WRITE - the tree

Okay - here is another WRITE prompt. You were walking through what you thought was an empty forest when you came upon this. Do you go in? Does someone come out? Why is it there? Why are YOU there? Write a poem, paragraph, or story about this. Share it here or on our FACEBOOK PAGE! :)

Read - 100 Best Novels

How's everyone doing on their reading?  I finished the Uglies series (Uglies, Pretties, and Specials). It was fine - not the best I have ever read, but decent. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5. Maybe I am too far removed from being a teenager to relate to it (although I did enjoy other teen-centric dystopian novels such as The Hunger Games...).


I was checking out this link:http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/ and I thought it might inspire us to look at classics, or at the very least see which ones we've already read and maybe be inspired to read more! (also be sure to click on the Radcliffe's list too: http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/radcliffes-rival-100-best-novels-list/ 


A few that I want to read:
Catcher in the Rye
1984
Catch-22
Atlas Shrugged (actually tried to read this once and never was able to finish it)


And some that I have read and can recommend highly:
Lord of the Flies
The Fountainhead
To Kill a Mockingbird
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Fahrenheit 451
Watership Down


How about you guys? Any thoughts? Post in the comments here or on our FACEBOOK GROUP.

ART: Doodle. COLOR

source: Pinterest

Let's take the doodle a step further this week and turn it into an ART challenge! Go get yourself a box of crayons and create a doodled "landscape" with ground and sky using just lines of color. Make sure the "ground" is distinctive from the sky. 

In this example, the ground and sky are two color temperatures: Cool and Warm. 

Cool colors include: blue, purple, green, and everything in between. 

Warm colors include: red, orange, and yellow, and every variation thereof. 

You can choose a single color family or just go for it. It doesn't have to be huge either! Feel free to do this on a post-it note. But definitely try it! And post your results here or on our Facebook Page!! :)

Art. DOODLE :)

image from http://www.needlenthread.com/2007/05/doodle-embroidery-designs-would-they.html

I want to challenge you guys this week to DOODLE on something! Paper, scrap, whatever. Especially do it while you are on the phone with someone. If you are uncomfortable doing this, or don't know where to start, try one of these exercises:

Create a BORDER. On whatever paper you are using, start with a line. Or dots. Or squares. Or stars. Just some kind of border. Add some curves, or squiggles, or more dots. Don't worry about the art of it. Just make shapes.

Start with a big square and draw a line through it anywhere. Then do it again. And then start connecting lines... soon you will have this tangram-ish looking shape that is pretty cool. Color them in all differently (if you have colors)... otherwise put a different pattern in each section (lines, dots, stars, checkerboard, squares, circles, flowers, etc...)

Start with a person's name, which might be written on the paper already. Embellish it. Make the vertical lines extra thick... fill in all the circles. Draw a bubble outline around all the letters... then draw a bubble outline around that one. And another one around that one. Then go back and fill n the bubbles with different colors or shapes or designs.

Start with a star... make it a shooting star... or a really bright star... or something else! Outline it... add dots around it... put it in a box. Use your imagination!

This doesn't have to be fancy or artistic and it doesn't have to be something that takes you a long time. Just do it and DON'T think too much about it (hence the "be on the phone with someone" part). Trust me, it will be fun. 

PLEASE snap a picture of it and post your picture either here or on the FACEBOOK GROUP! We would love to see your doodle creations. :)

WRITE. The pathway...

Our WRITE inspiration today comes from this picture I pinned on Pinterest the other day. I love how Deidre (in our FACEBOOK GROUP) today posted about a journey and it immediately reminded me of this picture and how I think it would be wonderful if you share how it could inspire you to write something... be it a poem, a paragraph, a sentence, a thought, or something more. What does this image say to YOU??

Please take a moment to share how this has inspired you, either in the comments here or in our FACEBOOK GROUP! Come join in our discussion! <3

ART. Red.

Okay everyone! It's time for this week's ART challenge. I hope you are excited! 

What I want to do each week is give you a very open-ended challenge and allow you to use your creativity to come up with something that relates to it. This can be anything you want... you can draw, paint, photograph, write, build, design, sew, craft, crochet, or create something that is inspired by our challenge word. 

This week's ART challenge is RED. 

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Mine is here... this is at an outdoor market in barcelona. Mmmmm tomatoes :)

You can add a link to yours in the comments or visit our FACEBOOK GROUP. :)

MAKE. From scratch.

Thank you all so much for your participation in the FACEBOOK GROUP (click the link to join! We love new members!)! I hope you have been feeling creative! Please continue to share your READ and WRITE posts. Our next topic is MAKE. In MAKE, I want to challenge you to create something from scratch. Perhaps a recipe you have been wanting to try, a craft project, a crochet or knitting pattern, or something else! Whatever you want to MAKE this week, just share it with us! Next week the challenge will be more specific, but this week we can do anything :)


Share what you will MAKE (or what you have made) this week here, or in our FACEBOOK GROUP.
Can't wait to see what you do!

WRITE - Using your senses

This week's challenge to get us started in our WRITE section is to use our senses. Come join the discussion in our FACEBOOK GROUP to see more about what we are talking about and see what else we are working on!

Get out your journal.

(have you gotten your journal yet? Remember, it doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just something you can use for the writing challenges in this group).

And something to write with.

(make sure it can actually WRITE. this is the problem in my house. PENS EVERYWHERE. The ones that actually work? Like the Holy Grail.)

Okay! Ready now? Back to your senses.

Think about your five senses.
Sight.
Sound.
Taste.
Touch.
Smell.

I want you to experience your world with all your five senses and write about it. 

Here are some ideas:

Choose something in your life you LIKE. Describe it using your 5 senses.
Why not try it now with something you DISLIKE?
How about a PERSON in your life? How would you describe them in 5 senses?
How about a PLACE from your childhood?
How about your WORKPLACE?

Remember that this sensory project does not have to be literal... when you think of your senses, you might have to reach a little and be creative. Use as many descriptive adjectives as you can. Color, texture, and smilie (using like or as to create a comparison) are great ways to do this.

Here is something I wanted to write about:

UGANDA 

I saw red dirt. I saw giant storks. I saw dark faces. I saw orphans. I saw beauty. 

I heard dogs barking in the distance. I heard the laughter of children. I heard the honking of car horns. 

I smelled cow dung. I smelled fresh pineapple. I smelled sewage. I smelled soap. 

I tasted chicken that had been alive an hour earlier. I tasted fried grasshoppers. I tasted jackfruit. 

I felt hopeless. I felt helpless. I felt empowered by God. I felt hopeful. I felt loved.

Another example:

Morning 

Looks like sunlight piercing through the bedroom window, beckoning me to open my eyes 

Sounds like a herd of rhinoceros passing by as the children chase each other down the hall 

Feels like my down comforter hugging my body, urging me not to let go 

Smells like brewed coffee cutting through the crisp coolness of morning air 

Tastes like toast with peanut butter and honey... or perhaps today it will be French

Remember, some senses will be easier than others! Taste is a hard one when it's not something that can actually be tasted. When talking about a person, you might want to use taste to describe a dinner you had with them that was memorable, or a favorite candy they like, or something similar. I know it will be a challenge for some of you - but that's okay! This is supposed to be a challenge! I want you to stretch yourself creatively! And please, if you are so inclined, share it with us! We would love to read what you are working on. Thanks for your participation!

Will you try this prompt and share it with us in our FACEBOOK GROUP or in the comments here?

READ - what are you currently reading?

We're just getting started over on our FACEBOOK GROUP (click to join us! We'd love to have you!), and our current discussion is what we are reading (or what we have just read), and what our goals for 2012 are.

My goal is 12 books in 2012. One a month. These 12 books are FICTION books that I am reading for pure PLEASURE. I am not counting the nonfiction books, study books, or work literature I am reading in this. These 12 books are ones I have been meaning to read but just haven't gotten around to reading.

The first one on my list? The Uglies.

Anyone out there read it yet? I'd love to hear your opinions (no spoilers though)


How about you? Post in the comments here, or join the discussion on our FACEBOOK GROUP. :)

Welcome!

Welcome to READ. WRITE. MAKE. ART. This is a place for weekly encouragement to live your life creatively! My name is Jessie Baldwin and I have decided that I want to return to my creative roots. For too long I have filled my days with things that keep me busy, but don't keep my mind creative. That is why I have created this group and this blog... because being creative is much more fun when I can do it with others. Each week there will be a new post that will encourage you to READ something, WRITE something, MAKE something, and be ARTISTIC. You can participate as much or as little as you would like. Add links to your work, add comments, and join the movement! This is your chance to be creative along with me. I hope you will!