paint it in big bold letters in the center of my canvas, turn on some awesome music – then go to town! I work from a place of darkness into the light. Taking a word that has made me feel other than into a place of acceptance, love, healing, gratitude and joy. The changing feelings and impressions that occur in the process of creation can be so healing for me.

Emotionally. Physically. Relationally.

It is how I love to see my work transform.  I watch as it progresses from a place that I don’t like, one I’m unsure about or really struggling with, into what I desire to be, or feel emotionally. It has, I must say, served me well.

But this week we are going to approach this process from a different perspective to learn something more about ourselves. Because hey, we are in discovery mode! Whether you are working small or large, colorful or with a limited palette, discovery is all about immersing ourselves in the process.

When God created the universe, He was right down in it.

“and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” gen 1:2

or as the message version quips:

“God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.”

This particular version gives me the impression that He was really sweating the small stuff.  He wanted something beautiful that He could be proud of – after all, God is perfection. He was there when everything was chaotic. When it was ugly and unrecognizable. And He stayed with the process, He didn’t give up as the changing facets of creation morphed and became something immensely beautiful to Him. (Sounds a lot like me in the beginning stages of a painting!)

Instead of giving up in the ugly stages of creation (cuz you gotta know they totally were there), He stuck with the plan. He worked the clay until it yielded to His touch and His will, creating a beautiful, unparalleled masterpiece.

Those must have been some of the most stressful 7 days – EVER! (Just my humble thoughts for sure)

…and it was beautiful

“It is good” He said

This is our own desire right, to create something beautiful, something good? Sometimes you just have to go through some real ugliness to achieve that goal. Don’t get stressed. Don’t give up. Work that clay until something beautiful emerges.

So this week, here is what I would like you to do:

Monday:

Paint your page (or whatever you may be working on) with swaths of color. You can block them in or just brush random wide strokes filling the area with as much color as you like. let it dry.

Tuesday:

Using contrasting paint or gel pens, in each of the blocks of color create a pattern within that area. For instance if the block is black, use white or some other light color and fill it with dots. Choose whatever contrasting or complimentary color you like but stay within that space.  Vary your colors and marks from block to block.

Wednesday:

Now choose a color that you haven’t already used, and a mark that you particularly like (mine is a circle) and create a larger pattern that migrates over a few of the blocks, unifying them with the mark. Put it in a few places around the whole surface to create continutity.

Thursday:

Using your view finder, or fingers shaped like a square, identify areas of pattern or color overlap that you like. Take a mental note. Now….squint your eyes at the picture as a whole. Do you see any emerging patterns? A face, animal, object? Look for possibilities in the brushstrokes. Maybe the colors melded in a particular area, and with the marks made on top you see a kitten looking back at you. This is what your picture wants to be. Look for houses, planes, birds, dogs, teacups.  It’s really up to you how you choose to see things.

Taking a charcoal pencil, lightly sketch some loose lines encapsulating the image you see. Then let it rest. Tomorrow comes the negative painting.

Friday:

To finish off your painting this week, I want you to paint all of the areas that are outside of the image that you drew yesterday. This is called negative painting. Let your brush be loose as you block it all in with color, not worrying if the lines are straight or if it creates a great likeness. Letting go and letting something new emerge is the goal here.

You can choose a solid color like black or white, or you may choose to use a blending of colors that are similar to block it in.  Whatever you choose, it should be calmer than what is inside.  After you get that done, go in with some black or white and do some line work to further define your image.

Now step back

What did you see?

The emerging patterns that we find in an otherwise chaotic surface can tell us a bit about who we are, what we like.  I tend to see florals in most of what I do. It is just how I roll. I can see blooming beauties where others only see mess. Maybe that is my gift, to see what others can’t see. But this can be your gift too. Sometimes it is just a matter of developing it. 

Flowers can be symbolic of growth, inner beauty, emergence, and God’s provision (for He clothes the flowers of the field)

Finding the symbolism in what you most often see where others don’t, will give you a bit of insight into your inner self. Through this exercise, I see myself as a see-er of inner strength and beauty in the world around me and it increases my faith knowing that my God sees me and clothes me with beautiful color and gifts, true provisions for my life.

What did you SEE this week? Do you need help finding its symbolism?  I would be very happy to assist you in this. Leave a comment and I will help you to unveil a bit of your inner-self.

I would love to see what you created. Post to instagram using #creativefaith  #CP4aCL and #52project

Happy Creating my friends!

Creating Wonder: finding your one word

Welcome!

If you have come over from a beautiful life, thank you so much for joining me here.  I hope you will be inspired to take a journey of discovery. If you have found us accidentally or are a creative faith follower and would like to read the ABL post that I wrote, you can find that here: One word, One journey, One life

I am so glad that you have decided to stop by. I treasure your virtual friendship and look forward to inspiring you in 2018! In my ABL post I talked about focus words, phrases or mantras. Here I am going to give you some ideas on how to discover YOUR word and how you can use it to redefine who you are and how you go about life. Now this is all from my perspective, and an important thing to remember is that not everyone is the same or sees things in a similar way.  I will try to keep my suggestions general so that you are able to take them and use them to fit into your 2018. As always, the Lord is your ultimate guide and all that you do points back to His greatness and love.

My posts typically are not this long, I value your time and appreciate your visit. But to start off the year, this topic of focus words is one that entire books can explore.  I will try to keep my commentary as brief as I think necessary to give you great perspective and a wonderful start to the new year and new you!

Finding your one word

How you go about finding your focus word, phrase, or mantra will be as individual as the personalities of the seekers. I can only tell you how I found mine and hope that by doing similar things, you may find yours as well.

Here are my top 3 techniques (for a lack of a better word)

  1. Listen:

There are several ways to listen. The first involves quiet and solitude, giving your spirit an opportunity to speak without all of the noise and confusion of life. This kind of listening seeks an inner voice, communication with the Spirit of God, and knowledge that surpasses anything you might otherwise think. God is often found in the tranquil, quiet moments and speaks with a still small voice. If you are running from one activity to another without so much as a thought of your own, how will you ever hear Him?

Another way to listen is picking out key words when hearing others speak such as during a message on Sunday, a video lesson, a conversation with friends, or even reading a book.  The word, when it is one that you should pay attention to, will leap off the page, out of the context in which it is spoken and become so prominent in your mind that you won’t be able to ignore it. Have you ever experienced a time when you kept hearing the same thing over and over from different sources? This is what I am talking about. Pay attention: It is obviously something you need to hear.  Sometimes it can be difficult when it isn’t something you want to hear, but really since when is life ever easy? If you listen, follow, and learn what you need to, you can maybe move on to something hopefully a bit more pleasant.

In my experience, God is more interested in your character than in your comfort

I once had the impression that I needed to slow down. Everything I tried to do fast, was thwarted. Cars blocked my way, plans fell through, projects turned out badly, accidents happened.  It wasn’t until I finally took a moment to tell myself to slow down, that things started to click into place.  I didn’t always see it heading out, but when I was intentional about going forward slowly, success found its way into my situations and I learned that fast isn’t the best way forward.

 

  1. Ask:

For guidance. I do this in my Morning Prayer time.  But maybe you aren’t a pray-er. Do you meditate? Take daily walks? Talk to the Creator of the Universe while you are driving down the road? This is a great time to turn off the radio, your phone, and any other distracting element and ask for wisdom in choosing the appropriate word for your situation. He sees the beginning to the end.  He knows what will take you to the best life possible. He loves you and wants only the best for you –

So ask

What should I focus on this year?

How would you like me to spend my time?

Where do you want me to make a change for the better?

If you seek…you will find!

 

  1. Visualize:

Sometimes I will have several words that I think will be great focus words for me, but one is really better in trying to accomplish change or experience discovery. I will write them all down on individual pieces of paper, then work on some visualization exercises to discover what I think may come from using that particular word.

Make a list of things you would like to see happen pertaining to that word.

Brainstorm all of the possible outcomes, both good and bad

Then choose the one you are most drawn to.

-We are all works in progress.  Sometimes there are many things we would like to do or work on. I call this creative ADD. My mind doesn’t like to choose just one thing because there are so many awesome options. But when I do too many, I often find myself spread thin. Too thin!  Can you relate?

Choose oneyour creative spirit will thank you!

Maybe you still don’t know where to begin or can’t decide on a word?

Maybe these exercises didn’t produce anything definitive?

Here are some possible one words:

  • Worship
  • Journey
  • Center
  • Strength
  • Creative
  • Gifts
  • Vision
  • Follow
  • Healthy
  • Focus
  • Spirit life
  • Prayer
  • Rest
  • Discover
  • Write
  • Travel

This list is by no means exhaustive, it is just some things I have considered in the past. Finding your one word may be as easy as just choosing and knowing instinctively what is missing in life and how you want to rectify it. That is why I included the above list.  Sometimes we just need some suggestions to get us going. The rest follows quickly.

Last year my word was CREATE.  I’ve always been creative, but renewing what I believe I had lost was an important step for me in moving forward in what I believe God has purposed me with. The whole year was trying out various creative avenues for sharing what I know and learning new things to explore what I was capable of.  Through this process I discovered what kind of a creative I was, my strengths, weaknesses, and how I thought I wanted to move forward.  There were times of confusion and doubt as well as aha moments that made me think that I was not so lost after all.

Did I figure it all out?

Absolutely not! This is not meant to be a fix-your-life gig.  It is simply a way to get your brain focused on something meaningful to you.  What you may discover along the way can be pivotal, and sometimes it will lead you to a different word – another step along the path of life.

What my word means to me

Wonder- 2018

Over the last few months I have encountered this word through so many different avenues that it was hard to ignore. Songs, books, movies, classes – then God spoke to my heart:

You are too busy – you’ve lost the wonder you used to have. Rediscover it!

…and he is right – I have

It is the little things in life, the ones that make you look closer to see if there is really something there, that means the most.  It is finding the wonder in the common, mundane, and even ugly of life that will change your perspective and bring you to a place of seeing the world through God colored glasses. But to see that, I first need to slow down – again. But this time it is a slowing of mind, of focus, an intentional exploration of the infinitely smaller parts of this vast and beautiful place we call Earth.

Evidence of God is all around us, but are we choosing to see it? I want to see it. The evidence. The miracles. The beauty that He has created for us to discover.  I want to see the wonder of this world and all that I am meant to have and discover and experience.

And it all starts here: with WONDER

Where do you go from here?

Knowing what to do with your one word once you discover it can be a challenge.  If you make it too complex a process or expect too much from yourself, you won’t stick with it…just like those New Year resolutions that often don’t make it past the first week.

If all you do is look at the word every day and ponder its meaning to you and your life…that is enough. This is your life, your journey, and your word.  Everyone’s process of discovery will be different.

TRY THIS:

  • Look up the dictionary meanings and jot them down. This will get you to think about the different ways that it can impact your life.
  • Write a new way that you can use your word in your day – each day. Keep a journal with these notes so you can reflect back when you feel like you’ve wandered off the path. This doesn’t have to be fully formed sentences, they can be just a couple of random thoughts….you’ll know what they mean even if no one else does 😉
  • Create a piece of art that incorporates your word or uses it in some other creative way. Keep an art journal with these creations and use the pages to journal other thoughts and experiences on. Make sure to include what works, what doesn’t, and what you would like to try next. This art is for you and no one else, it is a visual diary of your word discovery.
  • Write your word on a notecard (or 50) and place it/them around your house. Tape them on mirrors, magnet them to the fridge, tuck them in books, put one in a drawer at work or at home. These will serve as reminders as you go about life, of the discoveries you wanted to make. Every day is one step closer to an epic discovery.

 

Me? I will be using Wonder as a jumping off point for the rest of what I do this year. Art, classes, stories… I can see a wide world of possibility unfolding before me, and I can’t wait to explore its depths!

As an added bonus, I have included a short tutorial below of a mini book I am creating from a deck of cards, 52 cards/pages to document my weekly thoughts/experiences on. Whatever your creative outlet is: art, writing, photography, prayer, I hope you enjoy it and are inspired to make one of your own.

So apparently I am long winded….I’ll have to work on that!  Check out the video below for some tips on using a simple deck of cards to create a 52 page booklet to journal your 2018. The video timed out before I could add the cover so I included a couple of pics below to help you to finish it off.  Have fun with it!  You can also use note-cards or index cards in place of the playing cards. The point is to create something small to increase the possibility of successfully finishing the page each week.  At the end you will have a great mixed media book documenting your one word journey!

Video Tutorial: One word-52 pages     

supplies: 1 deck of playing cards, mod podge or tacky glue, ribbon of your choice, book board, gesso, stencils and modeling past (if you would like to add a bit of texture to your pages)

  • Using book board or chip board, cut pieces to just slightly larger than the card book you just made
  • glue a pieces of sturdy ribbon to the edge of the free end of the cover. (it should be twice as wide as the cover plus the width of the stack of cards…then add a pinch for gluing on each side)
  • you will then glue down the free edge of the ribbon you used to create your book. the loose end of it should be pointing toward the side that you just glued the tab on.
  • coat whole piece with a heavy sticky glue (like tacky glue) and place another card on top of the ribbon to cover it.
  • fold the outside ribbon around the cover of the book and glue in place. Clip and let dry.
  • fold the ribbon around the stack of cards and then fix the back cover piece in place…glue ribbon down and tuck into other side. glue down that end and the original ribbon down to create your completed book.
  • decorate your cover with your One Word and the year!

Next Monday we will begin again with our daily prompts to get you going in your one word book.

See you then!!

lisa

 

and back on the wagon we go…..

So….I have to apologize for my lack of interaction lately. 

Life has a way of routing you places you don’t necessarily want to go, but that are necessary to said life.  That is the way of it.  But even in the absence of inspiration for you, the muse lives on in my brain.  Here are a couple of things I have been working on recently while my blog was sleeping (shhhhhh!)

The fact that the creativity continued even in the face of adversity tells me that all of the practice, and the habits that we worked so hard to create in the last few months…worked!

You too?

I would love to see what you have been up to!  Post some pics on instagram with the tag #creativefaith and let us all share in your successes!

Anyway, in the spirit of getting back into the groove, reigniting the creative spark, or waking up the muse….I thought a week of warm-ups would be quite nice.

So here we go-

Monday:

Do some deep knee bends, jumping jacks, or yoga (whatever gets your body saying “Yes! I’m awake now!) Then go outside (yes, in the cold if that is your situation) and sketch some outdoors.

This could be

  • pine trees in your back yard
  • piles of snow at the end of your driveway
  • a river in the park near your home
  • or even the dog next door

Choose something that speaks to you.  Do a few sketches, quick and wild.  Don’t worry about what they actually look like, no one has to see them but you.  This is just to get that creative part of your brain moving again. You could just simply do washes of color in acrylics, watercolors or even inks.  Abstract totally works here…as long as you can “see” what you are creating.

Tuesday:

Find something in your house that seems mundane, boring, or has always been just “part of the scenery”.

Look at it closely. 

Use those microscopic powers of observation that you developed the week we created from the senses. What do you see? A color. Shape. Smell.

How could you describe this to someone who cannot see what you see?  Someone who has never had the gift of sight. Describe it in minute detail using colorful words and an observant heart.

Write out this description in a journal, notebook or on a piece of paper.

This will help you to give words to your emotions, how you feel about things going on around you.  Be as detailed as you can.

Wednesday:

Fill an entire piece of mixed media paper, watercolor paper, canvas, or a page in your art journal with swaths of color.  Don’t think about what the color is, choose intuitively. Use a brush, key card, or even your fingers. But fill the whole page.

  • This could include many colors or just one.
  • It could be solid or full of texture and marks
  • Try choosing one color and then varying the shades by mixing in black or white – or both!

Let it dry for a future project.

The idea here is color exploration and being fearless.

Thursday:

  • Assemble 10 to 12 things that have something in common
  • Arrange them in an interesting order (or on an interesting background)
  • Take a picture of your collection.

Repeat this as many times as you can, then print out the pictures.  You can assemble these into a book of collections.  On each of the pages, create some lettering with pen, paint, stencils or markers giving a clue as to what these objects have in common that makes them a collection.

This won’t always be apparent to the random observer.

Try to think outside the box on this one and not choose something obvious.

Friday:

  • Cut 10 pages out of a magazine, book, or newspaper.
  • Stack the pages together and cut them to any size you like.
  • Fold each of the pieces individually and create a booklet from them using a pamphlet stitch to bind them together.

These pages could be similar in subject, or even only similar in color, theme, or shape. The most interesting booklets have some common thread within them.  These can be used for journaling in, painting on, or you could even glue in pictures of a friend or two and gift them.

Engaging in warm-up exercises can really get you prepped for something bigger.  It is also a great way just to stretch yourself creatively and get your brain primed for work, projects, and even just the day that stretches before you.

I hope that you find that these activities wake the muse within and get you prepared for what comes next. Regular creative practice will help in so many areas of life, even with things that aren’t necessarily artistic. Give it a try!

Next week we will delve into a great project for holiday gifting. 

See you then! Lisa

rediscover wonder!

52 projects: Creative prompts for a creative life – week #11

~ November 6th-10th ~

 

Welcome to week 11 of the 52 week project

Normally I have already started my project by now, but alas it has been an unusually trying week. I’ve been working through sickness, funerals, projects, encroaching winter weather and to be frank…

I need to see some wonder!

God has been teaching me things this year, both physically and spiritually. But the resounding theme that has become apparent to me is Discovery

Discovering who He is

Finding the beauty in the ordinary

Learning to see what isn’t readily evident.

So here I am at the beginning of a new week, ready to embark on that journey of discovery. And what a better way than to engage our senses.

Now, this will not be an easy thing for a lot of you…including me for sure. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy right? So here is what I want you to do:

  1. Monday: SIGHT

See the unusual.

It might be something that you actually encounter every day, but look at it in a new way. See the beauty that isn’t necessarily evident. Write about it, paint it, maybe gather it into a specific place and make it part of a collection, or take a picture and collage it into your journal. One thing I used to do when I was a cubscout leader was to have the boy see everything they could see within arm’s length of where they were sitting, then write it down. Every. Little. Thing. It helps to develop our skills of observation.

You never know, you might be missing something important

  1. Tuesday: SOUND

Hear all the sounds of morning.

Sit quietly before anyone else wakes up, and notice each and every sound around you taking note of:

  • where it is
  • what it is
  • and whether you have ever heard it before.

The longer you sit without making any noise, the more you will hear.  Jot it down in a notebook, your journal, or even on a napkin.  If the later, collage that into your art journal on a colorful page.

Truly hearing is an art form all its own. Often it is in the stillness and quiet that we hear the most important murmurings of God. Are you listening for them?

  1. Wednesday: TOUCH

Create something textural today.

Open up to a new page in your journal or whatever you have been working on this week.  Use a texture paste, drywall mud, or even modpodge and some sand to create something very tactile. You may actually decide to do this prompt first if you want to create one single project this week.

Or maybe you could print off one of your pictures from Monday if you took any,  and use this as your substrate for the rest of the prompts this week. Sew around the outside of the photo creating an unusual texture or add in some textural elements.

  1. Thursday: SMELL

Here is where things might get a little difficult. When creating art, you don’t often think about your sense of smell.  But using descriptive word within our art is definitely doable. Maybe you could write an ode to your favorite morning drink (mine just happens to be coffee!)

Describe how its scent enlivens your mind and transports you into the day.  Maybe lavender is your gig….or even better, fix some loose buds onto your page with gel medium. Think outside of the box to integrate smells into your project today.

  1. Friday: TASTE

Now, I don’t want to see picture of anyone licking the pages in their book, or putting things in their mouths they shouldn’t. But do describe how something tastes.  Was the picture you took on Monday of a weird kind of fruit? There are a lot of unusual varieties out there.  Cut one open and taste it. Then tell us about it.  But definitely make sure that it is edible first.

You know the drill

  • Be creative
  • Think outside the box
  • Create something new
  • Stretch those muscles.

I look forward to seeing what you have learned from this week’s prompts

Friday I will post my finished project here and on Instagram. Check out #creativefaith, #52projects, #cp4acl (#CP4aCL)

Have a creative week!

~lisa

 

Would you like to join in?  We would love to have you join this creative initiative. Sign up to receive these prompts in your email HERE, and start creating!

Have questions?  You can email me at info@creativefaith.me

Are you creating with these prompts?  I would love to see them! Post them on Instagram with the tag #CP4aCL, #52project, or #creativefaith

working small for big results

52 projects: Creative prompts for a creative life – week #10

~ Oct. 30-Nov.3 ~

Week 10 Yo!!

I have to be honest, long term commitments have never been easy for me. (shhhh! Don’t tell my husband 🙂

For instance, I love handmade quilts. The patterns amaze me, and I just love to place them around the house in key places for cozy winter comfort. I have sewn – seriously – one in my whole life. Crib size. Yep, that was all she wrote.

So, to say that here we are on Project #10 of 52 is HUGE for me!

I hope that you are all managing to stay creative with me.  I know, it’s hard. But if you keep in mind that it is not about:

  • Producing perfection
  • Spending large amounts of time or money
  • Making something that others will like, or ultimately receive

I mean, if that is how you want to use your creative practice, go for it.  But I think it is vastly more important to simply be creative. Nurturing that creative soul can be as easy as you let it be. In the spirit of simple creativity, I would like to encourage you this week to work SMALL. Keeping it small will limit the amount of time it will take you to complete your project prompts and give you the encouragement you need to keep going – Big Results!

Create in a small handmade journal, on a small canvas, or how about trying something really different: use an envelope from something you received in the mail over the weekend.

Using something outside of the normal can really get those imaginative juices flowing and guide you into your creative mojo!

Here are the prompts for this week, and some small, out of the norm ideas for completing them:

  1. Monday: LEAFY

Fill your page, canvas or envelope  J  with prints from leaves. Use a gelli plate, a foam stamp. Or even a meat tray with a leaf sketched into the flattest area. Roll out some craft paint with a brayer roller and stamp it on your page.

Maybe you would prefer to write a poem about the falling autumn leaves, or take some photographs of the amazing color that is blazing so brightly these days. I think combining a few of these processes onto one page might be fun.

*I decided to create a mini book with pages I created with leaves and a gelli plate. There are 5 pages, one for each day….or maybe I will work on everyone of them … we’ll see 🙂

  1. Tuesday: CUP

Sketch, photograph or paint a small rendition of your morning coffee cup, tea cup, or even the glass that holds the water you are drinking. Sing its praises through picture, word, or song. I for one am very thankful for its many years of faithful morning service.

  1. Wednesday: POINT

Today would be a good opportunity to check out the tips of your various mark making tools. Use the point of a chop stick to draw a pattern into wet paint. Dip the point of a round paintbrush into your favorite color, or 5, and pounce that brush tip randomly throughout your page. Maybe you could do a pointillism painting and fill that cup with color using only closely spaced dots.

  1. Thursday: SINGULAR

Choose a singular image from your photo stash, a magazine, or take a new one that fits the theme of your page, canvas, or envelopeJ. Integrate it into your project, making it either the focal point of your piece, or a supporting actor. You could even tear it into pieces and reassemble it to create something entirely new.  Give it a try….it’s fun!

  1. Friday: REACH

Being the wordy girl I am, I think a reach for the stars kind of quote would make a starry addition and beautiful finish to this week’s project. Here are a few that I found on google quotes:

  • Your branches can only reach high if your roots go deep
  • Reach high for the stars that lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for each dream precedes the goal – mother Theresa
  • Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.
  • Remember, you can’t reach what’s in front of you until you let go of what behind you.
  • Reach as high as you can, and then reach a little higher. There you will find magic and possibility. And maybe even cookies.
  • When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

There were a lot of amazing and inspirational quotes, so many in fact that I had to just say when.  Choose something that speaks to you, inspires you, or encourages your creative soul.

I would love to see what you are creating this week.  You can post it here in the comments, or the hashtags are below for Instagram and twitter. 

Friday I will post my finished project here, and on Instagram. Check out #creativefaith, #52projects, #cp4acl (#CP4aCL)

Have a creative week!

~lisa

Daily Creative Prompts: week #9

Daily Creative Prompts ~ October 23-27

As promised, here we are in week #9 of

52 projects: Creative prompts for a creative life

Here are the 5 prompts for this week to be used daily in an effort to keep yourself working creatively:

  1. WATER
  2. NEUTRAL
  3. HIDE
  4. CONTRAST
  5. SING

These can be interpreted in whatever way you choose. Whether you are a

  • Writer/poet
  • photographer
  • illustrator
  • painter/artist
  • or maker

these prompts can inspire something new. An image, a feeling, or an idea that is unique to you. Think outside the box, create something fresh and inspiring. Your brain will thank you!

I will be using these in order because it makes me think beyond what I often feel capable of and forces me to not fall back into comfortable things. But you can totally do them in whatever order you like. Do one or do them all – then post a pic of your finished project using the hashtags #creativefaith, #52projects, #CP4aCL, #creativelife, #52weeks, #promptme, #mixingitup, #thedailymuse

Here is how I approached today’s prompt:

WATER

Watercolors: not so outside the box, but for me using warm colors is definitely not my normal. So I stared this week getting out of my comfort zone and stepping into something that is going to challenge me as the prompts progress.

If you are a writer, maybe you can write a piece of microfiction about swimming, or sitting by the lake

Take a picture of the smallest body of water you can find, and then the largest

Do an ink drawing of a glass of water…then put a fish in it 😉

Make a notebook cover that has waves crashing over its cover, then fill it with ideas of how to create mixed media waves with great texture

Have fun with it and let these prompts challenge you!

This is the only email this week you will receive this week, but on Friday I will post my finished project from this week. Check out #creativefaith, #52projects, #CP4aCL, #creativelife, #52weeks, #creativelife, #52weeks, #promptme, #mixingitup, #thedailymuse

Have a creative week!

~lisa

Would you like to join in?  We would love to have you join this creative initiative. Sign up to receive these prompts in your email and start creating!
Have questions?  You can email me at info@creativefaith.me
Are you creating with these prompts?  I would love to see them! Post them on Instagram with the tag #CP4aCL, #52project,  #creativefaith,  #creativelife, #52weeks, #promptme, #mixingitup, #thedailymuse

Sacred Grounds -the foundations of art

The elevator stopped with a jolt.

Ground floor…or so I thought. The door opened and the scene before me didn’t register for a moment. I wanted to go the front desk of the hotel that I was staying at in Germany, but that was not what had appeared before me.

Funny how something as simple as an elevator could be so confusing in another language. Apparently the ground floor in Germany isn’t the same as in America. Who knew? I punched another button….choice number two…and reached my desired location.

How often do we start off making the wrong choice?

-in life…

-in art….

We choose what we think will get us to where we want to go, yet more often than we care to admit, it is the second choice that actually gets us there.

Choosing to ground your life…and your art, will set you up for success.

In life, knowing where your center is, the foundation of who you are and how you were created, will put into perspective everything that comes after. Making that connection keeps you rooted in who you are and filters out all else that can derail you from your purpose.

Our spiritual lives and rooting them to truth, grounds us in a way that will help everything else that we seek to accomplish, stick. It will allow us to build upon that foundation, fusing purpose and passion.

Art is no different

Without the proper foundation, things can lift, peel, absorb, and generally create an undesirable effect. The Unexpected! (like our lives sometimes, yes?)

In art, a GROUND is a primer, or the background surface on which you paint, or create other processes. It is what protects the substrate from the process you intend to use, keeping the components from damaging the integrity of the substrate.

When you purchase canvas, it is always coated in gesso (unless of course you buy it unprimed). This will allow the paint, either acrylic or oil, to stick permanently to the substrate.

If you are wanting to use watercolor on a canvas, you would need to use something called an absorbent ground. If you tried to watercolor on top of a regular gesso meant for acrylics, the paint would just roll around, and you would not get the desired watercolor effect you are looking for. Watercolor needs an absorbent surface to create its magic.

This is not to say that you can’t appreciate the effects that can be achieved on an unprimed surface. Plain paper, mixed media paper and water color paper are all virtually naked surfaces. But. If you tried to do a heavy collage on a piece of printer paper, you most likely would not be happy with the result. So keeping your intended purpose consistent with the components is important.

Speaking of heavy collage- with the emergence and popularity of mixed media art, several other “GROUNDS” have come front and center, such as texture grounds.  These are typically rooted in an acrylic medium base. Sand, mica, gel beads, and modeling paste are just a few of the products that mixed media artist use to create texture and interest to their work.

When employed and allowed to dry, the paint or processes used to cover the ground take on an entirely new effect and creates excitement within a project that might otherwise be flat or uninteresting. I’ve even used drywall mud to create peaks and valleys on a canvas and sometimes will press it through a stencil for a much for controlled impression.

However you choose to use grounds in your creating is up to you.

Experiment

Glue an unexpected item to your page and cover it with gesso to make it a part of the page itself, then see where it takes you. This is how innovation is found, by stepping outside the box and taking a chance.

As in life and art, grounding is an important consideration. It is the undercoat to your future. It is what everything is built upon, and what keeps the undesirable outside forces from harming your surface.

It can

aid

develop

and improve

Consider what is under your surface today. GROUND your efforts in truth and a firm foundation.

And love what comes from it!

-lisa

~Creative is who God is. It is who we are too – His breath, His being, in us. Would you like to explore that creative side? I am the resident artist on Creative Faith –discovering the art you were born to create. There we explore what it means to be creative in many areas of life. I would love for you to come and find the artist hidden within you.