Were you Creative?

I'm trying to participate in the Words of Me Creativity Challenge. I'm suppoused to do something creative every day.

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Monday I did a search for some inspirational quotes and shared those with  you here. I also did some brainstorming for our new business idea. I'll let you know more about that once we get further along.

Tuesday, I went on a hike and took some lovely pictures. I didn't post all of the pics, but some of them can be seen here.  I really liked the way carrying a camera with me helped me to focus on the details around me.

Wednesday, I worked on a personal essay titled Beach Bound.

Thursday, I created a personalized workout plan that incorporates stretches, yoga, fencing exercises, situps and leg exercises. I really like it and its easy to keep track of.

Friday, I started to slack off. The only thing remotely creative was brainstorming and searching for gifts that would be good to give Mr. Groom's groomsman.

Saturday, I wrote in my journal and did crossword puzzles to help stimulate my mind. Its been in a lazy fog lately. I can't wait for it to be reenergized and have plenty to do.

Today, I've been lazy again. So far all I've done is stare at bits of poetry. Its too hot to do much more!

In what ways were you creative this week?

Don't forget to link up to Saturday Smiles!

Words of Me Creativity Challenge Day One

A few of my favorite quotes to get you going:

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”- Tina Turner

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.” -Scott Adams

Writing is like listening to music. It gives the subconscious time to think.

"When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not." - Mark Twain


To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955


"Dream big, work harder. Have lots of fun, lift a finger, do something for someone else. Cheer your friends on. Cheer yourself up. Celebrate as much as possible. Enjoy everything. Right now. It's OK to want more and do more but be present with where you are or who you are with. Don't rush the situation - even if it's bad. Move on when you can. Don't settle.Try everything you can and get over everything holding you back." - Alex Beauchamp

Now, if you haven't checked out the creativity challenge, stop by Words of Me and check it out. Click here:





 I've been being lazy today so I'm not sure what I'll do creative today but I'll be sure to give you a recap at the end of the week. Happy Creating!

Our future depends on...

Math, Science and Technology. These are the things that will help America being about a new age. Have you seen the commercial?

I'm sick of it.

Math, Science and Technology are over promoted. College students majoring in a related subject recieve more scholarship money.

I'm sick of it.

If we're focusing on bringing about a new age, then I think the things that will make the new age happen are creativity, compassion and communication.

We need people who can clearly communicate their ideas. People who can speak multiple languages and switch between them in order to create compromises or team up and develop cross country solutions to worldwide problems.

We need people who care. People who want to figure out a way to get surplus food to the starving. People who put people before their bank accounts or desires for fame. We need people who want everyone to be able to afford healthcare. We need people who are willing to reach out to others in times of crisis- whether it is local like serving at a soup kitchen or global like providing medical relief after natural disasters.

We need people who can devise creative solutions to our problems- like world hunger. We need people to create art that expresses big ideas or helps us to unite as one race-human.

Yes, math, science and technology can and in a lot of cases must play a role in the things I've mentioned above. But they are not the end all be all. We need a balance and if that balance isn't achieved we won't be successful.

A New Widget for my ATM Favorites

I freqently post about my ATM Favorite things, many of which happen to be products. I've decided to place an ATM Favorites Widget at the top of the page. I hope to update it about once a week, and the updates will be accompanied by a post telling you what I think.

Here are the current ATM Favorite Products:

1. Real Simple Magazine   - I love  this magazine. Its got great organizing tips, planning tips and recipes. I love to just flip through the and look at the beautiful and clever ads. I was able to score a one year subscription for $5. It was my birthday present to myself

2. Wedding Planner-- I bought this the other night at Barnes and Noble. It looks like the sticker price is cheaper at Amazon, not sure about once you add shipping and handling. I was amazed by the variety of wedding planning books. There were books, bigger, smaller, pinker, gother, DIYer than this one. I loved that this book breaks down budgets, to do lists, and a monthly checklist of things to be done.It even has color pictures and descriptions of typical wedding flowers. I browsed through a book at Barnes and Noble about how to twist wedding traditions to fit your style, but it didnt include any worksheets, which is really what Iwas looking for,

3. Darius Rucker's History in the Making-- I'm really loving this song right now. The line 'this could be our last first kiss" really struck me the other day, when I realized that I've had my last first kiss. Its a really bittersweet, tingly feeling. Details? All you get is that it was at the movies.

4. Recipe Organizer- a gift from my roomate for my birthday. She knows I'm cooking challenged and included a few of my favorite recipes of hers. I can't wait to fill it up with recipes I learn.

5. Classic Bride Wedding Planner-- also a gift from my roomate. No worksheets in this one, but thats not what she was aiming for. Its got some great ideas,as well as expectations and explainations of traditons.

6. Last but not least, I got some window markers in my Christmas stocking. My roomate and I have had a blast doodling on our floor length mirror. We turned the bottom half of the mirror into an aquarium. The top half we made into the world of Ella and Lyric, two invented characters. Lyric dress like a kindergarten teacher and sings "I'm on a Boat". Lyric looks like she was drawn by a kindergartener, sports a crown and sings  "If all the lemondrops were gum drops and....jellybeans?" She also thinks she is part spider monkey.

I have an ATM Favorite Poem: It's Peter Meinke's "Email from Tokyo" and you can find it here. Its about having children, and how parents pass on bad habits, but its never NOT worth it. Its an answer to a poem by, Philip Larkin who is answering a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Letting the Creative Juices Flow!

This week has definitely put my creativity in gear! I had my first masterclass with Peter Meinke on Wednesday. Last year I dreaded my night classes but I'm loving this one! Meinke is so witty and open. He really makes the class enjoyable.

We have one class a week, and then a one-on-one conference with Meinke. Mine was great. Meinke had read my poems in advance. He had me read some of them aloud for practice, which made me feel good. I mean, if I'm practicing now then maybe some day I'll be reading them for real, with an audience. He then went through my poems and told me what he really liked and why. Which gave me an awesome feeling as well. He then suggested a few (minor!) changes and wished me luck! I'm really looking forward to this Wednesdays class. Check out his website at: http://www.petermeinke.com.  I've  read poems from his book the Contracted World and really enjoyed them.

Friday, I took myself to Hallmark on a research trip, so that I could get in the right frame of mind to work on my internship application. I spent an hour in the store just reading cards. And then I took a break and found a really cool "something blue" themed wine glass, that I really want! It has  handpainted blue swirly roses, and a real garter along the top of the glass! Totally adorable! I also went and saw a free showing of  500 Days of Summer at my favorite library.

Today I woke up and went to a seminar given by the wonderfully talented, Sarah Kennedy. I own a copy of her Witch's Dictionary and love it! So it was amazing to be able to attend her seminar. In the seminar we learned about dramatic monologues and how to write in the voice of another speaker. I wrote parts of poems there and came home and expanded further on them . I also wrote the first fifth of my internship portfolio application.  I see some card making in my future!