creativity jump starters...

Hi there. Honoré here.  Daily, I spend the first one-to-two of my waking hours engaged in what  I call  Morning Solitude & Quiet Time. T'is very special me-alone time, something I've been doing easily for 20 years. I arise between 5:30 - 6:00 a.m. when most of the world is still fast asleep or barely just stirring, go downstairs for tea and read, journal and blog jog, a term I coined for touching base with some of my favorite blogs and blog friends. During MSQT, I plan my day - which usually goes agley - and gather lots of ideas and inspiration for creating.

Yesterday, as I was winding up my morning blog jog, I stumbled upon this weekly challenge : List It Tuesday at Amy's blog: Artysville. Since I'm always on the lookout for blog post content and especially creativity jump starters, I read on and perused the post as well as the other links, with interest. But first, I made a quick list of creative things I could do in just 15 minutes:

1. Take a walk, morning, noon or early evening. Mother Nature usually offers great inspiration! 
2. Audition fabrics for any number of mini (and even big) quilts. I love selecting color palettes for a future quilting project.
3. Practice my free-motion quilting...I really do need to do this on a daily basis so I can do it when it's time to do so on a real quilt...
4. Organize/declutter a drawer, file, etc. Always, I'm inspired by something I find that leads to an idea for an art journal page or a scrapbook layout or a quilting project...
5. Straighten up my work area. Just having a clear surface that I can clutter up with a new or even on-going project pumps up my creative juices...
6. Meditate for 5 minutes and then, create a Zentangle. That will extend your meditation and creativity... If zentangle is new to you, the next basic class is October 20. You can learn more here...
7. Edit/print photos for a scrapbook layout... 
8. Select cardstock and create a kit for a project, e.g., Patti's Decorative Cigar Boxes. They are addictive and make great gifts. A few people on my list will be getting one...and the next class is October 21. You can learn more here.
9. Prep background pages in your art journal: gesso, paint, spray ink, stamps and stencils, all of the above...
10. Skim a magazine or junk mail for images to use in your art journal and cut them out... 
11. Glue them on your art journal page or in your SMASH book...
12. Check out play date cafe for a fun challenge...or Pinterest, but watch out, that can become addictive, I'm told. I only look at it, maybe 1-2 times a month and especially if I'm zeroing in on a particular project or technique. I do not pin!
13. Watch a YouTube video ~ a treasure trove for how-to and techniques. 
14. Check out the The Queen's Ink class schedule...and even if you can't join in a particular workshop by a visiting artist, you can always visit his/her website and/or blog for inspiration, ideas and tutorials.
15. Watch one of Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday videos. If you've never seen these, log on as soon as you finish this post. You'll be totally inspired. And (drum roll please), November 30th through December 2nd, Donna is coming to The Queen's Ink to help celebrate our 12th anniversary; read more on our website, then call the shop to register for classes! I plan to be there and I'm hoping to see you, too!

I hope you've been inspired to create your own list of creative things. Would love for you to share in the comments. And, perhaps I'll be seeing you this weekend for Terry Quinn's 50 Shades of Play. That ought to be super-sized creativity!

Cheers~