Studying Creativity

It has been in my head for about a year or so now that I would like to study creativity. Currently I am not sure what the end goal of this experiment is but I have a good feeling that what happens along the way will make the trip worth while. I have been fascinated with creativity in the business world since I took an undergrad advertising class. The teacher recommended two books that have stuck with me and made me realize that the art/craft side of my brain can be used in the work place and did not need to be compartmentalized. So the adventure begins here...or shall I say continues, as I guess I have been "studying" creativity all along. This space will allow me to put action to the thoughts. I am curious to see what unfolds. I imagine lots of lists and bullet points as working on my writing in one of the things that I would like to see as an outcome of this study.

To formally start the study I did what all people seeking answers do. I googled it! How to study creativity. Which led me right to a local universities department on creative studies. There feature on the page was a piece on Alex Osborn, an ad executive, who developed and coined the term "brainstorming". Mr. Osborn seems as good a place as any to have an official start. His book, Your Creative Power, is now on my library request list. Journey begun :: Check!

Summer:In Doodle 2015

It is officially here!
We are excited to launch Summer:In Doodle 2015 - our summer journal along.
Click on the Summer:In Doodle tab above to get all the details. Join us for 30 prompts to use as a doodling and journaling starting point.

Our journal books are made and we are ready to go. Come join us!

TWA:: 07.10.15

::Current Projects::

The end of school, the beginning of summer vacation, and summer work schedules always throws things for a bit of a loop around here. In the midst of the chaos we have created our annual Summer Dreaming list. In just a short time we have been able to check off a few things already. These are fun to make towards the dreary dredges of a winter that just keeps hanging on or right at the edge of spring and summer.We grabbed our favorite traveling water color set and headed out in the sun.

This fun cowl was on and off the needles before I got to take any in progress shots of it. This is the Apfelwein cowl by Laura Aylor. The yarn is from a local indie dyer called Holiday Yarns in the Batman colorway. It is a super bulky yarn that is so soft and squishy. The yarn and pattern worked together well for great stitch definition in this simple cable stitch. This would make a good first cabling project (it was mine). My favorite part is the shaping of this - it is narrower near the neck and spreads out towards the collar area for a more contoured fit.

::Reading::

• Bad Monkey :: book club read
• Everything on Waffle :: bed time read aloud
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster :: front door waiting for the bus read aloud

::Photo Recap::

1.) This weeks collection comes from our favorite annual music festival. Lots of great things to do, see, and hear. Good times with good friends!

::Links / Resources:: 

• The summer camp I wished existed when I was a kid. Let Google Science Summer Camp begin.
• Just collected our cherries tree first ever harvest. Time to preserve some with this grown up recipe.

::Goals::

Looking to get some more sewing rolling this week. I have some fun fabrics washed and ready sitting on my studio table. Time for some pattern cutting.

TWA:: 06.12.15

::Current Projects::

With the craft/studio room decluttered and feeling lighter I was ready to creating. I set out to make a cube style sock knitting bag and ended up taking a detour along the way to this fold down bag that can hold its structure. 

What I learned:

• I still want to make a cube style bag
• Using up a super old stash zipper is thrifty....but also leaves my project with a super old stashed zipper. I rubbed it with an old candle so things are moving along a little bit better. Maybe time to declutter the zipper stash a little further.
• One piece of light interfacing between the layers was just right for a pliable bag that will stand up and hold its shape well.
• The height of the bag is great for storing the sock needles straight up.

For knitting this week I turned started the heel on my 2nd sock which I have dubbed the Monogamy Buster. Named because this is the project that crossed me over the line from one project at a time to multiple cast on projects going at once. Having a small travel project like a sock is fun - I see the allure of multiple projects! Especially since my Mondo Blanket has gotten too big to really easily travel with.

::Reading::

• Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowel :: book club read
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia :: bed time read aloud
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster :: front door waiting for the bus read aloud
• The Joy of Less by Francine Jay :: project reading
• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr :: pleasure reading - taking this one really slow to savor it.

::Photo Recap::

1.) snap dragons 2.) mushroom 3.) top of mushroom 4.) centaurea scabiosa 5.) nasturtiums 6.) tiny mushroom

::Links / Resources:: 

• If you are also destashing Pretty Prudent had a great tutorial on turning those old t-shirts into sundresses.

::Goals::

Photographing the pile of "someday" project supplies in my studio space. Then setting a deadline to complete them by or donate the pieces. Family movie night is happening soon as well as some outdoor hiking time.

TWA::06.05.15

::Current Projects::

This week allowed for some more cleaning and clearing of space (more on that later). I also got a few more rows add to my socks (no photos though) and a few rows added to my Mondo Stash Blanket as well (see photo recap). I even broke into a few new balls of thread on that as others ran out. The green was replaced with a metallic blue. I would say that the blanket is a "whole lotta look" but it feels great to put these yarns together into one large project.

::Reading::

• Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon :: creative book
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia :: bed time read aloud
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster :: front door waiting for the bus read aloud
• The Joy of Less by Francine Jay :: project reading
• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr :: pleasure reading - taking this one really slow to savor it.
• The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry  :: bed time read aloud - WE QUIT THIS BOOK. Couldn't go on any longer.

::Photo Recap::

1.) cold brewed coffee in a growler 2.) a garden visitor 3.) progress on my Mondo Blanket 4.) piano recital season.

::Links / Resources:: 

• Not sure where to start with those "too many ideas" that you have floating in your head? Check out this simple guide to moving forward.

::Goals::

This weekend will be spent finalizing the declutter of my studio room. Then tackling the "someday" projects I have supplies for. Time to complete them or set a deadline to delete them!

TWA::05.26.15

::Current Projects::

This weeks project time revolved around getting the family all packed up and out into the woods with family and friends for the weekend. Took along some knitting but didn't make too much progress. Relaxing was top of the list!

::Reading::

• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr :: pleasure reading
• The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry  :: bed time read aloud
• The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown :: a creative book
• Percy Jackson The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan :: audio book
• MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche:: a digital read for on the go - fun concept!

All The Light We Cannot See is the best of the books on this list. Percy Jackson audio and The Little Prince may be off the list before they are even finished. I am struggling with both!

::Photo Recap::

1.)peas 2.) snow drops 3.) lilacs 4.)dandelion 5.)poppy pods 6.) lilly of the valley 7.) poppies 8.) globe alliums 9.)magnolia blossom 10.)lilac 11.) baby lettuces

In spite of my own lack of creating the garden is in full production mode this week

::Links / Resources:: 

• Like Science? Here is a list of some science YoutTube channels to check out. Most being kid friendly as well
• Loved this inside look at how Elise Blaha Cripe selects her fabric pallet for quilts.

::Goals::

Time to get back to scheduling this week. Back onto projects that are looking to be completed.

Bullet Journaling

Easy to have on hand wherever or whatever I am doing

Looking back on the time when I had stopped blogging I noticed that my making and creating frequency also slowed. The blog itself was a great reminder to keep making. Setting up time for yourself to do something is a really important step in actually achieving the creative goal.

Lists are something that I love for keeping on task with goals. The trouble is in keeping all the little scraps of lists organized in a meaningful way. In addition to lists I would use sketch books for larger project ideas (and still do) but never knowing how many pages a project would need in a notebook led to disorganization as one project page clashed into pages set aside for another project. The other issue I struggled with was trying to keep a system for each of the hats that I wear - work, creating/making, home tasks, scouts etc. Finding one system that would work for all of those would be an asset for sure. Something that I could have with me at all times would also be a plus.

Enter the Bullet Journal.

The current answer to my nerdy organizing needs.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed I came across images of orderly, colorful, visual notebooks that caught my eye. As I clicked through hash tags to see more examples I stumbled onto the Bullet Journal system. As it so cleverly described on the homepage:

For the list-makers, the note-takers, the Post-It note pilots, the track-keepers, and the dabbling doodlers. Bullet journal is for those who feel there are few platforms as powerful as the blank paper page. It’s an analog system for the digital age that will help you organize the present, record the past, and plan for the future. - See more at: http://www.bulletjournal.com/

I watched the demo video and was hooked. This looked like something that could work well and was worth testing out. So I decided to give it a try. Ryder Carroll (inventor), you are a genius! There are so many things that I love about this system - the personal adaptability being number one.

1. personal adaptability :: start with the basics of the system and then scale it up or down to fit your needs.
2. a blank page :: every entry starts on a fresh blank page.
3. an index :: easily find things with a quick index system
4. mix and match :: easily combine all facets of your life in one book. no need to have a journal for personal and professional - just create a fresh page - index and move on.
5. portable and paper :: i do love a good old fashioned pen to paper note, list, date book etc. no plug in needed. 

Recently I had ordered a journal book online and when it arrived I noticed that I had ordered the wrong inside pages (I had been looking for a piece with pre-made project pages). I had held onto this piece (with just lined pages) and thought that I could use it to try Bullet Journaling. The notebook has turned out to be perfect for this. I love the large elastic band on the front that allows me to tuck in pens, markers, stickers etc.

Since starting this system I have seen that I am actually getting things done. The list making is not meaningless. You can see a week in advance as you make achievable steps to complete tasks. What I think I will really like is looking back as a year in review. 

Index pages helps keep everything organized. STICKERS!!! Did I mention playing with stickers as an adult is just as fun as when you were a kid? That and washi tape are reason enough to keep a paper calendar/journal/diary.

For larger more detailed projects I just paste in schedule pages or reference sheets.

Looking forward to seeing my larger projects come to life over the year with a manageable progression of steps. 

::See More::

• Here are some really detailed posts with layout ideas.