JoDee Luna's Blog, page 42

Creative Buzz

One of the reasons I decided to blog was to find other kindred spirits—like-minded people who loved what I loved. The concept of ongoing, online conversations about everything from writing and art to obstacles and overcoming intrigued me. Blogging added to my artistic tools and helped me to pursue creativity in a new way.

So you can imagine my glee when a recent artsy post from an online blogging friend, Dianne Polome, incited some creative buzz. I featured a snippet of Dianne's post, "The Creation Ritual," and linked to the entire post on her website in hopes my readers would venture there. What a joy it was to see that several of my friends had left insightful comments. Women were responding to Dianne's message with personal applications.

Create buzz! That's what I call the gathering of artistic souls around a blog post. Like bees swarming a hive, like-minded readers view, apply, and comment.

Recently, I buzzed from blog to blog, sipping sweet nectar from other artists. I'd discovered Rena J. Traxel's post, "10 Reasons Why you Should Join a Blog Challenge" posted in the The Writers' Digest group, "Today I Blogged About." I followed her links to several new blogs that featured creative challenges and decided to use their "buzz" to spur on my artistic exploration. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Creative Every Day Challenge by Leah Piken Kolidas
Create with Joy
Miz Katie and her amazing portrait "She was her own Illusion"

After viewing blogs for a couple of hours, I realized the ones I bookmarked fell into categories:

Portrait painting
Watercolor
Mixed Media Art

I then went into my newly redecorated art room and set up the art easel my artistic daughter, Elya, had passed on to me. I slipped a blank canvas in between the clasp and the bottom holder and envisioned my new creation—a mixed media portrait filled with my artistic loves.

Now I'm on a quest to find an online class for portrait painting. Maybe if I pursue this call of nature within, I'll stir up a little creative buzz of my own.

 

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The A B C's of My Life

A is for Amsterdam with childhood memories of love.

B is for Big Sur and roadtripping up the coast with Jesse.

READ THE ENTIRE POST…

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Refrain from the Identical, the book, is now available as a Kindle eBook…

For all of those Kindle readers out there, Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics is now available for Kindle.

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Organize your Creative Space

I've been on a quest to organize my creative space—the reclaimed art room now mine, once again, since my daughter moved out, once again. I wanted to rekindle my artistic desires, but my art room languished in clutter. So I set out to clean up the mess and embark on a redecorating adventure.

My creative space has to call to me, inspire flights of fancy, and create a melodious mood. It needs to release my inner child to play and to dream.

Sculpture - "Happiness" by Susan Lordi

My former artist's loft sported a French theme. The sassy red and yellow walls lined with masquerade masks empowered my courage and sparked my muse.

Yet this redecorating project whispered, "Vintage, feminine, crèmes, whites, and buttercup yellow." I had this overwhelming desire for a quaint hutch, shabby chic table, and cubbies for art supplies.

So I set out on a series of treks to hunt down my envisioned supplies. I even bought "Where Women Create" by Stampington & Company's Somerset Studio. I poured over the pages and drank in the creative spaces of other women who'd somehow pushed through with their decorating projects.

I knew the room needed to double as a guest room for homecoming children so I bought a new quilt for the trundle bed.

I put my art table back into the room and bought an art supply organizer at Michaels (on sale for 40% off).

I placed my art supplies on the back of my art table so they would be within reach.

Now my art table is a pleasant place where I can sit down and create.

My other "have to have" was the Artisan 837 Epson printer for quality scanning and photography projects (on sale at Best Buy for $169, almost half off).

Although the wall décor isn't finished, I just had to put up my mixed media piece, "Oh to be Queen," to remind me that in this room, my artistic self can reign.

So now that I've had a bit of redecorating success, I encourage you to take the time to organize your creative space. I know that you will be glad, and more productive, if you prepare a place where you can do what you love.

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Make a Simple Flag Banner

I just love the banners / flags you see all over the whole country / farmish gift industry and craft fairs I go to.  So I made my own last July in preperation for my daughters wedding.   It was really easy. So since I am into "Really EASY"  I will share.

Here is how you do it. READ THE ENTIRE POST…

 

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A Creation Ritual

In trying to identify and explore some of the things that keep me from expressing my creativity, I've realized one stumbling block that squelches my desire to create is plain and simple messiness. And usually this messiness is just leftover from my last project. Yeah, so basically I'M the hold up. I hardly feel like doing anything when my desk or drafting table is covered with scraps of paper, paintbrushes, and other odds and ends. READ THE ENTIRE POST…

 

 

 

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Conquering Clutter

Clutter is a creative eclectic's nemesis—a toothless dragon that guards our treasure-trove of art supplies. Granted, clutter is a bi-product of our scattered nature, but an enemy just the same. When we cannot clear a place to do a project, the frustration singes our resolve.

So in an attempt to conquer clutter in my creative life, I've categorized mine:

Physical clutter-Those of you who have an arts and crafts room or art studio will relate with the tendency for our creative space to become the dumping ground for household minutia:

The barrage of junk mail stuffed in your mail box fans out on your art table
Your children's clothes, shoes, toys, books, suitcases etc. litter the floor
Unfiled papers, unfolded clothes, gadgets and doodads cover the guest bed

Physical clutter can kill creative inspiration because it throws our minds into sequential mode as we attempt to organize the mayhem. I have found I need to schedule tidying up times apart from my creativity times so I don't kill my innovative ideas.

Digital Clutter – I don't know about you, but I'm drowning in my email's inbox:

Spam emails somehow pass through the filter as if microscopic organisms swimming through a cell membrane
Online community emails grow like Kudzu, a creative vine strangler
Blog comments cry like hungry children tugging on their mother's skirt

Digital Clutter flusters the aspiring creative eclectic. Like physical clutter, we need to set aside times for doing what we dread—the mind-numbing task of sorting, deleting and de-subscribing from unwanted subscription lists

Emotional Clutter – Feelings clog up our creative conduit like slimy hairballs in sink pipes. Often we can't get past the worrisome mind creepers or push away our tendency to obsess, get angry, or entertain angst. Emotional clutter will put a halt to creative flow and needs times of regular removal:

Journal away your worries of the day—a daily practice of writing what wicks you off or causes you consternation will unplug your mind and soul pipes
Vent with a trusted friend—get your gloom and doom off your chest with someone who listens well and provides sound advice




Mental Clutter – We creative eclectics have a mind that works a lot like a skeet slinger. Ideas launch in every which way and we often fail to aim our mental rifles accurately so we can hit the mark. Here's a few tips I've found helpful to get my ideas out of my head and before my eyes:

An idea board is great for visualizing what you want to do or posting projects in process. I use a magnetic whiteboard mounted above my art desk

Artwork by Elya Filler and JoDee Luna

I create lists when ideas come to me and place them where I know I will see them: in front of the shifter in my car, on the refrigerator, on the kitchen counter, and on my dresser

Yes, clutter will always challenge the creative eclectic but with a little bit of management, we can conquer this beast. Then the sun will shine upon our creative endeavors once again.

 

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Refrain from the Identical Book Review

Do you flutter from one creative passion to the next, leaving in your wake a trail of unfinished projects and a stack of expensive supplies? If so, I can name your ailment. You are a creative eclectic. Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics is a guidebook for people who love to explore new avenues of creativity for the pure joy of it.  Author JoDee Luna offers good news and bad news. The bad? You'll be "this way" forever. The good news? You can learn to enjoy, manage, and embrace your creative self. You may even help friends and family understand you a bit more–or at least you'll learn to deal with their consternation and befuddlement over your creative wanderlust. READ THE ENTIRE POST…

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How to make a salt dough heart with roses.

Sculpt a salt dough heart for a Valentine's Day gift. This post features the step-by-step process for making the heart. This is a link to the salt dough recipe and instructions for making the salt dough.

Step 1: Roll two pieces of dough into long strands. Step 2: Twist the strands of dough. Step 3: Form the twisted strands into a heart shape and place the heart on wax paper. Step 4: Create a liquid paste by mixing a piece of dough with a small amount of water. Use this past to connect the strand ends and to glue on leaves and roses. Step 5: Form a leaf from a lump of green dough and press lines into the leaf with an opened paper clip. Step 6: Glue the leaves on the strand. Dip a paper clip in the glue mixture and insert into the top.  Step 7: Place three leaves at the top of the heart. Step 8: Roll out a small ball of red dough into a narrow strand. Step 9: Flatten the strand. Step 10: Begin rolling the strand by pressing on one edge so the other will flare out like the center of a rose. Step 11: Continue rolling until the center is formed. Step 12: Flatten tiny balls of dough and place around the center. Step 13: Overlap the dough petals. Step 14: Place the glue mixture in the middle of the leaves and then press the dough rose in the center. Step 15: Press the bottom of the dough rose down using the end of a paint brush. Step 16: Roll two rose centers and add next to the main dough rose. Step 17: Gently lift the wax paper and place on a cookie sheet. Dry in the oven at 170 degrees all night. Turn the dough heart over and dry all day until the back side is hard. You can spray varnish on your rose to preserve the color.

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The Daily Creative Challenge

"Behold I do something new."

What if we did, said, or shared something creative every day? Creativity gives life, and we have a creative God who never stops imagining and sharing, so why can't we do the same?

What if every morning we asked these questions, "Lord, what do you have for me to do today? Is there something creative I can make or share?"

student created salt dough heart

I often ask the first question but not the second; however, I've run into three of my students (two former and one current) in the last three days, which got me thinking about the second question. Each encounter reminded me to encourage others because each one expressed thankfulness for the impact I had in their lives.

student created

"Now it will spring forth…"

"Mrs. Luna?"

I heard someone call my name while I walked through a country coffee shop. I'd been sitting outside around a café table signing books for my mother and her best friend.

"Mrs. Luna, is that you?"

I looked up to see Evan.

"Evan." I melted like butter spread over warm toast.

"How are you Evan?" I asked. Evan was a young man who captured my heart because of his kind soul and desire to do well in school.

He told me that he was attending the local junior college but would transfer to a university to become either an engineer or something in the medical profession. I encouraged him and then blurted, "I finally finished my book I'd told your class about so long ago." It felt great to run outside, grab my mom's book, and show him the finished product.

"See, you, too, can accomplish your dreams." I added.

"Will you not be aware of it?"

I heard another student call my name while I mailed books to friends who had helped me along the way. Then yesterday, while in a local store, I heard "Mrs. Luna" again. During this interaction, the student told me how she loves to write songs for hours.

created by JoDee Luna

"I will even make a roadway in the wilderness."

Inherent in innovation is giving. God often gives to us in little-blessing sizes. Why not trust Him for ways we can pass on our creativity and encouragement to others?

 

salt dough design created by a student

"Rivers in the desert."

The thought occurred to me, maybe I should approach my creativity from the perspective of giving, whether a kind word, an artsy gift, or a signed book.

So I've decided to take the daily creative challenge. Each day, I will pray, "Is there something creative I can make or share?" I'll post some of the blessings that come my way and those I share with others. I'd love to hear about yours so please leave a comment or send me yours in an email and indicate whether I can share it on this website. Let's spread a little creative cheer.

*A special thanks to my students whose artwork I featured. Their names were not included in order to protect their identities.

*Scripture, Isaiah 43:19, is from Biblegateway.com.

Copyright: "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB." www.lockman.org

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