Lani Puppetmaker's Blog Spot

A Complaint-Free Corner

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:51:00 +0000

Amusing "Complaint Free" collage by Lani, texture by Kim Kassen.

I was watching a video from Mona Grayson on Goddess Leoni's World's Biggest Summit. She's got this purple wrist band and she is doing the "complaint free world" challenge. Well, I got intrigued. The whole idea is so simple. You get this wrist band, you resolve to live complaint free for 21 days (that's how long it takes to create a new way of being in the world) and if you slip, no, when you slip you switch the wrist band to the other wrist. So according to Will Bowen who wrote the book, this practice stage where you are catching yourself complaining and then stopping and switching your wristband may go on for quite a few months, but really practice is practice and there's nothing wrong with it. Also you get to be shocked by how much complaining goes on around us and inside us all day long. So I'm psyched to create a complaint free corner of the world, I've ordered my wrist band but I will employ a rubber band until the real one arrives.

Here are a few great reasons to try this complaint-free corner of the world, right now!

1 – When you’re complaint-free, there is a subtle shift towards possibilities and solutions and away from the constant focus on "The Problem."
When you remove the option of complaining, you can start to see solutions.
2 – When you live complaint-free, there's way less annoying "it's all about me" activity (lol).
Complaining makes someone or something wrong "out there" all the time and it makes "me" right all the time. Right, but the victim of all that's wrong in the world. Very annoying. (Oops, am I complaining?)
3 – When you live complaint-free, you find new interesting things to think about. If you take away what normally takes up 85% of what we talk about, you suddenly have so much freedom and time to find other more interesting things to examine and talk about. It will change how you look at the world.
4 – When you live complaint-free, you will find you are a happier person.

Want to try? Click here for Will Bowen's website and get your purple wrist band today.

Some blue for Erika.

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Morning pages, fiddled in Photoshop by Lani

Some blue for Erika (see previous post comment) and an idea about combining new and old journal pages. The art is from this morning and here's a quote from a while back:

"...a single act of giving has a value beyond what we can imagine. So much ... is expressed and realized in giving: love, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity..." - Sharon Saltzberg

We just don't know where an act of generosity will go. Maybe some kind of generosity round robin would be the thing, create a gift and pass it on and document it. Hmmm. Stay tuned!

January and Blue Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Blue Monday Collage by Lani

One of the 14 Secrets members, William (Billizetti), is hosting a tea party today for fun and to counter the mid winter blah feeling that can get us a little down right about now in the northern hemisphere. It is a hoot, so do check it out if you get a chance. It will chase your blues or blahs right away and get you wondering what your own blog tea party would look like!

Anyway I got curious about this winter blah feeling and did a tiny bit of research. For example did you know about Blue Monday? I didn't. It is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year and the date of "Blue Monday" was mathematically calculated Dr. Cliff Arnall a researcher at Cardiff University. He created his formula for the most depressing day of the year by working six distinct factors into the equation: weather conditions (Gloomy January and its typical lack of sunshine - that's of course in the Northern Hemisphere), debt level and our ability to pay that debt, time elapsed since Christmas, time elapsed since failing our New Years resolutions, our general seasonal motivational levels (don't you find it's WAY harder to get up and out these days?), and our need to take action and to have something to look forward to. I found though that by some calculations this past Monday was Blue Monday and by others' it this coming Monday. Heck, the whole month is a wee bit blah if you ask me. (Want to read more about Blue Monday? Try this slightly snarky article in the Guardian if you like snarky.)

Here are 10 Things You Can Do To Beat Blue Monday (or any other Blue Day this month)

1. Try something new. Get your brain forming new neural pathways, a sure fire cure for blues. Be creative.

2. Get physical. Exercise releases a lot of great brain chemicals. Really you can't beat it for beating the blues. greens health and fitness

3. Contact a friend or relative. Getting in touch with someone else often takes your mind off your blue feeling.

4. Take a break. Go somewhere different, whether it’s a coffee bar you have never been into, or vacation to a warmer climate; by changing your physical location, you change your perspective on the world.

5. Be nice to a stranger. Do a random act of kindness; doing good for others is the best form of self-satisfaction.

6. Help the planet. It's your home. It will be your descendants' home. Why not take care of it?

7. Pamper yourself! Make a spa date for yourself, either at home or at your local spa.

8. Plan something new. Whether it’s blog tea party or deciding what to do at the weekend, looking forward to something new or different can be uplifting and refreshing.

9. Share you thoughts. A problem shared is a problem halved and joy shared is joy multiplied!

10. You may also want to keep in mind that there is also a “happiest day of the year,” June 18, according to Dr. Arnall. And it isn't so very far away.

My New Year's Revolution is Ready!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Thanks to Gretchen Miller's Revolutionary Art Journaling process, I am delighted with my New Year's Revolution. I looked through my most recent art journal and decided that the cover should reflect my current interest in fully occupying my own life, mind, heart, and art!

So this is the cover. To create this book I took Gretchen's directions and went one step further. I had a pair of "7 Gypsies" book boards in my art stash which I really wanted to use, so I took a kids board book right apart and cut the pages to match. I love the size and the antique look of the cover. The hand is reaching down with a little card that says "celebrate" which of course is a very good concept.

Here's my first spread with my first revolutionary idea, which is to occupy the year with art or through art making, every day! It's a gift so why not enjoy the gift?

My second spread is about keeping it real. (If it's raining use an umbrella, don't just pretend that there is no rain, lol!) Some of the text is snagged and slightly altered from Gretchen Miller's revolutionary Pinterest page. If you want some revolutionary wisdom and joy do click here as soon as possible.

So the third spread is about Joy! It's portable so bring it along where ever you go. And a little reminder to do more of what brings us joy! Yes!

This fourth spread is about kindness. It really does improve everything around us if we can remember to be kind as much as possible. This was one of the things that impressed me most about the Occupy folks, they really were practicing kindness under some very difficult situations. I would like to carry this practice into the new year.

My fifth spread is about including more laughter in my life. Sometimes it gets a little studious in my studio. I wish to remember to laugh more often.

The Sixth spread is about wonder and grace. I'm wanting to focus a bit this year on the importance of wonder and curiosity in our lives. I believe it helps in many ways, like keeping us questioning and perhaps staying away from the fossilization that occurs when we believe our assumptions. The right hand page is about those moments of grace that sometimes go unnoticed. I want to stay alert for them in 2012! "What small act of kindness were you once shown that you will never forget?" (This question is from the Kind Over Matter blog, a real must read right now and often! Thanks to Gretchen who listed this blog as one of her many resources!)

My final spread is back to the Occupy movement, a little collage of my occupy elf on the Wall Street Bull. In 2012 I will be learning to Occupy my life! And here's the back cover. Hope you enjoyed it. The binding was from a workshop with LK Ludwig but if you want to try altering a kid's board book, just take a look at the easy-peasy directions in Gretchen's great "Ready for Revolution Art Journaling E-Book !

PS - The new year is just around the corner and I'm opening up the "class rooms" for this last run of the current eCourses. Yes, the two for one offer is still good.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

It's snowing in Nova Scotia, with new textures from FlyPaper Textures.

There's nothing quite like a beautiful, gentle snow fall and we got one yesterday with just the right amount of snow. Now it will be a white Christmas with a warm fire and plumb pudding! Hooray. Merry Christmas everyone! (Check the FlyPaper Blog for instructions on using textures. Wonderful!)

Prospero studies the snow, with new textures from FlyPaper Textures.

Morning walk in the snow, with new textures from FlyPaper Textures.

Collage Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:47:00 +0000

Collage by Lani with brand new textures from FlyPaper Textures.

I love playing with collage and then adding layers of texture. The one on top is a mix of a family photo and Victorian print. Great fun. The bottom image is from my morning pages. I love to scan and play with textures. Especially FlyPaper Textures. They have a new batch, Autumn Painterly. Breathtaking.

Also, my eCourses starts January 9 and then I'll be retiring this group . 2 for one special is on now. 3 months of fun, joy, and creativity! Check the right hand column here in order to join the classes. Any questions, feel free to contact lanipuppetmaker at mac dot com.

Collage by Lani with brand new textures from FlyPaper Textures.

Last year's Revolution; What will the new year bring?

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Here are a few of last years revo'lutionary images, things I wanted to bring into the new year and focus on, thanks to Gretchen Miller's Revolutionary Art Journaling process.

Playing with kids board books and collage, focusing on a few words and intentions, here is "Imagine Kindess".

"Be Kind" by Lani.

(I know this is similar the the one above but I had a lot of kindness issues to work on last year, lol)


"Imagine and Open Heart" by Lani

If you are ready for a revolutionary way of working in your art journal, and you want to create some positive revolutions in your life, you will find Gretchen's "Ready for Revolution Art Journaling E-Book just the spark you were looking for.

Gretchen will help you with:
Preparation: [prep·a·ra·tion], creating your own revolution art journal using a children's board book. Intention: [in·ten·tion], creating your intentions and course of action for 2012.
Creation: [cre·a·tion], bringing these mixed media and collage ideas into existance.
Transformation: [trans·for·ma·tion], bringing about a marked or thorough change in form.

Looking back at last year's revolution, I am delighted with the results and can't wait to start on 2012.

Why the Occupy Movement has Occupied my Imagination!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:47:00 +0000

Collage by Lani after Adbuster's Poster

It's pretty simple, I've always felt a bit occupied by our consumer based culture; as if my life does not always belong to me but actually belonged to marketers, the media, big box stores, multinational corporations, various governments, societies and cultures, my family, almost anyone but me, really. And along comes this rag-tag group of protestors, with tremendous diversity and passion, and they are saying we need to occupy this or that. Well I like that. I'm tired of being colonized, and I don't want to be a colonizer, but certainly I'd love to occupy my own life, thank you very much. And if there is public space around, I'd love to have the freedom to occupy that. And if I have the right to express myself, or congregate with whoever in peaceful demonstration, well I think that I need to occupy that as well.

Having been trained as an art therapist, some of the things we focused on was helping folks feel more authentic, more free, and certainly more in charge of their own lives. Well, if those things are good enough for the folks I have worked with, then they are good enough for me.

So here's the challenge, today let's look for ways to take back and occupy our own lives.

Occupation Sale - 2 for 1 Creativity and Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:07:00 +0000


Collage by Lani, texture by Kim Klassen.

Thinking about Occupying Our Art and Lives, I started wondering about the opposite of occupying something. Being occupied by something else? Being colonized? I don't particularly want to be colonized by anyone or anything, not now, not ever! What I'd like is to be completely in my life, to live and enjoy each moment, each breath, and each daub of paint!

I'm proposing a new eCourse for the new year on this topic. Meanwhile I'm going to run the current eCourses at a 2 for one OCCUPATION SALE!!! Sign up for one and send me a message about which other one you would like to be a part of, or what friend you would like to gift with an eCourse. If you or a friend are interested in art prompts which help build resilience and a happy life or if you are interested in working with collage and photomanipulation, then come play with us!

You can read about the eCourses here but to get the most value, make sure to sign up on the blog (just look for the super secret savings to the right of this post). Once you have signed up for one course, then email me with your second choice or your friend's email so I can sign them up. Our next round of courses start January 9! Do join us if you can!

Occupy This Moment, Occupy This World

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:07:00 +0000

"Home Again" Collage by Lani

I'm finally home again after my big adventures. Two of the most interesting things I did on these adventures was to visit Zuccotti Park (Occupy Wall Street) the very morning before the police came in and dismantled it. I also got to see Occupy Toronto before it was dismantled. Because so many folks were questioning what the Occupiers were doing and saying, I thought why not go down and see for myself, since I would be in both places.

What I saw taught me quite a lot. There was an amazing radical inclusivity in both places, which is hard to find in most places. What folks were calling a lack of focus really looked to me like many agendas were allowed to be included. In both Occupy encampments I saw representation of veterans, homeless, mental illness, folks concerned about the economy, folks concerned about the environment, and women concerned about women's treatment. How did they include all of these voices and people? I think it must have been their use of council and their lack of hierarchy. So if I want to learn to be more inclusive than I need to be willing to communicate, collaborate, and I need to give up hierarchy.

Another thing I saw was radical generosity. These folks were feeding themselves and the homeless and mentally ill who turned up at their kitchens. They were sharing knowledge along with their free libraries. (Unions had also been very generous with Occupy Toronto, sending over port-o-potties and hand cleaning facilities.)

Sustainable energy and a clean environment seemed to be important to both camps. I loved the bicycle powered generators. Wonder where they ended up? Probably the same place as all the books that went missing.

I also saw occupiers doing very active listening. I saw people trying to argue with them and I didn't see the occupiers arguing; just listening, nodding and questioning. I also saw lots and lots of homemade signs and artistic expression. And of course there was a meditation corner with a ever changing shrine to the best of who we are. It was lovely.

So from this I learned that if I want to get along well with others, create and be a part of a sustainable community, I need to be generous and accept generosity. I need to read more books, spend less time on line. I need to make art with others. I need to listen more than I need to talk. I need to honor the best of who we are. I think in order to occupy my life I need to make it a sustainable, artful life, something that I would be delighted to occupy!

Oh and here's where the title to this post comes from, a little present for you from Dan Berggren, who recently spent an evening singing for a dozen St. Lawrence University students who live in yurts in the woods for a semester: no cell phones, iPods, computers, or TV. They spend this Adirondack Semester studying the environment and how to live sustainably, and they learn to be present, be in the moment, have real conversations and build real community. The day after Dan's visit, he finished writing a song that views the "occupy movement" through the lens of these students. Here's a link to Occupy This Moment, Occupy This World. Dan says you are welcome to share the song with others.

How to Occupy Our Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:59:00 +0000

Collage by Lani for 6 Degrees of Creativity

Over at 6 Degrees of Creativity, Kristina Bell DiTullo has an inspiring workshop to teach us about Examining the Everyday for our inspiration and creative meaning. One thing we are doing for this workshop is examining one or more social/political/cultural issues we are passionate about. We then look for images, quotes, etc. in the media and online that relate to these issues and that inspire us.

Well I got to thinking about the Occupy Wall Street movement and how inspiring I find this idea of really occupying OUR streets, our parks, our lives, our work, our art, and our very selves. And I started wondering why this growing movement is different from previous progressive movements and so I combed through some of the material on OccupyTogether.org and OccupyWallStreet. and wondered what it would look like if I were to apply it to my life. Here goes:

1. Be Prepared. Make sure your sleeping bag is in good shape and that your tent doesn't leak.
2. Make sure you have some eating utensils, some toothpaste, soap, a change of clothes, and a pillow.
3. You might need a flashlight and a credit or debit card from a small local credit union type bank.
4. A cell phone with charger is a good idea.
5. Musical instruments and other creative tools to help in peaceful community building are welcome.
6. You might need a journal to write down great ideas.
7. Know what you are passionate about and want to talk about, and start sharing your ideas and listen to others' ideas.
8. Make friends with your neighbors, since they are most likely part of the 99%. Be kind and generous to them.
9. Discuss ideas in order to arrive at consensus. We are not alone, we are a pretty big "we" if we work at it.
10. Help others feel free to speak up and start creating change from the bottom up.
11. Always practice and promote non-violence.
12. Maintain eye contact with others.
13. Move slowly.
14. Encourage everyone to express their wishes, dreams, hopes, beliefs and fears.
15. Listen, the listening is more important than we realize.
16. Love one another.

Image from Occupy Wall Street.

I can see this could be worked into a very fun zine and or maybe an eCourse. Hmmmm. Let's occupy our lives!

For the one who is loved who may not feel it right now...

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:06:00 +0000

Collage by Lani

So never give up, never. Know you are loved.

New Book Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Collage created from techniques in Digital Image Transfer.

There's a new book review up on 14 Secrets. Take a look if you are interested in Image Transfer.

Monkey Business!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Fun going on at 6 Degrees of Creativity

The truth is there's a whole lot of fun going on over at 6 Degrees of Creativity! There are 6 different workshops on offer. Many of us are making sock monkeys, and even threatening to have a little monkey exchange in one of these fantastic workshops. I had a favorite pair of socks which I liked so much that I hadn't worn them out yet, just kept them for art retreats and grumpy rainy days when I needed a special boost. They turned out to be perfect for this particular workshop, but I may have to order more of these socks because I think I'm hooked. Here's my before and after.

Before

After (her name is Lulu)

What do you think? Fun, eh? Want to come join our Sock Monkey exchange? Check out this workshop and the five others here!

Another thing that is going on around 6 Degrees of Creativity is the daily search for 3 good things, and the creation of art based on this search. Some of us have been enjoying the bracing fall winds that have been blowing through our lives. William Charlebois's image can be found here.


Wind, scarf, and dog on morning walk with texture from FlyPaper Textures.

And here's a lovely journal spread all about the finding of good things every day, from Gretchen Miller, who I'm most grateful to for creating 6 Degrees of Creativity.


Gretchen's spread. (So much sunshine!)

Image from my 3 Good Things board on Pinterest.

Some of us have been enjoying collecting good things on Pinterest so that when we look at our collection of images later, we find lovely brain chemicals and hormones get released. For more on the topic of the connections between brain chemistry and imagery you can read here.

For more on sock monkey therapy, you can read Kat Thorsen's blog here.

Six Easy Lessons for the Happy Artist's Life

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0000


Collage by Lani, texture by Kim Klassen.

Do you know about 6 Degrees of Creativity and Six Easy Lessons for a Happy Artist's Life? Come over and play and create with us! Wonderful things are happening! Come see.

Tracking Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Collage by Lani with textures from FlyPaper Textures and from Skeletal Mess

Back from a wonderful workshop at Lemoncholy's Studio with Michael Demeng. What a blast! He had so much to teach, even gave us the skinny on how to create lizard effects with a great new product from Kroma. You can read about the art journal workshop that used this product here. I need some of this stuff right away!

Michael's Journal

Now here are some photos of Kecia's beautiful, amazing art and cottage. I loved exploring all of this and wish we could have stayed longer. Hmmm, maybe another workshop one day?


Bring Me a Crooked Moon

Kecia's Collage from an Anahatta workshop

Dolls everywhere (this is a bit of a double exposure, but I like it!)

Some of Kecia's work. Dreamy!

Another doll (Kecia, how many dolls do you actually have?)


There were also many wonderful Santos everywhere. (I love Lemoncholy Studio!!!)

So that was great fun for me, playing with my photos from the workshop at Lemoncholy Studio, creating some double exposures, adding Kim Klassen texture layers. Let the fun continue. Oh and now I can track my fun and happiness quotient thanks to this great website. Thank you Gretchen Miller for alerting me to this possibility. Every so often you can get an email or text message and you can answer a few questions which provoke some thought about our happiness levels and what causes them. Art and aesthetic experiences are a big one for me. Also tracking and thinking about it gives me joy and happiness too. So try it for yourselves:

https://www.trackyourhappiness.org/

Here's a little poem for Kecia, by Anonymous:

"In that remote inn

Which pretends to nothing

And is therefore both comfortable and good,

They knew so much"

Soul Repair Garage

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Collage by Lani with textures from FlyPaper Textures and from Skeletal Mess

The idea for this post comes from Jen Lemen, who has a category for blog posts called Soul Repair Garage. What a wonderful idea! If you could take your soul into a garage made just for souls, what would that look like for you? Mine would be called the Paradise Garage.

While exploring the back roads of Nova Scotia I came across this garage sign (Paradise Garage) which I added to the collage of the girls and their red roadster. My Soul Repair Garage would be a simple place, with plenty of tools so you could repair anything, where there would be plenty of art materials and maybe a cafe attached where a band might be playing some blues live (if your soul needs repair, I think live blues are just the thing).

If you get a chance Visit Jen Lemen's blog, and especially all posts relating to soul repair. Lovely! Here's one.

"Amusement Institution"

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:37:00 +0000


"Amusement Institution" digital collage by Lani

Here's another Digital Whisper challenge. These challenges are serious fun, I have to say. This one started with the background, the grungey red and "white" stripes. We were given a few links to look for other circus imagery, so I ended up in the Deviant Scrap Shop and playing with Tumble Fish Studio My Picks kit. Here's the final result with a little extra help from FlyPaper Textures and Ode to a Muse.

More on "Finish This Book" by Keri Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Collage by Lani for Keri Smith's "Finish This Book"

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I am so enjoying Keri Smith's "Finish This Book"! That's the mysterious book I found on my doorstep (you can read about that here) which is actually about someone finding a mysterious instruction manual and she asks the reader to help her put the book together. I've been working with it, trying to puzzle out the mystery. The readers gets to play the role of a sleuth in this book to kind of co-create it. So of course when the book I found on my doorstep is finished, it will be a completely different book from everyone else's. So not only am I wanting to find out how my book turns out but I also want to find out how others' turn out. Such a great collaborative and interactive concept for a book. I love "Finish This Book" and can't wait to share more! Find a copy and play, and don't forget to let me know how it goes for you!

Reptitude and Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Collage by Lani for Six Easy Lessons

Barbara Martin has a coaching and creativity website called Reptitude Center for Creativity, and a creativity spot, phone in line where you can listen to a little experiment to increase your creativity.
This week's phone line has a great exercise in using curiosity to enhance your creativity. Say for example you are stuck in line somewhere, or perhaps stuck in traffic. Rather than getting upset or spending your mental energy worrying about what you should be doing instead, take advantage of the situation and start noticing what is going on around you.

Notice what is unusual in the midst of the usual. Find the non sequitur, the out of kilter, the serendipitous. These things are always there, around us all the time, we just forget to notice. It is these small noticings that move us into a more creative space. Once we notice something unusual, then we can start to wonder how this came to be, who created this, why, how? Barbara Martin calls it the "look around game". I just call it fun! When we strengthen the parts of the brain that does all this noticing and the parts that create connections and insights, we actually feel better in our lives.

Creativity is undoubtedly very good for us! Want more creativity in your life? Try eWorkshops! You can take them in the privacy of your own art space. There are many choices out there I know, but I can vouch for 6 Degrees of Creativity and of course my own eCourses.

Want to encourage your creativity in 6 different ways?

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Collage by Lani

Have you wondered what your life, work, passions, relationships would be like if you applied a little more artful creativity to them? Why not join us and find out. We are six artists and art therapists and we are here to encourage your creativity in six different ways! Kristina Bell DiTullo will be working on found objects and relevant social issues, I will be working on the Happy Artist's Life, using art to create positive neural experiences and other good things, Cathy Malchiodi will be working on Gratitude and Affirmation in Art, Gretchen Miller will be working on Artist Trading Cards to celebrate the goodness in our lives, Jenny Navarro will be teaching us some lovely Beeswax techniques, and finally Kat Thorsen will be teaching us Sock Monkey Therapy. For Six Easy Lessons for a Happy Artist's Life (and the other five marvelous ways to grow your creativity) click here.

Having a little Collage and Fotoshop Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:52:00 +0000

Collage for Digital Whisper at Ning

Do you know Digital Whisper? (Thanks William Charlebois for this link!) They have a lot of inspiration, challenges, links, support, and other good stuff. For more exploration in combining photo manipulation and collage, please consider the eCourse which is starting next week. (The discount for blog readers is over on the right hand side of this post, just scroll down a tiny bit and you will see it.)

The above piece came from this image from Moonchild which is the background for the current challenge. (I can't wait to explore the other challenges):

Then I added an old photo, a collage sheet face from ArtTeaLife, and a texture from PaperWhimsy.

So What is Our Big Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Cover for Six Easy Lessons eZine (for 6 Degrees of Creativity)

After reading Michael Nobbs new eBook (see previous post) I started wondering: How do we define our big work? Or how do I define my big work.

Do you ever get one of those big inner smiles from creating something that seems to resonate or be in alignment with everything you believe in? Or maybe you feel that inner smile when you walk into an art gallery and suddenly recognize this same resonance or alignment in someone else's work. What ever the cause, it's those marvelous smiles of alignment, resonance, and wonder that I'm after. If I can find more ways to encourage that smile both internally and in the world, I think I would have found my big work!

Actually, with the fun I am having creating the videos and eZine for my workshop that is a part of 6 Degrees of Creativity, I'm feeling wonder, resonance, and alignment right now, right here. So many magically beautiful things just fell into place for this, it's quite exciting (and there are 5 other workshops to look forward to)! I have one of those inner smiles right now.

Collage for Six Easy Lessons.

What is your big work? Does it make you smile?

Michael Nobbs has a new eBook!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:29:00 +0000

"Forget about seizing the day, enjoy it instead (a gentler translation of carpe diem)"

- Michael Nobbs

What I love about Michael Nobbs, besides his wonderful drawings, his blog and morning chats with tea, is that it's all about trying to keep things simple. In the '90s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade, has had to learn about sustaining a creative career with limited energy. He feels very strongly about living a creative and sustainable life with limited energy, so much so that he considers this to be his "Important Work". Through his blog, pod casts, drawings, and eBooks, he teaches us all that it is possible to live a creative life with what ever our limitations might be. Very inspiring! Go immediately and get yourself a copy of "Getting Your Important Work Done" and then start today, getting your own important work done.

Here are some of the topics he's working with in this book: • The Importance of Choices • Get a timer! • The Importance of “No” • Why on some days it’s a good idea to say “no” even to to your
Important Work • The importance of putting energy back into the Energy Bank • Wabi-sabi: the beauty of imperfection • Don’t do today, what you could put off until tomorrow • Forget about seizing the day, enjoy it instead (a gentler translation of carpe diem) • Remember to celebrate your achievements •Take some time to look back at all you’ve achieved • Why it’s okay (even essential) to stop completely • Deciding to schedule a catch-up day into my week • In praise of working on one thing at a time • Stop trying to catch-up, work from where you are • Learning to be compassionate with ourselves to get our Important Work done • Why we need to avoid the “jam tomorrow” tendency if we want to keep getting our Important Work done • Reaching and accepting limits • Learning to stop (especially when we most think we can’t) • Giving ourselves what we need helps get our Important Work done • Do a little something to raise your spirits (and help get your Important Work done!) •Taking a holiday to make sure we stay on track with our Important Work

(Nice, eh?)

Do check out the other books as well, while you are at it. I love "Start to Draw Your Life" and it's free. And there's Sustainable Creative and The Beanie #4 as well, all good and worth checking into here!

There's a lot going on around here!

noreply@blogger.com (Lani Gerity) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Collage by Lani, with help from FlyPaper Textures

New eCourses that combine art and positive psychology, resilience, creativity, photoshop and collage are ready to go, starting September 12. You can read about them here but don't forget to come back to this blog to get your big blog-reader discount (just look at the column to the right).