Category: Creative Toolbox

  • Commonplace Books

    Commonplace Books

    Somehow I’ve made it this many years before ever hearing about commonplace books. You, too? Commonplace books seem to be, generally, a written collection of the things that attract your attention and pique your interest — a more right-brained version of an art journal, I suppose. The actual definition is…

  • Art Journaling 101

    Art Journaling 101

    Art journaling is, at its simplest, creating visual art in a book. Also called an artist sketchbook, visual diary, or art diary, art journals have been used by artists for centuries for a variety of purposes.

  • Bird by Bird

    Bird by Bird

    I just finished reading Anne Lamott’s insightful (and wickedly funny) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

  • Daily Practice

    Daily Practice

    In June and July, I did the daily Index Card a Day (ICAD) challenge. In August, I posted here every weekday. What I found is that showing up is what leads to inspiration, not the other way around.

  • Make Ugly Art

    Make Ugly Art

    For each piece of polished, finished art shared online, every artist has a whole pile of unfinished, “messed up,” or ugly pieces. And that’s exactly as it should be.