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september 27, 2007 issue twenty-three Are you feeling that something in the air yet? All over the world seasons are changing, time is passing, and opportunities for creativity are around every corner. The weather is definitely changing in our little part of the planet, and with it I sense a change in myself. I am really cherishing being at home with my family, sending my son off to school and welcoming him home as he climbs off the bus and shouts WOO HOO. Enjoying a return to the routines of domesticity paired with working at home and, as usual, striving for balance. Last week I came across a quote by Karen Lamb that I printed out and hung on my bulletin board: "A year from now you may wish that you had started today." It got me thinking about projects I have piling up, ideas floating in my head, and things I have yet to uncover. In the spirit of simply beginning I want to chat a bit this week about creative sharing and what that can mean in our lives. Peace, Ali CREATIVE SHARING This week is all about sharing your skills. Maybe you are a master at sewing on your page or an expert at using just the right adhesive. Or maybe you are best at not worrying while you create - a master at going with the flow. Maybe you don't currently think of yourself in these terms, but I bet there is something you are really good at that you could share with other creative artists. Think for a minute about your favorite creative skill in your personal toolbox? Sharing information and concepts and skills helps us all. There is power in sharing - acquiring knowledge and then passing it on. One of the best ways to become ever more adept at your skills, and hone your own personal creative philosophies, is to teach someone else. This week, rather than sharing a layout or creating a project, I would love to see you try writing about your skill(s). What do you excel at that you could share? Take some time to write it up - think it through beyond the initial "I am good with letter stickers" and teach us how to do what you do best. If letter stickers are your thing - tell us how you use them so effectively. Take a couple minutes to look through your projects and layouts. What stands out as one of your creative skills? How can you share that skill with others to help everyone, the collective creative group, grow and learn? A step by step list is a great way to begin... The beauty of the internet is that it invites this sort of sharing. Giving and receiving. In life and in creativity, when you give more you get more. Flowing information and inspiration and growth. It is such a cool thing. Looking forward to seeing what you have to share. Post it on your blog, call your sister or friend, jot it down in your journal, or post it on a message board. If you have a link, email me at ali@aliedwardsdesign.com and I will compile a creative sharing list that we can all learn and grown from. BLOG UPDATES : studio A + links + KOTM I recently made some changes to my blog and now include a bunch of links to my favorite creative, life, green, autism, and product websites.These links will be updated regularly as I come across new ones to add. In addition, all my past Creating Keepsakes monthly Studio A columns are now available through my blog. Click here to access the archives. Traveling soon? Creating Keepsakes September KOTM is a travel journal album that can be taken on the road with you or completed once you return home. See the album I created with the kit here. inspired by | books Lots of books are inspiring me to make stuff lately: Journal Revolution  : this one is wow. A
great follow up to their first book, Visual
Chronicles, this one dives even deeper
into the power of art journaling and fearless
creative living. Highly recommended.We Dare You : there is nothing quite like
a dare to get your creative juices
flowing. Along the lines of the popular Dare
site, this book will give you tons of topics
and inspiration to document your life.Sew U and In
Stitches : here's the deal with these
two...I want to sew and I
need direction (lots of direction).
Both these books are teaching
me the basics (and beyond) with easy
to follow directions and cool projects.The Day to Day Life of Albert Hastings : a
very simple, very beautiful look at the life
of a man through words + photos. It is one of
those books to keep
on your shelf and pull out when you need a
reminder to see the beauty in the basics of
every day life.LIFE ARTIST : the book My new book Life Artist is now available for pre-order now from Creating Keepsakes web site. Shipping soon. Check my blog later this week for some giveaways. Copyright 2007 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 Lifestyle 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
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