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Creativity Is Contagious {PHFR}

~PRETTY~
The sight of this floral box (complete with rhinestone brooch on the cover) filled to capacity with multi-colored Sharpies, glitter markers and ball point pens makes me feel that first day of school excitement every time.


I have told you before how I am exploring various modes of creativity this year.  This tiny cache of pens has been put to good use since the arrival of this book:


Creative Doodling & Beyond
     by Stefanie Corfee
        Check out her bohemian blog here.

As I have been doodling and dabbling around in the world of mixed media art, a beautiful phenomenon has unfolded around me in this house proving this quote, by Albert Einstein, to be quite true: "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." 


~HAPPY~
ZJ, my middle son and aspiring author, has caught the creativity bug along with me.  He has his own Smash book, as does RW, my eldest, and we have passed a few beautiful hours smashing stuff side by side.  Tomorrow night we are going out for the second week in a row, Smash journals in hand, for dinner and Smashing at a local cafe.   Dad can play basketball with them but I'll take Smashing anytime.  


~FUNNY~
KC, our 3 1/2 year old, is also feeling creative lately.  Here he is "reading" me a bedtime story.  He is also busy drawing and even "writing" his own short stories.  Trust me, those chicken scratch stories are already stored forever in my Smash book!


~REAL~
Another book on creativity that we are all enjoying is Artistic Fitness
by Ed Tadem.

In the photo above, you can see that my two older boys have begun challenging themselves to sketching from the weekly lessons provided in this beautiful book. Things are truly in creativity mode around here and next week I start my first baking assignment from Tuesdays With Dorie: Baking With Julia.  So, yes, the ironing may be piling a bit high.  

Maybe I can sketch that, too, and title it "Diary of a Creative Housewife."

I'd love to hear about any creative tools you find useful and inspiring.  Please share in the comments!



sharing here 

round button chicken Weekend Bloggy Reading

Photobucket

Comments

  1. I'll have to look for that book - glad you are enjoying your Smash book, it's like a return to the kind of scrapbook my Dad kept.

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  2. The kids and I started going through Carla Sonheim's drawing lab and is has been so fun! You're right that it's contagious, dad even joined in for a few minutes :)

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  3. I love your photos, as always. Creativity is always contagious around here too- pull out the markers and a crowd gathers! Thank you for the book recommendations. I have been looking at the Doodling one on amazon, but it is hard to evaluate a book by it's cover.

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  4. OK, I am properly intrigued by your creativity quest! Can't wait to see!

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  5. I think it's wonderful that you're cultivating a life-long love of being creative, minus the need for perfectionism, in your boys. That will give them the freedom to try new things and perhaps find a passion in the process. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. I am in love with this post. I'm going to go click all of your links, and hope that I can fit some creativity into my life. I'm so glad I came over today! TOTALLY inspired!

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  7. Good for you, Misty! There will always be laundry.

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  8. Thank you all for your encouragement of my newfound creativity! Yes, there will always be laundry but there will not always be this quiet moment.

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  9. Creativity is the gift that makes us human! Gives us soul and allows us to be more than just animals. Creates love and motion, courage and peace. Always good to encourage while young... ;D

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  10. Wow, your pretty pic made me giddy. How fun!

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  11. Awesome topic. I find the more I create the creative I am.

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  12. I came over from Laura's Happy Homemaker UK Post of the month party. I'm so glad I did. Love everything about your blog and thanks for the encouragement. I try to create something every day: writing, scrapbooking, photography, cooking, something. Otherwise, my authentic self is diminished.

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  13. Wow, you are doing some awesome things! You motivate me :) I will need to check out the Smash book for my kiddos. A friend of mine bought an old typewriter for her kids to write their great novels on - so old school yet such a fresh idea!

    Thank you for joining Post Of The Month Club! It wouldn't be the same without you there ;) XOLaura

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  14. This is such a great post. I am a retired teacher and it so wonderful to see a family such as yours being creative together. The laundry will always be there but so will all of the wonderful memories that you are making together. I will take the memories anyday.

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  15. Love the doodling book! I am definitely adding that one to my list. And the drawing book looks like great fun, too. I'm so glad you shared about your children and their Smash books - that's something I think my son would love.

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  16. How delightful that you are sharing 'creativity' time with your children and their 'smashing books' ~ Awesome ~ namaste, Carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  17. Your post reminds me of being a little girl and sewing with my mom. We used to sit at the table, she would sew or repair clothing and I was dressing my dolls with left over fabrics. We drank tea and ate a cooky and she teached me how to use the machine and we where talking about school, what I would like to become when I was a grown up or she told stories about herself as a little girl.
    So many fun and loving memories. I hope your boys will have the same feeling!

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  18. such a wonderful thoughty way to share time with your boys!! made me get all grinny and happy again about my fun time teaching this past Wednesday morning. thanks for the photos!! tell ZJ I look forward to reading his writing someday. that photo will make a great photo-of-the-author!!

    YAY to you and your family sharing creative endeavours!!

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~Grace and peace to you~

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