Seems like the more ideas I have, the less time I have to spend just playing and developing them. I have decided that on a weekly basis I need to set aside the time to create. Last month I spent 3 days with nothing but blank canvases and a bucket full of paints in front of me. I began by simply choosing my favorite colors and painting backgrounds allowing the colors and the patterns to determine what the canvases were meant to become. After the 3 days, I had created 5 pieces of art that made me feel both inspired and successful.

Sometimes I find it really easy to underestimate how important creating is in my life. Art is in many ways quite therapeutic and grounding when life seems to be moving at lightning speed. This month I am taking the time to stay centered by doing what my creative heart wants. Creative play is about finding your center, your creative voice, and listening to it when it speaks to you in whispers.

Creative voice is motivated by a passion for self expression and an appreciation for art in all forms.

The Campaign for Creativity is a consciousness of empowering oneself to achieve individual goals. It's a lifestyle of unlocking your creative and personal potential. It's about opening up to possibilities and choosing to see life as a vehicle for opportunity and change.

Each time I choose to see the positive changes in others, society and the world it shapes and personally effects and inspires who I am as a person as well as an artist.

Starting June 17th, every Wednesday i will be hosting a virtual open studio on my blog. In keeping with the Campaign for Creativity message of expression and empowerment, i will be sharing from my personal inspiration journal. my intention for each Wednesday is to create an opportunity for us to inspire each other by sharing our inspiration, our art and a small piece of empowerment by sharing links to your own creative pieces, as well as, inspirational stories and websites.

Collectively we can learn, grow and challenge each other to dream with possibility.

One  of my favorite items to design and create with is book text. I know many will argue that they just do not have the gumption to tear into a book, but I feel it is recycling at its best, especially if it is a book that I have already read (like Twilight). I know I will never go back and reread it so i might as well use it in a new recycled way.

Don't limit yourself to just the pages, try making something with the book covers too.

ideas to think about:

• using punches to create book text shapes
  
• cover the entire background with book text
  
• mat a photo with book text
• use hard covers like canvas board
• hand cut your own book text shapes
  
• create recycled layered pages
• cut out sentiments and words to create or accent your journaling

e-mail me your project pictures using book text with the subject line "BOOK TEXT" before July 1 and you could be featured in the next Creative Playground newsletter.