"Don't be a Calder Clone. Honor wire sculpture, and honor the spirit of Alexander Calder, by working as independently as possible." — Elizabeth Berrien, How to Make Innovative Wire Sculpture

IN THIS ISSUE

• April 2005 Journal
• What's New @ the CP
• Chronic Creativity by Angela Mack
• Q & A

APRIL 2005 JOURNAL

Over the last few months I've received several inquiries regarding the free printable items available for download on the Creativity Portal. I'd like to take this opportunity to review the Terms of Use for the free cards, gift tags, bookmarks, novelty items, coloring pages, and other things (the "printables") I've designed for download on the www.creativity-portal.com domain.

TERMS OF USE FOR PRINTABLES

• The term "free" means you may download the printable(s) (cards, calendars, coloring pages, seed packets, novelty items, etc.) from the Creativity Portal Web site for personal use without charge. However, the copyright on the work remains mine, as I am the creator. The copyright notice and other information on the printable giving reference to the www.creativity-portal.com Web site must remain intact for use.
  
  The term "free" does not imply that you may take my printables and freely do anything you wish with them. They are not public domain.
  
  
• The printables may be used for personal or classroom non-commercial use only. This means for example, that you may print one of my greeting cards and write a note on it to a friend, but you may not mass-produce or sell my cards, or use them in your own projects intended for profit or general distribution. This principle extends to all printables available on the Creativity Portal and its sister sites.
  
  
• Permission is granted to educators to print enough copies of a printable to cover a classroom project.
  
  
• The printables may not be used for any business or marketing purpose on- or off-line without my knowledge and consent. It doesn't matter if the purpose is non- or not-for-profit, for charity, or other humanitarian cause.
  
  
• The printables may not be re-uploaded to the Internet for distribution in any way, shape, or form.
  
  
• Links provided to the printable pages (but not the PDF files) on the Creativity Portal Web site from other Web sites and newsletters are allowed.

Please contact me if you have further questions about downloading, printing, or using the free printables available on www.creativity-portal.com.

No Fool Like an April Fool

Now that everyone's clear on what they can and can't do with my printables, don't miss my newest April Fool's Day "World's Hardest Puzzle" gag found on the April Fool's Day Resources page (in What's New below).

If you use my gag and have an entertaining story to tell from it, please send it to me. I'd especially like to know how well my joke goes over in a classroom of kids. Come on, teachers, have a bit of fun on April 1 — and then tell me all about it!

Happy Spring!

Chris Dunmire
Publisher, Creativity Portal

WHAT'S NEW @ THE CP

Free St. Patrick's Day Printables | St. Patrick's Day Resources
What is St. Patrick's Day without green shamrocks or pots of gold? With a little bit of creativity and our free printable shamrock and pot o' gold cutouts, you can make your St. Patrick's Day environment festive and fun.

April Fool's Day Printables and Resources
Free lighthearted jokes and gag printables including No Frills greeting cards, World's Hardest Puzzles, and other novelty printables.

Easter Craft Project Ideas | Spring Resources
Learn how to dye and decorate eggs, create fun-filled Easter baskets and treats, and enjoy creative Easter art and craft fun.

Easter Soap Bar Project
By Life of the Party
Learn how to use simple molds to make fun colorful 3D soaps to fill your Easter baskets.

How to Make Orange Eucalyptus Bath Salts
By Rebecca Dillon
Learn which salts are the best to use when making your own bath salts. Plus a recipe to make your own orange eucalyptus bath salts.

How to Make Innovative Wire Sculpture
By Elizabeth Berrien
This free online workshop by one of the world's foremost wire sculptors, Elizabeth Berrien, teaches you the thrill of exploring with wire to create your own freestyle approach to innovative wire sculpture.

Tips for Found Art! Newbies
Inner Diablog
If you are interested in signing up for the Found Art! project, here are some tips to make the most of the experience.

Overcoming Artist's Block
By Gail Miller
How many times does an artist stare down at that blank piece of paper thinking "What on earth do I paint — Where do I put my first mark?" More often than you would imagine! It happens to all creative people actually, from visual artists, designers, poets, through to musicians and writers.

Self-Care for Artists, Musicians, and Creativity Enthusiasts
By Linda Dessau
Articles to help increase your awareness of your own self-care issues, and how they might be linked to your creativity and your creative dreams.

Creativity is Good for the Bad
By René Da Costa
For those of us who are naturally creative thinkers or doers we may count ourselves fortunate.

Working Moms: You don't need time to be creative!
By Sandy Gerber
As a working mom, I have been very stressed out with not being able to foster my children's creativity in the tiny span of time we have together in the day.

Journaling as a Tool to Redemptive Living
By David L. Russell, PhD
After wading through a myriad of books on journaling, I have found that the overwhelming focus has been on "Self." ... What good does it do for any of us to journal our way into self-realization if we then fail to take it to the world around us?

How to get your writings out there
By Michele Batz
I am passionate for writing about fitness. I am a physical education teacher who promotes writing to my students and we incorporate fitness along with writing.

The Top Ten Benefits of Play
By Marianne St. Clair
Play is extremely important for humans from birth to death. Play is not meant to be just for children. It is a form of release and connection that can tap the creativity and can allow you the chance to connect with your inner child and the inner child of others.

7 Easy Creative Rituals to Spark Your Imagination and Inspire Your Soul
By Nancy Marmolejo
Creativity is a mysterious force that visits us with great ideas, new ways of seeing the world and the courage to do things differently. Revitalizing your creative talents will help you in the most unexpectedly wonderful ways: a new business idea, a renewed commitment to self-care, an appreciation for the beauty that lies all around us.

CHRONIC CREATIVITY BY ANGELA MACK

Symptom #4: Malaise — Debilitation and Despondency
The life of one infected with Chronic Creativity is weaved with valleys of malaise. Periods of debilitation and despondency often precede heightened moments of creativity. Malaise is a very important part of the creative cycle but it can also be overwhelming when it is not understood.

Symptom #5: Ingenuousness — Showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness
Having spent the majority of my professional years in the field of children, I have come to observe a fascinating phenomenon. This bizarre phenomenon is that those infected with chronic creativity are usually drawn to working with children in some capacity.

Q & A — HELP ALONG THE WAY

Where Can I Make Calendars Online?
Q: My friend received a calendar from her daughter with different pictures of her grandkids for each month. Her daughter said she did it through Creativity Portal... How can I make one of these calendars?