This month, love is scheduled for the 14th, and you better be ready! Social pressure and guilt are reserved for the unprepared. When we were first married, my husband thought we would just stop in at a restaurant after work and celebrate. It was a shock and disappointment when we discovered every restaurant in town had reservations and waiting lines until close to midnight. Lesson learned: think ahead. So, some years we have deliberately celebrated the day before or after.
Love is important and deserves to be celebrated more than one day a year but eating out or ordering long stem red roses can break the bank. Still, it can be special even on a budget. Here are seven ways to show your love (with or without a fancy restaurant reservation).
Write a love note and put it on your Love’s computer, pillow or steering wheel.Cook (or order out) a favorite meal and eat it in front of the fireplace (with no TV on).Go for a walk together and afterward sit down and share a coffee, tea or hot chocolate.Do one of your Love’s normal chores (i.e. take out the trash, wash and dry the dishes) without being asked.Text a love note to your Honey in the middle of the day.Rent a movie...
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It’s already the first week of the new year and I haven’t
landed on any resolutions yet. My usual
ones – lose 10 pounds, go to the gym more, read more books – seem like a repeat
of last year and a cop out. Plus, I
normally stick to these for a few weeks and then quit. My resolutions feel more like a guilty
obligation rather than a life changing, driving force.
This morning someone asked me not what my new year’s
resolutions are but what do I really want this year. That question seems more significant than
just going to the gym three times a week instead of two. It made me stop and think “what do I really
and truly want?” My focus needs to be on
importance rather than the superficial.
So this year I want to be more content with what I have, to
enjoy at least one beautiful thing each day, to speak with kindness and
patience when my first inclination is to condemn or hurt, to trust God to
protect and provide instead of stressing with what I still need to do, to be
calm, to be generous, to forgive myself without giving up on me, and to let go
of my right to be right.
I still would like to lose 10 pounds, go more often to the
gym and read thoughtful books. But...
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People are spiritual by nature; we search for reasons and purpose and meaning. There are mysteries we don’t understand and a whole universe we need to explore. Deep down, the drive to be better either compels or convicts us.
People are also creative by nature; the urge to make something new – to give birth – excites us. We secretly long to be inspired and to imagine what could be and long to give it voice.
But the spiritual search is easily overshadowed by the desire for daily comfort or security. And creativity can be lulled to sleep under the blanket of busyness and media noise. When either the spiritual or creative side is sublimated and ignored, we are diminished. The articulation of our feelings and communication of our beliefs often requires a different expression. Art.
But art is creative and needs time and space and risk. To be quiet and wait can be frightening; to face a blank piece of paper or canvas can be terrifying, but the possibility of a poem or painting or concerto or dance that represents meaning or injustice or peace is exquisite. Art can free the feelings and beliefs that are stuck inside. And the best news is that the process of creating art is the key. The...
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Have you ever said, “I’m not artistic; I can’t draw a stick figure”? I have good news for you: stick figures are not the yard stick for art. The world is full of opportunities to “do” art. This month is National Wilderness Month (celebrating the 54th anniversary of the Wilderness Act), and there is such a thing as Earth Art or Land Art which allows all of us to be creative. You can take a trowel and carve circles in the dirt and make art.
Earth Art began in the United States in the 1960s as a rejection of the traditional notion of confined galleries and museums where “true art” could be bought and sold and displayed. It was an embrace of nature and a celebration of found objects as art and beauty. The very transient nature of the designs were part of the art’s essence.
Because this creative expression couldn’t easily be displayed in galleries, it opened the experience to everyone. Anywhere there were rocks or leaves a person could arrange art. And this frees us all to be artists! In my hallway by the front door, I have a large bowl with stones I’ve collected, and my grandchildren can’t resist stacking them into towers. A farmer in Simi Valley can’t help but plow a...
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It’s Back to School time and with budgets tightening, the arts sometime get squeezed out. But I think downplaying art in school is a critical factor contributing to less effective education. We retain approximately 10 percent of what we see; 30 to 40 percent of what we see and hear; and 90 percent of what we see, hear, and do. Incorporating art in school and throughout life is key to growth. Plus, it’s just more fun.
As I have taught visual art to kids, I’ve recognized at least six ways children benefit from art.
Creativity – Trying new mediums and techniques, imagining different ways to portray a picture, mixing colors and exploring the results, connecting or juxtaposing unrelated objects, all lead students into discovery.
Focus/attention – Thomas Merton said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Listening, thinking, and concentration are heightened in an art project.
Cooperation – Working with other students on a project fosters contribution, acceptance and respect for another’s input.
Problem solving and Decision making – Factoring and filtering different options and problem solving are almost always part of creating something...
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“Join or Die” was Benjamin Franklin’s call to arms during the American Revolution. His cartoon, first published May 9, 1754, in the Pennsylvania Gazette, was a rallying challenge for the colonies. The visual impact of a severed snake jolted the colonists to action against the British iron rule and led to years of uprising, fighting but eventful freedom. Image and words were the catalysts.
A revolution starts because change is needed – the American Revolution and Civil War were political revolts, but civil problems of poverty and discrimination have also started revolutions. Words and symbols grab peoples’ attention and can be vehicles to ignite passion and action. Art uses color and images that spark a visceral response, whether emotional or physical, for action against injustice. It can give people concrete forms and pictures to rally around, highlighting larger principles. Art can also be an external representation of internal feelings, spurring action in a “so what”, apathetic culture. It can spark imagination just as effectively as it can inspire hope for a better future. Art is a powerful force to engage people with truth.
As you remember our freedom this month,...
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Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” The door to possibilities is imagination. It’s the “what could be” dream. And art is the creative language that encourages and expands imagination. Painting, drawing, sculpting and other art forms help people process feelings and emotions by focusing attention and concentration; adults can reduce stress and anxiety or express joy and passion through art; children can communicate internal feelings when they can’t find words. And the simple act of creating something personal can bring a sense of self confidence and pride. But the primary killer of creativity for both children and adults is fear of failure and ridicule. Creativity is a vulnerable choice so foster it with care and give it importance.
This summer, plan fun and exciting art activities for the kids. I’ve listed several ideas that might help stimulate your artistic imagination. Have fun!
Raised salt painting: heavy paper (card stock), white glue, table salt, water colors/brush. Squeeze a design on the paper with the glue; pour salt on the glue; with a brush and water colors touch the salt and watch the color spread.
Water color resist: heavy white...
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My mother was a Southern lady from Virginia who taught me how a lady should act and the value of who I am. She modeled integrity, faithfulness and love, and I learned so much from her.
10 Things I learned from my mother
Always be on time or a little early – arriving late shows disrespect for others’ time
Sing when you’re sad – it’s hard to be focused on your problems when you’re singing
Make up your bed every morning – it sets a good habit of putting everything where it belongs before your whole world is out of order
Give money when the offering plate is passed and share with anyone in need – generosity is the antidote to greed
Wake up early for quiet time – once the day starts, it’s hard to carve out the most important part of the day
It’s nicer to smell a rose than a garbage pile – fill you mind and thoughts with good rather than bad
Don’t “sit on your manners” – always say please and thank you and let others go through the door first
Wear lipstick when you go to the grocery store – it’s not hard to look your best…always
Know the story of Great Grandma’s hutch – your family and past generations are who you are and connect you to history
Love God with all your heart and show...
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When I got my first computer in 1987, I was told it could simplify and speed up the mundane activities of my life – I would have more time to dream and paint and commune with nature. Today, the reality is that I don’t have more free time – my schedule is usually consumed by that technology. With emails, work deadlines, Facebook, Instagram et al. I am tempted to react and respond to the world without getting outside and moving.
This Sunday, April 22nd, is Earth Day, a day set apart in 1970 to honor the earth and the concept of peace. I’ve been thinking about my personal peace and the consequences of sitting with the computer against the benefits of being in nature and interacting with art. At first, the relationship between nature and art appears nice but not necessarily close; in reality, they are very similar. Studies show that spending time outside in nature can change people from being depressed, angry, fearful, stressed or anxious to a more calm and balanced feeling, lowering blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones. When we concentrate on a flower, a bee or a breath-taking sunset, we can’t focus as much on pain allowing instead for increased creativity and...
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Art is a risky hobby. There it is. It’s true.
As soon as you start to paint or draw or sculpt or sing, someone is going to make a comment on what they think of it. If it’s a positive compliment, you feel justified as a person; if it’s negative, they have just put a dagger through your soul. It’s hard to be creative and be objective and secure because if you do art with openness and feeling, it is a mirror to who you are.
For me, art can be just a painting that I think is pretty. But if I really am honest with my feelings and paint something that reflects my inner conviction or growth, that painting can be like exposing my innermost thoughts, feelings or motivations to the world. It feels dangerous and risky; I am vulnerable. So what should I do? Not paint? Not try art? Ignore any creativity?
No! Not trying anything creative is like shutting the door on a universe of excitement and discovery. We all have feelings and emotions we’re not even aware of and occasionally, art can be that window that opens your real self to you.
Art can be a great time of fun. But sometimes it can surprise you with YOU.
Art is a risky thing. Go for it!
Go to www.paintblankcanvas.com and...
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