What new thing is God calling you to do this year that requires creativity? What about this week?
I think about this a lot lately. Your family and certain friends may not understand, but I understand. More importantly, God understands. And no wonder:
“The Spirit moves in us, giving us the mind of Christ that feeds our creative life. This abundance is scary; it is deeper than we can imagine. What would we do if we were epxeriencing God continually, available in every minute to use our abilities fully for him? It is too much for our little selves to handle. So don’t handle it. Do the thing God has put in front of you. Start there and be fully available to the new thing he will acomplish as you do it.” ~
The Creative Life: A Workbook for Unearthing the Christian Imagination
A Woman Inspired is hosting a new conference, January 25-29, 2010 dedicated to nurturing creativity and efficient living:
“Have you been in touch with your inner creative diva? Do you want to learn to express yourself through paint mediums, culinary masterpieces, vibrant rooms or maybe through your own life as the canvas? Well, you can get inspired here.
Whether you feel stuck in a rut or just don’t know where to begin we can help. I’m confident that many of you have a pile of unfinished projects or maybe put off doing things simply because you feel you don’t have the time. We have all been there and can definitely relate. We would like you help get some momentum going so that you can begin to create and design no matter what your canvas preference is.”
You’ll learn how to:
* develop your God given talents and gifts
* push past creative blocks
* further your education in the area of your choice
* be more productive
* be more focused
* let your light shine!
Remember, all A Woman Inspired conferences are entirely online. No travel is required, you can listen in wearing your jammies, and MP3’s are included with the cost of your ticket!
Find more info and register here!
The chocolate layer reminds us that we are sinful.
The red layer reminds us that Jesus shed his blood for our sins.
The white frosting reminds us that Jesus has given us a clean heart.
The green layer reminds us to grow in Christ.
The yellow decorations remind us of heaven.
The candles remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Teacup candles :
“Gather some craft-store wicks, wax (or old candles) that can be melted down, old teacups, and maybe a fragrance or two. You might look in thrift stores for some pretty single teacups, with or without saucers, for less than a dollar. Melt the wax in a double boiler, add fragrance if desired, and support the wick standing in the teacup while carefully filling the cup with wax. When the wax cools, it will contract and form a well. You can add more melted wax of the same color or add a second shade.” See How to Make Teacup Candles more pics and further instructions.
Here’s an especially sentimental gift that means more than any store-bought item! You can use any kind of jar:
Memory/love jar: “The best gift I ever gave my mom was a “love jar.” I put 52 scraps of paper, each with a different typed message telling her about a memory I was grateful for like “I’m grateful for every meal you ever cooked, especially the ones you felt least like making”, and put them in a clean candle jar with a lid, wrapped some raffia with instructions around the outside to “open once a week.”
“The most wonderful gift I’ve ever given cost me almost nothing. I contacted friends and family members and asked them to send me memories and old pictures of my grandfather. Then I wrote one memory (or printed one picture) on each of 365 business card sized pieces of cardstock. I folded each in half and secured it with a bit of tape, then placed them all in a big jar I decorated. Every morning for the next year, my grandfather would take out a paper, open it, and see what other people cherished in him. He loved it.” See How to Make Memory Jars
Merry Christmas friends ♥
Other resources:
Clutter-free Gifts
Gifts You Can Make Yourself
“I really think that cleaning up in between projects is a great way to also clean the palette; so to speak. It helps to organize your thoughts and focus on what you are doing next.” ~ Joanna Figueroa, fabric designer, featured in Where Women Create
Worked on my creative space this week. Mr. G. put together another tabletop area for me to spread my beads. Designing jewelry is such fun when I’m not writing! I also save old Mary Englebreit calendars. Framed a few of her prints from the calendars this week to hang in a collage in the corner. Her art inspires and delights me!
What does your workspace look like? Does it inspire you? It should! Found a magazine to help with that:
Enjoy!
Last year I received an interesting gift: “Watercolor Lesson-A-Day” (with Dennis Pendleton, 2009). This expressive desktop calendar shares interesting tidbits about famous artists, and includes helpful painting tips if you’d like to try water colors. A quick source of inspiration at my fingertips!
Below are some of my calendar excerpts. What has each artist revealed about himself?
“Pierre-Auguste Renoir explained his feelings about painting when he said, “For me a painting should be something pleasant, joyful, and attractive, even pretty. There are sufficient bothersome things in life so that we need not create others.”
“ Vincent van Gogh displayed his emotions in his paintings. He wrote to his brother, Theo, that he wanted to create paintings that moved people.”
“ Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas met in 1877 and began a long friendship. Both had strong personalities that sometimes clashed, but they also inspired and encouraged each other. It was Degas who invited Cassatt to show her paintings at the impressionist exhibit of 1879.”
“Beginning in 1890, Edgar Degas switched from oil painting to pastel. This medium enabled him to combine drawing and color. It was also easier on his failing eyesight.”
“It is said that Pierre-Auguste Renoir never produced a sad painting. Known for his good spirit, his paintings show people dancing, laughing, and generally displaying a love of life.”
“When a surgical operation confined him to his bed, Henri Matisse began another phase of his career. He cut colored paper into shapes and produced his famous Jazz series.”
“While confined to the asylum at St. Remy de Provence, Fance, Vincent van Gogh was permitted to paint on the grounds. During this time he completed some of his best-konwn paintings of gardens and olive trees.”
“At the age of seventy, Marc Chagall studied the art of making stained glass and over the next fifteen years produced many important works in this medium for churches and synogues.”
