So the Ventura County Fair just started and this display at the store was so inspiring.  It reminded me of the days when the fair was during school and if you knew someone who had a 4H animal you could help them with their animal and get out of school for the day.  My best friend had a long eared rabbit loved it!  I remember the smell of the animals and the hay.  I grew up on a horse ranch so being around that many animals for a day was a treat.  Over the years I've gone to the fair with friends who like the more commercial aspects of the fair, the bands and the vendors, but I would love to take some time and introduce my daughter to the fair I remember.  Visit all the animals, catch the rodeo, watch a few greased pigs evade capture.  I also think I will be adding a few of these items to my home to remind me of simpler times and warm days.

Sorry this quilt is side-ways.  Aurgh, still learning a few fine tuning points to blogging.Bear with me and cock your head sideways.:)

Filling the Creative Well

   I create all day.  Or at least I try to create all day.  It starts with putting on my makeup in the morning and putting on clothes that are fun, funky and functional and making my daughter's lunch where I aim for socially acceptable.  Every now and then I get a "best sandwich ever!" and I can go to sleep with a smile on my face that night.  During the day I get to help people solve their problems whether its creating a solar powered five foot high moving flower or mending a pair of pants. At night I journal before I go to bed, some nights in my art journal, some nights it's writing. The point I'm trying to get at in a long winded way, is that as human beings, in one way or another, we create all day long.  It's just what we do between breathing, dodging the hurdles that life throws our way, and loving.  We create. 
    I hear so many times a day from people that they don't think they are creative.  Everyone uses creativity in their own particular way.  The challenge that I can well attest to, is filling your creative well. The bigger and deeper your creative well is the more you have to draw from when you need it.  A class that I taught in 1996 on French Wire Silk Roses just helped me yesterday with a class I'm developing for this fall, Matchbox Chests (ooh, I could talk about this forever and will in upcoming posts, let's just say I was in the store today telling one person about it and drew a crowd - so much fun and so adorable!) I will do you one better than 1996 though, I use the calligraphy i learned in 1979 all the time!  Try things that you haven't thought of before.  Expand your horizons.  Fill the creative well and you will be surprised when and why you draw from it.  It may be during a creative storm, it may be during a creative drought.
    Last fall I took a crochet class on a challenge from my sister.  I think her words were "If I can do it you can".  We have a great relationship but come on a sister challenge is a sister challenge so I had to do it.  It was a blast!  Plus I had a whole new knowledge I could draw from and the instructor was amazing!  There are a world of instructors out there, find those that are not only knowledgeable but passionate. So give it a whirl, stretch, grow.  If it adds to your creativity it adds to your life.  And always, let me know if there is something you want to learn that isn't in our class schedule or if you are an instructor who is passionate about teaching.  Craft,Pray,Love.

Introduction to Zentangle Class

This was the amazing homework the Introduction to Zentangle Class brought to their last class tonight. We have some great artists!