Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Tickling Your Muse or How to Spark Ideas Using Glitter and Crayons



By Janie Reinart

People keep all kinds of specialized journals: travel journals, garden journals, dream journals, yarn journals, wine journals, recipe journals, Trench journals, birding journals, and prayer journals to name a few.

My grandson, Jack, in the fifth grade is keeping a weather journal. He just might be a meteorologist when he grows up. This is the intro to his journal.



Why all the talk about journals? I would like to invite you to start a sketch book journal. Drawing is the earliest form of storytelling. Imagine the story of the hunt painted on the walls in the Lascaux Caves in southern France. 

Come to think of it, that is what my drawings looks like. But don't let stick figures get in the way of your playing with images and using all the art supplies you can get your hands on. Pictures lead to words. 

Here is one of my journal pages from a poetry retreat in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona in the heart of the Navajo reservation there. The red canyons against the blue sky inspired me to use colored pencils and write this poem.


I say someday
I shall wander the canyons trails 
On sacred Navajo ground
Blessed by ancient spirits 
The beauty of the place 
Forever in my soul
Surrounded by peacefulness 
of Mother earth and Father sky
With the sun in my eyes 
On sacred Navajo ground
Blessed by ancient spirits
The beauty of the place
Forever in my soul




Try collage, thumb prints, glitter, crayons, paints or markers to get your ideas flowing. Catalogs are fun to tear and glue in your journal. Doodle. The key is to play with images and color. Tickle your muse's fancy. The words will come.


 















25 comments:

  1. Thank you Janie!! Fabulous! So true. Love your examples.

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    1. Thanks Pam! Do you every use pictures to get to your words?

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    1. Kristi, it is fun and I think the fun part frees up your mind :)

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  3. This gets the fingers itching Janie - thank you!

    And Ed Emberly's how-to books are ones I've often given to kiddos. I need to think about giving them to writerpals.


    Cumulus, cirrus, hail, hurricanes - weather is one of my favorite things too.
    Bravo for your young meteorologist. If he sticks with that interest we may see him forecasting the weather on the WC some day :)

    You/his folks may like Carol Hurst's collection of top weather books for kiddos:

    http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/weather.html

    And here is a title I like, not just on weather, but also affiliated:
    Carol Ripley/Scott Ritchie, illustrator, WHY IS THE SKY BLUE?

    Finally, back to the combo of writing & art.
    here is a link to something I wrote on that topic, as doodling is something I divert to, when I'm stuck in writing. A fat black pencil on thick paper is sometimes a catalyst to moving on with words for me:
    http://bookseedstudio.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/answering-questions/

    Fabulous post. Think of another, along these lines?


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    1. Jan, how lovely of you to take the time to leave all the wonderful suggestions for Jack! I will be sure to share with him. Thank you.

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  4. I'm loving this blog and al the great writing minds who live here...;~)

    Take care,

    Donna L Martin
    www.donnalmartin.com

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  5. Beautiful poem! Great idea for a sketch idea, even if it's thumbprints!!

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    1. Tina, nothing more fun than stick figures and thumbprints lol! Unless they are in color!

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  6. I totally remember Ed Emberly's thumb book. He opened up the idea of drawing to me when I was a boy. His simple figures and designs helped me to see that I 'could' draw. I still love those books. I agree journals are a terrific way to jump start creativity. I go through cycles where I keep one and then don't for a long time. I am always happier, more fulfilled when I do keep one. Thanks for the reminder and the great work.

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    1. Thanks Todd. Who isn't happy with a pack of crayons or markers?

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  7. I love your canyon shape poem, Janie! Journaling is a great habit, but one that I'm still struggling to sustain. Maybe this is the encouragement I need! You may find some kindred spirits at Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's "Sharing Our Notebooks" here.

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    1. Patricia, great link. Thanks for sharing! Now, just go play! :)

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  8. Great post, Janie! Your poem is wonderful and serene. It's funny, I don't keep a journal per se, but I do keep a blank sheet of paper next to my computer so that I don't doodle on manuscripts. You're right, drawing can certainly spur ideas!

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    1. Donna, if only I could draw! My husband does fabulous art work using pastels and watercolor. Wouldn't doodling on a ms be a surprise for agents and editors! Some need to lighten up :)

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  9. Oooohhhhh...I can doodle, color, spread glitter all over the place. Love it!

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  10. Mona, I know! Me too! Have fun and make things pretty!

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  11. These are great ideas! I keep journals (I call them idea books). I like your idea of using pictures and stuff ripped out of magazines too.

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  12. Hi This Kid Reviews Books,
    That is a perfect name for journals! Love calling them idea books! Send a picture of what art you add to your idea books, and I will be sure to share.

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  13. Another inspiring post! I always start with the pictures first. As they say…..a picture is worth a thousand words!

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  14. Thanks, C.L. Love that you start with pictures! Consider sharing a page with us from your journal :)

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