Jumping into June!

2015 has been a slow year on the blog. Not just slow, but S-L-O-W. A whopping seven posts in the first five months of the year. Ouch!

There have been all kinds of reasons for the lack of posts, but I won't bore you with the list. Instead, I want to share what's coming (if all goes as planned!) 

Blogathon

First, June is the month for the 2015 Freelance Success/Wordcount Blogathon. A post every day for the whole month. Eeekkk! June is always a crazy month, and I always think I'm probably a little crazy for even attempting Blogathon in the midst of all the other craziness. But I've done it the last two years and it's been a great experience, and I'm excited about doing it again this year! Just the push I need to get back into the groove here on the blog. :)  And the most exciting part is that my daughter is doing it with me this year! Really looking forward to having a partner in the craziness. :)

ICAD

Second, June and July are the months for the Daisy Yellow ICAD (Index Card a Day) challenge. ICAD is a 61 day creativity challenge. I love it for several reasons. First, it's index cards. That's really enough right there. Index cards are one of my all-time favorite things. A whole 61-day challenge dedicated to them was made to order for me!

Second, it's low-stress creativity. Do some sort of art on an index card every day in June and July. That's it. Slap on some stickers. Layer on some mixed media. Practice your lettering. Pull out the watercolors. Stamps, washi tape, paints, markers, fabric...the sky's the limit!

Third, it's a great opportunity for creativity for the whole family. Two of my girls participated last year and did some amazing artwork on their 3x5 cards. This year all four kids are going to play. I can't wait to see what we all come up with this year!

I probably won't be posting all my ICAD cards here, but I'll be posting some of my favorites, and some of the kids' faves as well.

Scripture Journaling

Much of the posting I've done this year has involved Scripture journaling. (Click on the "Pondered Pages" tag below for more info!) I've been planning a series on the whys and hows of Scripture journaling for months, and I'm excited to get it started (and maybe finished?!) this month.

This and That

Before I seemingly fell off the face of the earth, I had several series/regular features either in planning or in progress. I'm anxious to get back to those this month as well: Pew Ponderings, Fitness Friday, Social Media {Etc.} for Not-So-Techy People, Vintage Eats, and more!

Of course, those are just the blog-related plans for June. :) We have a full school schedule (we school year-round), homeschool group activities, workouts at the gym 3+ times a week, family work and play, and exciting things happening at our little church in the pasture. :) I'll be posting a bit here and there about those things here on the blog as well, so stay tuned!

Ammah Grace was working on her ICAD for today, and she surprised me with this cute card. *happyheart*

So what's on your agenda for June? I'd love to hear in the comments!

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Teaching Creativity When You Don't Feel Creative {And Why Do I Need to Teach Creativity, Anyway?}

Out for a walk yesterday, we passed a house with an “up for auction” sign in the yard.  The house is quite dilapidated, with peeling paint, holes in the roof that are visible from the street, and boarded up windows.

I stopped to take pictures.  My girls were a bit curious, until I explained that the house had once housed my dad’s cousin’s flower shop.  I don’t remember it in those days; I was too young.  I do remember it still being beautiful 20+ years ago, when I went to take pictures of it “for old time’s sake.”  I always loved its character and the reminder of Anna Beth, who was one of the great influences of my young life.

From the time I was a very little girl, I remember Anna Beth being described by all who knew her as “so creative.”  As I grew older, I realized that she truly was one of the most creative people I would ever know.  She was talented in all sorts of artistic pursuits…flower arranging, stained glass, painting, ceramics, and more.  She could make anything beautiful, and make something beautiful out of virtually nothing.

I realized something else; I was not “so creative” like Anna Beth.  Although I loved to do a variety of arts and crafts, I was the “give me some directions and a pattern, and I can follow it step by step” kind of person.  I was one of those people who would say, with a bit of a sigh, “I’m just not really creative.”  I decided that there were two types of people in the world: those who were truly creative, and those who were not. I definitely fell in the second category.

In college, I met another person who would go on my “most creative people in my world” list.  Tauna reminded me much of Anna Beth.  She could take the most humble “ingredients” and turn them into something truly beautiful.  I was in awe of her abilities.

Although I enjoyed crafting, I never felt my final outcomes were anywhere near worthy of being called “creative.”   That title was reserved for the Taunas and the Anna Beths of the world.  You know...the ones who are truly creative, in fancy lettering with flourishes and doodles.

Tauna, however, disagreed.  She fussed at me, “Don’t say you’re not creative!  You ARE creative.”  She encouraged me to see myself as creative, and act accordingly.  I did, by spurts, but behind her back I still classified myself as one of the “have nots” in the world of creativity.

Then came the summer when we studied the character quality of creativity in VBS.  I was hit right between the eyes with the realization that creativity is just that: a character quality.  I shared on my blog the game-changing truth I learned that summer:

 “Creativity is not a talent that one either has or does not have, it is an aspect of the character of God (the Creator of all!) and it is a character quality that we are to work to develop just as we are to develop patience, diligence, and kindness. That was a turning point in my thinking in the area of creativity. I was challenged and convicted that rather than excusing myself with 'I’m not creative,' I needed to not only be working to develop this character quality in myself, but in my children.”

What an amazing realization that creativity is part of who we are as creatures made in the image of God! It isn’t something that we either “have” or “don’t have”; it is something that we can all develop and then use in the areas in which God calls us to serve. It is also something we need to teach our children.

 

In the book Educating the WholeHearted Child, one of my favorite authors (Sally Clarkson) quotes another of my favorite authors (Emilie Barnes): 

“Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special.  It is an openness in doing old things in new ways…The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things. And nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibility as stewards of God’s good gifts.” (Emilie Barnes, The Spirit of Loveliness)  

Clarkson goes on to say that creativity is a mental muscle to be developed. “True creativity draws upon what already exists and finds a new or better way of doing something. Far from being a mysterious special gift, it is a process that can be cultivated and trained in all children.”

We’ve all heard the old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I am so thankful that God can change a stubborn mom’s lifelong paradigm.  Since my “I’m so not creative” days, much has changed.

I used to feel that I could only craft with directions and a pattern to follow step by step.  Over the past decade, I’ve taught hundreds of scrapbooking and craft classes for adults and children.  My goal is always for my students to finish with a project that shows their own creative touch, not an exact replica of a standard “class sample.”  Much of who I am these days involves creativity, and I love the opportunities God gives to continue to develop and grow in this area.

 

The most important thing, though, is that I am blessed with the delightful privilege of helping develop creativity in my children! As homeschooling parents, we have a wonderful opportunity to help our children stretch their creative muscles and see them grow in the character of Christ.

If that intimidates you the way it once intimidated me, take heart. If God can bring about such a change in this once-decidedly uncreative mom, He can bring it about in anyone. God will provide the creativity we need to meet the challenges He has given if we will simply ask and open our eyes to what He has to show us.

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This post was originally published as the 1st post in a series on teaching creativity at Homeschool Toolbox.  I'll be re-posting my second post in that series, "Teaching Creativity: Where Do I Start?" her on the blog next Thursday. I'm reposting these articles here as the beginning of a new series of "Creativity Thursdays", with all-new posts to begin week after next.  Watch for posts on resources for teaching creativity, creative projects, and more!

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Linking up with Thriving Thursdays today! 

 

Children's Book Monday ~ Finally!

I've been wanting to participate in Elise's Children's Book Monday for a long time, and never seem to be able to get a post up on time. This week I'm trying the scheduled post feature to see if perhaps that will do the trick. :) Elise always posts about the most delightful books, and I usually go straight from her blog to our library website to reserve them. :)

Ever since reading The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry, we've been checking out picture books from the library by illustrated by various children's book illustrators for art appreciation and inspiration. It's been neat to watch the children develop an awareness of different artistic styles through seeing the individual styles of the artists. We've discussed creativity and uniqueness as well as different art techniques and media. The children have been really stimulated then to create their own art inspired by the illustrators.

One of our favorite illustrators recently has been Lois Ehlert. Ehlert uses mixed media illustrations in her books that are just fabulous. Market Day is one we enjoyed recently...

This book is truly "a feast of folk art from around the world." You can see a preview with more detail here.

Grab a stack of Ehlert's books for double enjoyment...pore over them for the stories and illustrations, and then have some creative fun "doing art". (And for more inspiration, do a Google Image Search for Lois Ehlert...lots of neat artwork and ideas!)

Creativity ~ Somewhat Random Thoughts :)

Talk About...Creativity

Last night I actually wrote a letter.  By hand.  Two pages worth, decorated with random doodle art. :)  Twenty years ago, that would not have been noteworthy.  Last night it earned a spot as my Facebook status.  Twenty years ago, my trademark was LONG newsy letters and random cards sent for no reason other than "just because".  Today, I can't get to the post office to save my life, and it recently took me almost a week to manage to purchase a book of stamps.   The only way our Netflix movies make it to the mailbox is (a) our mailbox is literally just outside the front door, and (b) our 11-year-old is in charge of returning Netflix movies.  Otherwise, we would be watching Season 2, Disk 3 of the Brady Bunch for the next seven months.

*Anyway*, I was writing this letter to the very-most-creative person I know, my friend T.  We've had many discussions over the years on the topic of creativity.  It is a topic about which we used to argue (one of the few things I remember us actually arguing about, other than the phrase "thank you"...yes, we have an odd-but-wonderful friendship. :)),  and about which I finally had to concede a few years ago that she had been *right* all those years (as a result, of all things, of a Vacation Bible School lesson...*rolling eyes*...I hate it when that happens!) 

I've blogged before about the eye-opening realization a few years back that creativity is actually a character quality, and as such, it is something that God expects us to work at and develop in our lives as we become more like Him...the ultimate Creator.  

But back to my letter...I was wishing on paper that T. could be here right now...thinking how much fun it would be to share this avalanche of VBS crafts and church camp crafts with her and how helpful her creative genius would be as I attempt to put it all together.  Because, as I shared with her (about which we have also talked before), I've been in a bit of a creative slump lately.  And by lately, I mean for the past 4.5 years.   No, that wasn't a typo...and yes, it said "years".    

Dr. Wesley Sharpe, in his book Growing Creative Kids, says that emotional stress is a "major block to right-brain thinking and creativity".  He says this about children under stress...

"Children may cover up their anxiety and learn to put on a good front, but anxiety cripples creative thinking.  Deep emotional stress restricts their ability to shift to the creative side of the brain.   These children feel safe in an undemanding routine that lowers their anxiety but fails to inspire creativity."

That is true not only of children, but of adults as well.  I've definitely seen it in the past few years of chaos in our family, and I've talked to others who have experienced the same type of creative dry spells during times of grief or stress.  

So...I was sharing with T. that I have been trying hard lately to pull out of that creative slump once and for all...that I am needing to actually "be" creative again, "rather than just playing at it to meet some deadline or another."  As part of that, as well as trying to better nurture creativity in my children, I've been reading some interesting books recently.  I hope to share more about them soon.  

I found this interesting yesterday, though.  I just started reading Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts, by Steve Turner.  Turner spent time in the 70's at L'Abri, the Swiss "learning community" founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer, who happen to be two of my favorite authors.  In the first chapter of Imagine, Turner discusses the need for truly excellent Christian artists who are able to express *truth* through their art, in response to the empty questions and false answers that abound in much of art today...artists who are able to engage in the cultural debate on an equal footing.

As I read, I was reminded of a comment Bro. Kent made in a sermon a while back that really impacted me, and I searched through my notes for it last night.  The sermon was on Daniel 1: 17-21, and the topic was "The Gift of God's Wisdom."    In talking about wisdom being a gift from God, Bro. Kent mentioned that "this includes knowledge and understanding of the world's literature and wisdom.  We need to know what the world is thinking so that we can engage them in intelligent conversation and refute them."  (That is a quote of my notes, btw...probably not an exact quote of Bro. Kent...hopefully I got it close!)   I jotted in my notes "a strong argument for excellent education".    

I'm really looking forward to reading more of Steve Turner's argument for excellence in the arts.  Hopefully it will continue to motivate me to be diligent in working to put that lengthy creative slump behind me, as well as working to nurture creativity and artistic excellence in our children.

  

I was surprised to discover this morning that the month of May is "Creative Beginnings Month".  A Google search didn't yeild much info on exactly what that *means*...just that it *is* an actual, official "national month".  (In case you are interested, May is also "Better Sleep Month" and "Get Caught Reading Month"...which I think we'll celebrate as well...and "National Artisan Gelato Month" and "International Audit Month"...which I think we won't. ;-)  Here's a list of May's official observances, just fyi. :))

It's always nice to find out you are celebrating something you didn't even know existed!  It sounds so much better to say, "We're celebrating 'National Creative Beginnings Month'" than to say, "I'm trying to dig my way out of a creative slump right now." ;-)  

Anyone else celebrating Creative Beginnings Month?  Or continuing long-term creative endeavors?  How do you pull out of a creative dry spell?   I'd love to hear what others are doing creatively, as well as thoughts or ideas for nurturing creativity and artistic excellence in children.

(I'm linking to "Talk About Tuesday" today...hop over to Lara's to see what others are talking about today!)