|
january 3, 2007 volume one : issue eleven I love this time of year. Fresh starts. New beginnings. I always feel so motivated and inspired this time of year. The possibilities seem endless. The cool thing is, the possibilities are endless . So here's to new beginnings. And fresh starts. Let's make 2007 a year full of play and fun and creativity that challenges us to express our true, authentic selves and record the stories of our crazy, wonderful, challenging lives in the process. Enjoy. Peace. Ali one little word  A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. Last fall in issue two of this newsletter I wrote about the power of words and gave my top ten tips for getting those words down when you are scrapbooking. Today I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts. Last year I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January - a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. Last year my word was something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way. My word was play. I thought a lot about play and what it means to me. I tried to incorporate it more into my everyday and on my adventures out in the crazy world. For me, it was a lot about living without fear - about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness. The word play found its way onto many scrapbook pages and into many stories I told throughout the year. Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007? It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word. One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities. You may be wondering, what in the heck does this all have to do with scrapbooking? For me, words are at the heart of what I do. The photos are a huge part, but the words bring it all home. Often times I will begin a layout with a single word. That word becomes my guide as I create my page. It helps me focus the story I am trying to tell and gives me an instant, easy graphic title approach. How often has a word directed your creativity when working on layouts? Take some time this week to think about your own word for 2007 and read on for a related weekly challenge. And in case you were wondering, my word for 2007 is peace. weekly challenge This week your challenge is to create something, anything, that celebrates your chosen word for 2007. Maybe a layout. Maybe a blog posting or a journal entry or a simple post-it note that you put somewhere you can see it each day. Make sure to journal about why you chose your word and what it means for you - the more you let yourself explore the more benefit you will receive in the end. Come by my blog and post your response to the challenge on Monday, January 8, 2007. Looking forward to seeing your creations and reading your thoughts. inspired by  A new addition to the AEzine. Each week I will bring you one thing that has inspired me from the week before. Inspiration truly comes from all over the place - even in the smallest little cracks. Inspired by: 3191 - a visual blog (photos only) that chronicles the mornings of two friends who live 3191 miles apart. I love this for the "everyday-ness" and for the friendship of having a shared blog. I also think both women are great photographers and I love seeing how they capture their mornings. Above photo used with permission from Stephanie Barnes. question & answer Q from Bethany : I've been thinking about switching to 8 1/2 x 11 pages for most of my scrapbooking, but I wondered what your thoughts were on this? I've always loved 12 x 12, but I think the smaller size may be a better fit for me and I'll be able to get more done (which is my ultimate goal--to not get so behind). I think I started 12 x 12 because I felt like this was the scrapbooking "norm" and now I feel like I should instead, be doing what's right for me, not what everyone else is doing. On a similar note, can you explain how you organize your large albums? Where do you keep them, what is the brand, etc.? A : When I first began scrapbooking I only did 12x12. That was what they had at the local store when I first went in and that was what I saw online and in the magazines. I loved the square format and loved that there was lots of room - especially for my oversized photos (I was doing a ton of enlargements at the time). It wasn't until this past year or so that I ventured out into the land of the 8.5x11 and smaller. I had gotten bored with 12x12. I needed to spice things up and add some variety into my storytelling and creative time. This is one of the reasons you see lots of miniBOOKS from me as well. These days I am scrapbooking both sizes and putting them all into 12x12 albums - that's right, I mix them all together in 3-ring binders from American Crafts. Having the freedom to do either/or makes the whole process a lot more fun. Currently, my albums are either in boxes (we just moved) or in a closet. In general I keep my miniBOOKS out in the open (in a basket or glass jars) and my larger books in the closet - if people want to look at them I can get them out easily. I think if you are feeling the need to change things up for yourself then you absolutely should try something different. Remember, this is all about enjoying the process (in addition to telling our stories). We all need creative jumpstarts and things to make our pulse quicken for this hobby again when things start to get stale. If you have a question you would like to have answered in an upcoming issue send me an email (ali@aliedwardsdesign.com) with NEWSLETTER QUESTION in the subject line. one last thing On the topic of words, the 2007 Life Art Wall Calendar is filled with words. Each month of the year focuses on a different word with a bunch of creative thoughts to go along with the word of the month. January's word is be and the creative thoughts include: "be amazed. be inspired. be excited about life. be touched. be special. be home. be paradise. be thoughtful. be gorgeous. be art. be full. be interested. be there. be into the details. be a collector. be calm. be delicious. be in the moment. be open. be willing. be cool. be you. be playful. be a writer. this month, celebrate simply being." Copyright � 2006 Ali Edwards/AE Design/Life Art Media. Please do not reproduce any content without permission. Ali Edwards, author of A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking and A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper, is Creative Editor of Creating Keepsakes magazine where she writes a monthly inspiration column called Studio A . She is a wife, mother, artist, writer, and seeker of balance. Owner of AE Design and Life Art Media, she conducts life art workshops around the globe. You can find her online on her blog or contact her through email at ali@aliedwardsdesign.com
|
|||||||||||
