Most of us want to make this world a better place. With all the demands on our schedules and the craziness of everyday life, it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to do this. Taking on a long-term commitment to volunteer for a good cause might not be something you can sign up for right now but know that there are small, but significant ways you can still give joy to others.
Small gestures of kindness can cause a ripple effect. Best part is that lifting others up can be super easy and doable, no matter how busy our schedules are!
Here are five ways to give joy to others:
1. Smile
Have you ever noticed that when you flash a big smile at someone, they can’t help but smile too? Yes, smiling is contagious! What’s so interesting to me, is that smiling doesn’t just make you more attractive on the outside. Sure, that’s a bonus but apparently, scientists have found that when we smile, a bunch of chemicals are released in the brain that make us feel good, lower our stress levels and boost our immune system. Studies even suggest that simply smiling can possibly prolong our lives. So, today, make a conscious effort to look others in the eye and smile! It’s good for both of you!
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You're not too busy to give joy to others! 5 Easy Ways: https://tinyurl.com/y34skvbg
2. Give a Compliment
We all know it feels wonderful when someone gives us a compliment. You can really make a positive (sometimes even lasting) impact on someone by sharing your genuine appreciation for something about them. While it’s nice to give a compliment when someone wears a cute sweater you like or an eye catching necklace, compliments can be even more meaningful when they’re about an intrinsic value, such as friendship, a job well done, a skill, etc. Also, turning your compliment from a statement starting with “I” into “you” can help the compliment be more powerful. Here are a couple of examples: - “I like your garden” vs. “You have such an amazing green thumb! Look at how you made those flowers bloom!” - “I like this meal” vs. “You’re an awesome chef!”
4. Make a Gift
Instead of purchasing a gift at the store, try making a gift next time you have the opportunity. Handmade gifts are the best! My friend is super handy with her sewing machine and has gifted me her crafty creations made out of the cutest fabric. These have been my favorite gifts! No problem if you’re not into sewing, we all have our "gifts" in the other sense of the word! Here are some ideas: - arrange flowers from your garden in a cute vase - paint watercolor greeting cards - use your pretty handwriting to create pretty gift tags - record a song If you’re super short on time, supporting small businesses that offer handmade gifts is the next best thing! Large corporations don’t jump for joy when they receive an order like an etsy shop owner or artist will!
3. Write a Letter
Imagine. You walk to your mailbox for the daily chore of emptying it. Tucked in between the bills and junk mail, you find a hand written envelope from a friend. Wouldn’t you feel instant joy at this unexpected and exciting discovery? Wouldn’t this piece of mail be the first you can’t wait to open? Writing letters or even a card by hand takes a bit of time but is a fabulous way to stay in touch with a far away friend while so much more joyful than a quick email.
5. Remember
Remembering stories that connect us or memories that we’ve made together can bring a smile to our faces. I’m the first to admit that this has not always been an area of strength for me but you can most certainly give joy to others by remembering special dates or even names. I’m pretty good with names but dates…. I’m attempting to get better at this is by writing special dates in my planner. Now I just need to look ahead and remember! Ha!
Which of these joy giving ideas resonates most with you? What compliment have you been given that meant a lot to you? Any other ideas you’ve found to give joy to others? I’d love to hear in the comments!
If you enjoyed reading this blog post, it’d give me so much joy if you share it via the social media buttons. Thank you!
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This blog post is NOT sponsored by the companies mentioned and I did NOT receive free product. Also, I'm NOT an affiliate for these products. This blog post reflects my personal opinion and is not influenced by these companies.
In my last blog post, I shared with you about an important tool I've started to use while I'm wood burning: a smoke absorber. I wanted to continue to share with you about the tools I use to create my wood burning art.
Beginner Wood Burner
When I just learned about wood burning and wanted to give it a try, I started out with a hobby wood burning tool.
I was pleased and to be honest, kind of surprised how inexpensive this tool was! It was only about $10. I started using the Walnut Hollow Creative Wood Burner. It requires a few minutes to warm up and then you’re ready to burn! These are my very first pieces I created with this wood burning tool:
What I like about this tool:
The drawbacks of this tool:
Safety Tip: Be sure to tape down the metal stand so you don’t have to worry about a hot burner tipping over!
Professional Wood Burner
Once I realized how much I was enjoying creating art through pyrography and wanted to add more wood burned gifts to my etsy shop, I decided to upgrade to a professional wood burner. I did a good amount of research and ended up choosing the Razertip SS-D10. Since I couldn’t find this tool locally, I purchased it online through treelineusa.com which I can highly recommend as they‘ve provided me with excellent customer service.
What I like about this tool:
Here is an example of the more detailed work possible with a professional wood burning tool:
The drawbacks of this tool:
Honestly, there’s not much I don’t like about this wood burning tool. I’ll just make these two points:
Please note: this Razertip Wood Burner also comes as a single pen option (Razertip SK). This tool is a bit less expensive and may be a good alternative if you don’t think you’ll need to switch between pens very often and would prefer a professional wood burner at a lower price.
Other Accessories
To keep my lines sharp looking, I use the Razertip Tip Cleaner to scrape off any build-up. This tool is super easy to use as you just gently scrape the tip along the sharp edge and isn’t too abrasive.
Finally, I use graphite paper to transfer some of my illustrations to the wood. I start all my wood burning projects with sketching my ideas on paper. Depending on the design, I’ll then draw it onto the wood freehand or transfer it with graphite paper before making it permanent with wood burning.
That’s it! Hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about my favorite tools in creating my wood burning art.
Have you tried wood burning before? What type of tool do you use? Do you enjoy filling your spare time with another creative hobby? Would love to hear from you in the comments! If you enjoyed reading this blog post, please share!
Disclaimer: I typically don’t review products on my blog but I’ve been given the Hakko FA-400 smoke absorber to provide you with a product review as part of this blog series. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. Thank you for reading my blog!
Reflecting on what would be most interesting for you to read on my blog this year, I wanted to share a bit more about my creative process and some of the tools I like to use. You know how they say “safety first” so let me start there. First, some background….
Safety First!
One day last fall, I was busily working on burning lots of wooden ornaments to stock up for the holidays. When I finished, I noticed the room and my clothing smelled a bit like I’d been hanging out near a campfire all afternoon. Now I like camping and roasting marshmallows but I realized that this smoky odor was probably not very healthy to have in our house, let alone in a room adjacent to our bedroom. In summer, I use my art studio in our back porch but right now, it’s too chilly to work there even with my little space heater.
After reading some tips from fellow pyrographers, I’d started working with a small fan that blew the smoke away to avoid it going straight up my nose. However, even though it was helping to move the smoke away from me breathing it in directly, it was still spreading it around the room. Hmmm… I became a lot more concerned about this issue when my family received some devastating, heartbreaking news. My dad was diagnosed not only with pulmonary fibrosis (most easily explained as scarring of the lung tissue), but also a rare type of lung cancer. Besides searching the internet to look for ways I could help my dad, I began to look for other ways to deal with my wood burning smoke. I had no idea if a better alternative existed but it sure seemed worth the effort.
From the EPA website, I learned that besides giving off particle pollution, wood smoke contains several toxic harmful air pollutants including: benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Reading this information made me think back of last summer. With wildfires often raging the West Coast during the hot months of the year, no wonder we’re advised to stay indoors and limit breathing the polluted air.
In the middle of doing this research, I found a product called a smoke absorber, specifically the Hakko FA-400 Smoke Absorber. Ever heard of it? It has typically been used to absorb soldering smoke but will also work with absorbing smoke from wood burning or pyrography.
So, here’s my two cents after using this product: The Hakko FA-400 smoke absorber visibly sucks up the smoke. Yay! You can use it in both a vertical and horizontal position. I prefer to use it in a horizontal position which really increases the suction power of this powerful, little machine.
The smoke absorber is pretty compact in size: 5.5”(W) x 3.0”(H) x 7.3”(D). I place the smoke absorber on the tabletop in front of my wood burning project to make sure it “catches” my smoke. You can kind of tell if the distance is right as you want enough space to work comfortably but should be able to see the smoke go into the smoke absorber. The smoke absorber makes a bit louder sound than my fan but I’d expected it to be much louder than it actually is. I can still easily hear the podcasts or audiobooks I like to listen to while I burn.
Another difference from using my fan is that my fan had a rechargeable battery and therefore could be used cordless. I really liked not having yet another cord to deal with. However, since my wood burning unit needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet as well, I’m always working near one anyways so not that big of deal to me.
I haven’t had to change out the carbon activated filter yet but apparently, you have to change it if white residue starts to build up on the filter. Another way to know if your filter needs replacing is by weighing it. The filter can hold up to 4 grams of noxious material and weighs about 12 grams when it’s new so when the weight of the filter is about 16 grams, replace it with a new one.
The Hakko FA-400 smoke absorber comes with a standard activated carbon filter which easily pops into the unit and is used to absorb 80% of fumes from the air. Getting back to all the icky stuff in wood smoke, not all of the substances are absorbed to the specification of 80% but the air will definitely be cleaner having gone through the filter as compared to unfiltered fumes. Hakko also offers a high efficiency filter that removes 90% of airborne particles but I’ve not personally used this filter with the smoke absorber and can’t comment on it. If you want to get really technical and dig into all the details, I found this article in the Hakko knowledge database helpful.
The scoop?
Overall, I feel a lot more comfortable working on my wood burning art projects inside the house with this smoke absorber. Having this smoke absorber allows me to work on wood burning all year around, instead of just during the warmer months. Who wants to open a window in winter? Besides the fact it’s not comfortable to sit in a cold space, if my hands are freezing, it affects my (detailed) work.
Here is a little video to show you the smoke absorber in action:
I hope this blog post was helpful to you. If it was, please share! I always love to hear from you so please leave me a comment or question. Thanks!!
We had to hike a few miles up a steep trail but once we made it to the mountain lake, we knew this was going to be a fantastic weekend. The kids were being troopers, carrying backpacks with the lighter items, hopping like billy goats from one rock to another. We scaled a couple of downed trees to find the perfect camping spot on the edge of the lake, with water so clear you could see right to the bottom.
With only a couple of other tents around the lake, this spot was so serene. We could hear the wind whistling in the trees and bumblebees buzzing around. Bright orange butterflies added a splash of color to the browns and greens of rocks and trees. Once the tent was set up, we took a swim to cool off and sat down to relax a bit before starting dinner. That’s when we saw it. A beautiful osprey, first flying high above the lake before suddenly swooping down to catch a fish.
This happened several years ago but I still remember it clearly. There was just something magical about this moment. I've always enjoyed watching wildlife and grew up with a dad who was constantly looking out for birds of prey, while my mom kept reminding him to keep his eyes on the road while driving. :0) I’m really not all that knowledgeable about recognizing birds but I do enjoy watching them and the osprey is pretty easy to spot.
If you enjoy wildlife and bird watching, I wanted to share with you that I recently learned about a cool program by Cowlitz County PUD, a utility company here in the Pacific Northwest. When an osprey couple decided to build their nest on top of a power pole a few years ago, the utility company helped them to relocate the nest to a safer place… successfully. The ospreys are back again this year. A live cam has been set up to allow you to watch their nest as we wait for the eggs to hatch. Science in action for the kids!
I hope you enjoy watching these magnificent birds as much as I do. Please know that sometimes it takes a few minutes for the live feed to show up. As always, I'd love to hear from you in the comments. If you like my work and writings, please join my email community through the form below. Thank you! Ready to watch the ospreys? You can find the live cam here: https://www.cowlitzpud.org/osprey-cam P.S. This link still works for spring 2022! If you like birds, I have a new collection of hummingbird paintings available in my online art shop. Thanks for taking a peek!
I’m all about celebrating the simple joys. So then, why am I talking about science fair projects?! Most moms in the middle of “science fair season” wouldn’t list science fair among their simple joys. Ha! Hear me out though….
Our kids just got done with science fair at their middle school and pffff… it’s always a lot of work. This year, they had such cool science fair projects though that it made the whole process more exciting and fun. As I mentioned in my last blog post, we have been reading the book The Nature Fix by Florence Williams as a family. This book inspired the projects both our kids chose to work on.
I wanted to share them here as it’s hard to find cool projects that will help your kids learn while at the same time making the work relevant to something they can relate to in real life.
While the materials for these projects are not free, both projects can be completed for less than the cost of taking the family to the movies. For both projects you will need a blood pressure monitor which you can buy for about $17.
Project 1: “Can you smell health?” This project questions the effects of Hinoki oil on our blood pressure and pulse. Hinoki oil comes from the Japanese cypress and is an essential oil that has been used for meditation and relaxation. You can purchase it for about $10 online. After your child completes their project, you can use it in your diffuser to help your family to relax after all that science fair work! :0) To do the experiment:
Project 2: “Seeing Health in Nature”
This science fair project studies the effects of seeing nature images and city images on your blood pressure and pulse. Since we spend a lot of time in nature, we have a lot of nature photographs (you can check out some of my favorites on my instagram). We printed these on a larger sheet of photographic paper along with city images on a separate sheet. The printing cost about $8 for both sheets but you could certainly print the images at home if you have a good color printer. To do the experiment:
The best part of doing these science fair projects was that as our kids asked people to participate to be tested, others were so curious about the effects on their blood pressure, they volunteered and asked to be tested as well. In our kids’ experiments, both the Hinoki oil and the nature images lowered the subjects’ blood pressure on average.
While I’m not going into the details of how to interpret the results of the data or what information to include on the project presentation (I trust your child's teacher has given clear instructions), I wanted to share these projects here. I hope they will inspire your kids to enjoy their science fair project and possibly consider a nature inspired project (one of these projects or a variation) that helps them learn about the positive effects of nature. If you don't have a child working on science fair, count your blessings! ;0) Just get out there and know it's good for you!
Does your child’s school conduct a science fair? How do you support your child's learning to make it relevant to real life?
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
If you have been following my journey (or instagram) for awhile, you know I love nature and spending time in the outdoors. As I continually reflect on how I can make a positive impact on our environment, I’d like to share these 3 no-brainer ways to help our Earth as they are easy to incorporate in a busy family lifestyle:
1. Walk or Bike
Consider walking or biking next time you have to run some errands. When your errands are close to home, it really doesn’t take that much more time than jumping in the car, sitting at a red light and having to find a parking spot. Not only is walking or biking better for the environment, it makes you feel so much better too!
One of the ways I literally got back onto my feet after dealing with agonizing back pain was by starting to go for daily walks as part of my physical therapy routine. I love my daily walks now! They provide for so much inspiration for my art! Walking helps me to clear my head and often gives me a new perspective. I realize not all cities are as well set up as Portland is to bike all over the city, but most places have sidewalks for walking. Take the kids along and use the time to chat with them as you get your errands done the fun way. Some of my favorite walking errands? Picking up a few groceries. Going to the local library. Going to the bank. Could you do some of your errands by foot or by bike instead of by car?
2. Reuse more
Instead of purchasing everything new and having to go shopping for more stuff, we try to reuse items whenever we can. Especially if you are into crafts and enjoy being creative, you can have fun with this one! Some of the items we regularly reuse are yogurt tubs or small plastic containers for leftovers, gift bags that still look nice and large coffee containers to store art supplies.
Did you know that the lid of a yogurt container makes for a wonderful paint palette? Another idea: we cut off the bottom of an ice cream bucket, poked a couple of holes in the side and wove some string through the holes to hold our dry erase markers. This reuse method has made for an easy way to hang them near the dry erase board. New ipad or tablet? The sturdy tray in which they are packaged can be used as a handy organizer for tights, nylons or other accessories in your closet. What are your favorite items to reuse? In what handy way are reused items serving your family?
3. Eat vegetarian food more often
My husband gave me a vegetarian cookbook for Christmas. I have wanted to eat more vegetarian food for quite some time and he figured I could use some inspiration! It’s been really fun to try some new recipes. The cookbook is called How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, the Revised Edition.
I like how the recipes are explained with clear instructions and expectations on the time needed to prepare them. There are plenty of easy recipes in the book that help you to maximize flavor without adding stress to your busy week. While we are not 100% vegetarian, I have felt good about making this change to our lifestyle both for health as well as environmental reasons. It’s really not been that difficult either. If you’re interested in reading more about how our food impacts the Earth, here are a couple of interesting articles on the topic: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/22/525113726/chew-on-this-for-earth-day-how-our-diets-impact-the-planet http://time.com/4266874/vegetarian-diet-climate-change/ Has your family tried to include more vegetarian meals? What are your favorite veggie dishes? Would love to hear from you in the comments!
When I learned that the book Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells made it onto the Oregon Battle of the Books list, I was so excited! Marcia Wells is one of my favorite kids book authors!
After reading the first book in the Eddie Red, Undercover series (Mystery on Museum Mile), we eagerly looked forward to the sequels as soon as they were published and read all three books as a family. We really enjoyed the suspense and relatable characters which made these books fun to read (yes, even as adults!). Considering our family’s international background, I appreciate books that embrace diversity. I felt that Eddie Red being a smart and funny African American protagonist was refreshing and definitely an added bonus. Sitting in the living room, we sat on the edge of our seats and stayed up a bit too late to finish just one more chapter.…
Being a big fan of her writing, you can understand I felt beyond thrilled that Marcia Wells agreed to do an interview with me! I will not be giving away any details of the Eddie Red books because I want you and your kids to enjoy the experience of reading these captivating books yourselves but reading Marcia’s responses to my interview questions gives you a sense of the wonderful person she is. Enjoy!
Eddie Red has a photographic memory and talent for drawing. Museums and art play an important role in your books. How has art had an impact on your life?
MW: I studied Asian art in college, and then when I lived in Spain during my Master's program, I studied Spanish art and would haunt the art museums in Madrid and Barcelona regularly. I love art museums; I think they're some of the most beautiful places on earth. I wish I could draw like Eddie, but alas, I am quite hopeless:)
What are your hopes when kids read your books? When did you start writing?
MW: I love it when kids learn from my books, but mostly I just want them to have fun, to find joy in reading. I began when I was 35- I was teaching middle school, and the students made for great character fodder. My art celebrates the simple joys in life. What are the simple joys you cherish most? MW: I love being with my family, no matter what we happen to be doing. I love quiet mornings and a beautiful view. Living in Vermont is perfect for that!
Do you have any special routine that helps you to focus when you are writing? Any favorite places to write?
MW: It really depends on the year- lately I find that although I enjoy the quiet, I am most productive at a cafe and being around the hum of other people. I take walks with a voice recorder, and find that the ideas really flow when I'm moving.
Our family has an international background and our kids are enrolled in Spanish Immersion School so I was interested to read that you have a Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature. What inspired you to learn Spanish?
MW: I think that's terrific that your kids go to an immersion school! Everyone should have a second language. I always studied Spanish in school, and I just stuck with it in college. I was a business major and wanted to be bilingual; at some point I realized that I love language a lot more than business, so I got a degree in Spanish and became a teacher/translator. Where do you find inspiration? MW: Everywhere! Stories are all around us- we just need to open our eyes. As a mom, how do you manage your schedule to make time to write? MW: My kids are growing up fast (they're 14 and 11), so I find that I have a lot of time in the morning because they sleep in, and also when they're at school. I would say to any busy parent that you still can write, you just need to grab 15 minutes here and there. I also write a ton in the car. Again, with a voice recorder:) Your bio mentions you live with farm animals in Vermont. My kids are über-curious to know what type of farm animals. :0) MW: We've had pigs two different years, and we always have chickens. They eat the ticks from the yard, and lay great eggs:) What are you working on right now? Any new creative projects? MW: Yes! I'm working on an upside down fairy tale.
Thank you so much, Marcia! And to all of you who are participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books, best of luck!! I hope this interview with Marcia Wells inspired you!
If you are interested in reading more about Marcia Wells and her award-nominated books, please visit her website.
If you read the Eddie Red, Undercover series, which book was your favorite? Is your child participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books? What other books do you recommend that captured your child’s attention? Please be sure to share in the comments!
If you enjoyed reading this interview with children's book author Marcia Wells, please sign up for more inspiring stories and news from my art studio.
I’m not talking about doing push ups or squats. Or a bright red sunburn. Ouch! I’m not talking about the forest fires that are burning all over the West either, because they just make me really sad. No, I’m talking about something much happier! I somewhat accidentally discovered pyrography! What is pyrography you say? The dictionary explains it as “the art or technique of decorating wood or leather by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point.” It started out with some wooden coasters I made for my husband’s birthday. At first, I was thinking of stamping some designs onto the wood but really wanted the images to come out looking sharp and permanent. I did some research which led to the idea of burning the designs onto the wood. I ordered a basic pyrography or wood burning tool and found it to work well with my simple designs. It was so much fun! When I gave the coasters to my husband, he really loved them and encouraged me to make some more items with this type of art. The feedback I received on my instagram post of the coasters was so positive and encouraging as well! So, here I am, slightly obsessed with wood burning! It’s ironic, really. I’m not fearful of that many things but I would admit I’m a bit fearful around fire. So it’s probably good that even though the wood burning tool gets really hot, there are no actual flames or fire involved! I have been drawing all my life so the transition from pencil to pyrography pen has been pretty straightforward. While my art used to be very photorealistic, I have been simplifying my illustrations and artwork for many years now, to communicate my ideas with minimalist, simple lines. This type of design lends itself really well to pyrography with a visual impact that Simon Easton in his book “Woodburning with Style” compares to wood tattoos. I have added five necklaces to my etsy shop with wood burned designs on the pendants. You can find out more when you click on the photographs in this blog post. The designs are inspired by nature and are very lightweight to wear. The necklaces don't have that factory made feel because each individual piece is handmade with love. No trees were cut down to make these necklaces - they were created out of a branch that had fallen down. I’m planning on adding some ornaments soon because wouldn’t wooden ornaments look so pretty in the Christmas tree? Be sure to add your name to my email list in the sign-up box below if you don't want to miss out! Anyways, I would absolutely love it if you check out my new, handmade art in my etsy shop! If you like these "inspired by nature" gifts, please let me know in the comments. Positive comments make my day! Please share this blog post with your nature lover friends.
Thank you!!
Our family doesn’t watch tv (too many commercials!) but we do love to watch a good movie! Here is a quick list of family movies to inspire you in case you can’t think of any kid friendly shows to watch this weekend. They are not in any particular order. I included the content rating but you are the best judge of any topics that may be sensitive for your kids. Common Sense Media is a great website to help parents decide on which movies are best for their kids.
Which movie is your favorite on this list? Which ones have you not watched yet? Please share in the comments! 15 Great Family Movies
With school back in session and busy schedules during the week, it feels great to celebrate the weekend by relaxing and snuggling up with the kids to watch a movie. Even better with some popcorn!
Cozy family movie time is exactly what inspired me to draw my latest design: a simple illustration of a bucket of buttery popcorn like you eat at the movie theater. Here are a few products with my popcorn design but you can find the entire collection at my zazzle store. Planning a Movie Themed Birthday PartyGift Wrapping with Popcorn ThemeOrganizing a Neighborhood Block Party - Popcorn Anyone?Just Because You Love Popcorn!
Whether you are planning your kids birthday party, organizing your neighborhood block party, wrapping some fun gifts or decorating your home, I hope these products with fun, modern popcorn design inspired you. Enjoy your family movie night and let me know in the comments which movie you watched!
Thank you for sharing this blog post!
We all know that children love to explore and that exploring is important to their development. As adults, it is easy to get stuck in the routines of daily life and occupy ourselves with the same old activities, habits and chores. I personally love my routines but recognize that us grown-ups can certainly benefit from exploring too!
Exploring can open our minds to new ideas, gain a new perspective, clear our minds from stress and inspire us to seek knowledge of the world around us. Here are five easy ways to incorporate more exploration into our adult lives and helping our inner child to soar:
Explore Nature
One of my favorite ways to explore is by going outdoors and into nature. I’m blessed to live in a beautiful place where within a hour’s drive I can be either at the coast or the mountains. The Pacific Northwest offers a variety of landscapes that make it fun to explore with the whole family. The seasons offer different activities to explore nature and many of them are free!
Our family loves to go hiking and pay attention to wildlife tracks on the trail. We study the native plants we see or try to figure out which bird is singing so pretty. In summer, we swim in mountain lakes and learn about newts. In fall, we hunt for edible mushrooms in the forest or go for “nature treasure hunts” in the city as we look for pretty acorns and chestnuts. While the kids learn lots through these experiences, I have found myself learning as well. Exploring engages me with the natural world and encourages me to open up reference books to better understand what plant or animal track I’m looking at.
Explore Creativity
As an artist, I explore by trying out a new art supply or experimenting with a new medium. In my illustrations, I strive to communicate ideas with simple line drawings and push myself which lines are necessary to make the drawing as pleasing yet simple as possible. Last year, I received a rubber stamp making kit for Christmas. I had never tried my hand at making stamps but found that my simple designs work very well in making stamps.
Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, it can be so fun to doodle with some pencils, build something out of wood or create a bowl out of clay. Our modern smart phones are equipped with amazing cameras so you can literally be a photographer on your lunch break and receive instant feedback through posting on instagram!
Explore New Skills
If you feel stuck in your job or tired with daily chores, maybe it’s time to learn a new skill. Who knows what opportunities open up by learning a new skill! It may help you to work more efficiently or step up in your career. You may find a new hobby, for example by learning how to play a musical instrument.
I recently started taking ice skating lessons. If you would have told me last year that I would be taking ice skating lessons, I would have told you you’re crazy. However, my daughter started taking lessons and it looked so fun, I couldn’t resist! I grew up ice skating during the winter in Holland so it feels great to be back onto the ice. I have to be very careful because of my back issues but taking a basic skills class has been an exciting way to get back into it.
Explore through travel
Being an international family, we’re lucky we have family all over the world we can visit. We love to travel! Exploring through travel truly opens your mind and helps you to learn about other cultures, foods and ways of living. It widens our horizons…. quite literally.
If travel is not in your budget or you have physical challenges to make travel a reality, you can travel from your most comfortable chair right at home by reading books! I recently read “A State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett which allowed me to “travel” to the Amazon rainforest, a place where I have never been. Do you love to travel through books? If you have any good book recommendations for me, please leave them for me in the comments.
Explore your community
Talking about books, have you visited your local library recently? The library is not only a wonderful place to find books but also connect with your community. Our local library offers free events for all ages.
How can you explore your community? By visiting a park, by visiting a neighborhood coffee shop, by introducing yourself to a new neighbor, by supporting a local small business or getting involved as a volunteer? So many ways to explore your community!
Feeling inspired, I created a new design around this concept of exploring. The design has a triangular shape with colors that are attractive to men and women, boys and girls. The “explore” design is available on a wide variety of products including cards and apparel. By clicking on the images, you will be directed to zazzle which is the print-on-demand company which produces my designs into real life products and gifts. If you are interested in seeing the entire product line, please click here and select newest products.
If you believe in the benefits of exploring and enjoyed reading my post, I always appreciate it if you share via social media. Thank you!! |