365 Creativity Project–Day 31

Some haiku:

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A few photographs:

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Yucca plant close up.

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Close up of Pampas Grass.

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Camellia bloom.

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Daffodil buds.

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Flowering Quince.

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Holly.

I am grateful:

1.   I was finally able to put the 70-300mm lens on the Nikon.
2.   Leigh called and talked a while today.
3.   My HP All-In-One still works well.
4.   Our Bible study went well today.
5.   I finished reading Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey which was a wonderful telling of Arthurian legend.

I hope your Thursday has brought you many thing for which to be thankful. May you be blessed with inspiration to begin something creative.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project–Day 29

Journal entry and a haiku:

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Photographs:

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Ford Cobra…

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Front view…

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Ford Fiesta…

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Ford Escape…

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Ford Ranger…

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Ford F-150…

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Ford Expedition…

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Ford Edge…

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Old farm building…

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Cow and field…

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Bare tree…

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Cow side view…

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Another shot of old farm building with cow in background…

I am grateful:

1.   I had no problem getting up when the alarm went off this morning.
2.   We made it to the appointment for service on the truck before time.
3.   The brakes and tires on the Explorer are in good shape.
4.   Hope and I walked a mile.
5.   I am free to live my life as I desire, within my personal limitations, of course.

If you want to write, draw, paint, take photographs, or otherwise do something creative, you should begin doing it. You will gain no skill without practice. Do not let time pass you by without doing what you desire to do in your life. You will never have a perfect moment to start, but if you do you may find that your perfect moment comes. You must be active to receive the gifts from the universe that are reserved for you.

I hope your day was a good one. Do something creative that you enjoy simply for the pleasure you gain.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

 

 

365 Creativity Project–Day 27

A picture of an old wheelbarrow:

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My journal entry and some haiku:

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More pictures:

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Dogwood tree…

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Abandoned wood pile…

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Camellia bush…

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Weed and pinecones…

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Camellia bloom and buds…

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Camellia blooms…

I am going to begin keeping a gratitude list daily.

I am grateful:

1.   Christy is feeling better.
2.   Jeremy, Christy, and Jayden brought the treadmill today.
3.   Leigh visited with us a few minutes before taking our trash away.
4.   The weather was beautiful so Hope and I walked.
5.   We have enough money to buy medicine for ourselves and our dogs.

I enjoyed this day and hope you did too. I hope you were able to capture something beautiful and make something creative from it.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project–Day 24

Some haiku and a bit of exposition:

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A couple of photographs:

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Stump surrounded by foliage.

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There are books on these shelves…

It is Thursday, time for a gratitude list.

I am thankful:

1.   I have enough time to explore my creativity.
2.   I am blessed with an active imagination.
3.   I learned to read and write.
4.   I have plenty of tools to use in making art.
5.   I managed to raise a responsible citizen.
6.   I am able to help my Mom.
7.   I have a very sweet puppy dog.
8.   My two books came from Amazon this week.
9.   My bed is soft and comfortable.
10.  We have heat and air conditioning to keep the house temperate.

I hope you find something in your life for which to be thankful. Making these lists helps keep one mindful of blessings. May you be given inspiration to create something beautiful today.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

365 Creativity Project–Day 23

My drawing to welcome everyone to February:

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My journal entry and some haiku:

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Pictures of my PENA unicorn:

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I found this unicorn in Helen, Georgia, years ago. The unicorn has always been my favorite mythic creature, so I was overjoyed to find such a wonderful portrayal. I count this as one of my most treasured possessions.

I hope each day this month brings you an awareness of the love that surrounds you in life. May you find inspiration to do something creative today.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project–Day 22

Today I was gifted with many sweet morsels. The words simply kept coming to me with little effort on my part. I hope you will enjoy:

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A few pictures:

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Expectant face intently staring.

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Close up of Hope.

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Clouds that brought to mind sheep.

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I love this cup.

Our mile walk today was graced with beautiful skies and warm temperatures. Hope was so happy to be outdoors. Her joy is so intense one cannot help but join her in bliss.

Writing when the words come easily is great fun. It seems to be effortless. Even if the words come in the form of haiku it warms the heart to be given something to write. Maybe if one opens themselves to inspiration it finally comes. I urge everyone who wants to write to spend time at it daily. You cannot produce if you do not apply yourself to actually doing the work. The writing can be anything, but simply writing brings some worthwhile lines to you. You have more talent than that of which you are aware. Talent grows with practice.

I hope your Tuesday has been a great day. May you be blessed with something creative to bring to life.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project–Day 21

My constant lament:

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Pictures from my mile walk with Hope:

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Buds in Winter…

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Brightness in bare…

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Could not resist the Radio Flyer…

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More modern haulers…

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Daffodils sprouting…

This is not exactly easy, coming up with something creative every day. I am sometimes totally at a loss. Today, I had no words, so I had no choice, but to write about my lack of inspiration. I could not think of anything outside of which to take pictures that I had not already used, so I had to pay particularly close attention on my walk. I guess that is the beauty of the project though. It forces me to use my brain when it would be easier to do nothing.

If you are thinking about starting a project, do not wait, because the time will never be perfect. Do it for yourself so you can grow. You will see that there is more available than you ever imagined. Your creativity will rise to the occasion. We, humans, tend to procrastinate and sometimes we leave our best undone forever. Do not leave your gift unused. Do and be, fulfill your most cherished dreams.

The poem I wrote today is another group of haiku on one subject strung together to form a complete poem. Know that you can do something similar. There is nothing special about me that I can write like that. I just chose to make an effort, and you are capable of doing it as well.

Some of what I do here is not very good, and I probably should not put it on display for all the world to see. The project requires that I use what I produce, no matter what my feelings about it may be. This is to force me to place my work for review, mainly so one day I might not be so afraid to send my productions out to publishers. I hope nothing is so horrible that it is hated, but that is not my problem.

I hope your Monday was a good one. Make something from your imagination and let someone see it.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

365 Creativity Project–Day Eleven

My journal entry with a poem:

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A few pictures:

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A gargoyle…

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A pair of gargoyles…

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An elephant I painted some time ago.

I have no plans to go to town tomorrow. I should have more time to dedicate to doing something creative than I have had the last two days.

I hope you have a wonderful night and a weekend full of inspiration.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

365 Creativity Project–Day Ten

Mom had an appointment with her neurologist today and we were gone for hours. I did not have as much time as usual to work on creating something. However, Hope and I did walk our mile this morning. I took the following photograph:

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I wrote some haiku this evening:

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I am tired tonight so I am not going to write much more.

I hope you find joy in the moment and imagination enough to make something lasting.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creative Project–Day Four

With reading less I am accomplishing a lot creatively. However, I am still doing a decent amount of reading daily. I am glad to have lessened the pressure on myself to complete so many books.

My hand written journal entry for the day:

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This morning Penny, Mom’s fourteen year old dog, was sleeping in a unique place:

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These are some pictures from our walk:

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There is something fascinating to me about equipment sitting out waiting for use. I think it is the sense of stored power.

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Boat, dock, and pond.

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The field growing back toward forest, because my brother, James, is no longer here to fight the trees.

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Big rocks…

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Vegetation…

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Swing and picnic table, abandoned for Winter.

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Cane Mill…

No drawing today, because I have been rather busy.

I do have some thoughts about grief. When someone leaves the world, or even exits your life, it leaves a empty space that you always feel should be filled by your loved one. There are marks left not only on your heart, but in the outer world, by the absence. Things change because the work they did is left undone. Often I have heard no one is indispensible, but I tend to disagree. Our loved ones are forever missed where they once smiled, laughed, and walked in our lives.

I hope your day is full of joy and creativity. Make something, no matter how small or to your mind insignificant, and impact the history of the world.

Always,
Jo Ann