Creative + Practice

Creative +Practice is something that I’ve been playing with since November 2011.  It’s a term that Lisa Sonora Beam designed to allow her put her ideas, images, drawing, articles, in a visual journal to make art every day.  I took her Creative +Practice on-line course to create a beautiful visual journal. 

The class was so interesting and applicable to my work as a mixed media artist that I have been working with it consistently over the past 8 months.  I started with a blank black sketch book that a friend had given me.  Nothing fancy—black cover, bare white blank pages.  

 

It had a transformation over the past months.  A painted cover, pages added, lots of writing, and pockets.

Today is a special day because this sketchbook is complete.  All filled with images, writing, ideas, possibilities for art that may or may not unfold.  It’s a place to put ideas, and keep the flow of creative spirit every day.  One of my biggest mottos is:  “Create every day.”  This method helps me stay true to myself and have a place to put the inspiration as it comes.  And when it is not flowing, I can look here.

It’s a place to add images, articles and things that I may want to refer to in the future.  My new sketch book pages measure 8.5” x 11.  The last sketch book was 5” x 8”. 

  

I will paint the cover soon.  I’m thinking of a salmon type red—a bit softer, though.  Maybe a bit of coral and terracotta…  Hmmm.  It’s fun to have it beautiful to look at the outside too.

Where do you keep your thoughts and musings?  On a napkin from a restaurant, in a sketchbook, in a journal, a moleskin notebook, with lines or blank or graph paper…? Leave a comment, if you have ideas for gathering your creative musings.  How do you do it if you're a poet, a musician, a costume designer, a floral arranger?  I'm curious...

I've added a new gallery named Landscape Quilts.  I'm enjoying looking, photographing, and posting old friends--art quilts that I'd someone to enjoy.