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February 1 NewZine

Highlight Picks

Seeing Like an Artist: Edges and Space
Do you ever get frustrated when you're trying to draw something you're looking at, and just can't get the shapes to look right? ... Humans have instinctively viewed the world as positive and negative space. ... Drawing is easier when you know how to use positive and negative space.

Are You Your Audience?
... I thought to myself (in run-on sentence form), "If I need to change the title and take the fun out of the writing, never mind publishing conventionally, I think I'll just publish the book myself because it is after all, a book on CREATIVITY so I'm thinking MAYBE it can be DIFFERENT." Two months later an agent grabbed the original version and within two weeks, five of the biggest publishing houses in New York were bidding for it. ...

... I had followed the advice of one of the Muses I wrote about—a Muse called Audacity.

President Obama's Committee For The Arts And Humanities Pushes For Arts And Creativity
He's promoting this philosophy: To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children's creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education. This objective of President Barack Obama is a positive move in the world of the arts and innovative thinking.

Newsletter Archives : 2004 : December Issue

December 2004 Newsletter

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." — George Bernard Shaw

In This Issue

December 2004 Journal
What's New @ the CP
Spotlight: Alexandromeda Futuristic Arts

December 2004 Journal

Hand Me the Turkey, Please

A couple of weeks ago I was visiting with my sister-in-law. As we chatted about life, my five-year-old niece parked herself across from me at the table, opened up a spiral notebook, and began tracing around her hand with an ink pen. I suddenly realized that it was November, and she was drawing the famous "Hand Turkey" we all delighted in elementary school for the Thanksgiving holiday.

It's fascinating to watch a child create something. My niece didn't give any analyzing thought to how she placed her hand on the paper, or how accurate her turkey rendering was. I was amused as I observed her assuredly and inaccurately trace around her fingers, finishing up a form that barely resembled a hand. Through her eyes, she drew an awesome turkey. Through my eyes, I agreed. I delighted in her uninhibited creativity, and then joined in the creative fun by tracing my own hand.

I find the whole tracing-around-your-hand-turkey concept a fitting symbol of creativity. We take the essence of one form, and with a little bit of imagination, transfer it to another. Try this: Hold up your hand in front of you. Line up all of your fingers, and then separate your thumb from the others an inch or so. Can you see the turkey?

Oh no, this hand turkey stuff doesn't end here. I've devised a way to spread hand turkeys, writing, and thankfulness all across the globe. Well, Thanksgiving is coming up soon, isn't it? You'll find my special feature in What's New below, titled "What Are You Thankful Four?" And that's besides the four-day holiday weekend coming up!

Thankfully yours,

Chris

What's New @ the CP

What Are You Thankful Four? Hand Tracing Writing Activity
When's the last time you traced around your fingers to make a hand-sational turkey? Well, here's your chance again with our free downloadable turkey hand tracing and writing activity pages that will help you reflect on your seasonal thankFULLness!

Coloring Page: Fall Turkey
Be Creative Adults! (or kids) with this free downloadable turkey coloring page you're sure to gobble up!

Thanksgiving Crafts and Recipe Resources
A cornucopia of crafts and activities featuring food, recipes, turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indians. Plus, holiday decorating ideas and other Thanksgiving fare.

Decorating for Thanksgiving—Budget Friendly Decor for the Holiday
By Home Decorating Digest
Decorating for Thanksgiving on a tight budget can be simple when using elements found around your home or apartment.

Decorative Painting Smoking Technique
By Tonya Hopkins
The background of a piece of art can make or break the whole design. The smoking technique is a beautiful, unique background that will be sure to help "make" your work of art.

Stitching Memories
By Caryl Grecia
There's a new option to the dilemmas of boring photographs and failed charcoal and oil (even water-color) paintings and that is the cross-stitch portrait.

Writing for Kids—A Series of How to Articles
By Laura Backes
Learn tips and techniques for writing for a young audience, including special topic considerations, trends, research, and marketing.

Forget Everything You Ever Knew About Marketing—It's All About To Change
By Michele Pariza Wacek
Remember that romantic image of the writer? The one where the writer spends his days writing, never worrying about marketing or promoting himself because that was his publisher's job?

Three tips to improving your writing rhythm
By Michele Pariza Wacek
What I mean by rhythm is how the writing sounds. The rhythm of the words and sentences.

Free Printable Postcards: "Earthscape" and "Vibrance"
Fine art postcard art of a painted lush flowery field and an abstract of energetic colors.

The Girls of Summer: Rockford Peaches
I had the opportunity to visit the Midway Museum in Rockford, Illinois, to see an exhibit about Rockford Peaches, the famous female baseball team featured in the movie "A League of Their Own."

Spotlight

Alexandromeda Futuristic Arts
Next time you have an old computer or broken VCR to throw away, remember that your junk may be someone else's artistic treasure.

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