January 2005 Newsletter

"The most visible creators are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible — without brush, hammer, clay or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt. Their medium is simply being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They see, but don't have to draw... Because they are the artists of being alive." — J. Stone

In This Issue

• January 2005 Journal
• What's New @ the CP
• Spotlight: Gita Designs Paper Collage Art
• Book Review: American Folk Art for Kids

January 2005 Journal

by Chris Dunmire

A Door to YOUR Creativity

The Creativity Portal is entering its fifth year of promoting the 'exploring and expressing personal creativity' theme online. In four years it's evolved and expanded at every seam, incorporating an instructional Web directory, article cache, creative projects, and more into an organized portal for artists, crafters, writers, and creativity enthusiasts at every level.

We've made a lot of friends along the way, and look forward to meeting many more. From published authors to emerging artists, and everything in between, we celebrate the gift of creativity we all have to share and inspire one another with.

As we enter the year 2005, we want to express our gratitude for your support and encouragement. Your contributions, site suggestions, and feedback have improved our site, and have added to the overall experience that our visitors enjoy each day. We thank each and every one of our subscribers (that's YOU!) for your interest in our site and what we do.

We look forward to another year of inspiring you to Be Creative!, and unveiling new features and fun surprises along the way. On that note, we'll start the New Year off with our exciting 2005 Calendar download featuring some of our favorite creativity inspiring Web resources. It's yours free to download and print for personal use. Oh, and since we're still in the thick of the holiday season, don't miss our selection of new gift cards and tags for your gift giving fun. See our What's New section below for more details.

Happy New Year!

Chris Dunmire
Publisher, Creativity Portal

What's New @ the CP

Holiday Theme Gift Tags
Download and print our assortment of winter-theme Christmas gift tags, a full-color revision of our crafty glitter gift tags. Features a bell, sleigh, star, and stocking.

Christmas Snowflake Gift Tags and Cards
A set of six 3" x 3" snowflake gift tags or cards in a variety of styles (available in red or green). Simply print, cut out, write your message on them, and attach them to your gifts!

Christmas Crafts and Activities
From popcorn garlands, candy canes, Santa's elves, and reindeer; to free gift tags, Christmas trees, poinsettia projects and more.

Free Winter Snowman Coloring Page
Your creativity isn't frozen in time! Get our your crayons and have some childlike coloring fun!

For Innovation in Business... Think "25"
By René Da Costa
How do I improve profits, how to deliver better service, how can I be more successful, how to motivate employees? Whilst it is a question in need of a definite answer, searching in the wrong place leads to damaging conclusions.

How to Preserve Your Scrapbooks
By Palyn Peterson
Once you spend your precious time and energy creating a scrapbook, make sure it lasts! There are a few simple things you can easily do to ensure that your scrapbooks look just as good as they day you finished them, for years to come.

Suggestions for Writing Effective Voiceover Copy
By Peter Drew
As with any of the performing arts, an effective voiceover begins with a well-crafted script. You don't have to have many years of writing experience to create copy that is both effective and a pleasure for the voice actor to perform.

7 Steps to Successful Publishing
By Ink Tree Ltd.
The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It causes the creative juices to flow and the eyes to light up. But wait - before you begin the publishing process, know about the seven most important steps you need to know before publishing your book.

Key Differences Between Publishing and Self Publishing
By Ink Tree Ltd.
For many authors just starting out, it can be a confusing and overwhelming decision whether to self publish a book or to seek out a traditional publishing house. It is important to know that the decision you make can have a huge impact on the success, or the failure, of your book.

Drawing, Blogging, Drugs and a Little Coffee
By Michael Nobbs
Back in the New Year I decided to make some major changes to my life. I stopped working completely (I'd been doing some teaching) and began clearing out my painting studio. I did something I never thought I would.

Spotlight

Gita Designs Paper Collage Art
Jurgita Mekyte is an artist specializing in paper collage greeting cards. Inspired by nature and music, she's created an extensive online gallery of creative art featuring animals, flowers, Victorian style, and holiday fun.

Book Review

American Folk Art for Kids
By Richard Panchyk
"American Folk Art for Kids" is a wonderful primer into the world of folk art. Don't be mislead by the book's title — creative adults will enjoy this book too.

The book's 118 pages contains a wealth of visual, educational, and interactive fun divided into 7 chapters, 21 activities, a glossary, and museum guide with Web resources. From the simple question, "What is folk art?" to exploring its many styles, the chapters in the book journey into the history and types of folk art, and discuss important folk artists along the way.