One of the best ways to get creative is to try new things
There are many different kinds of journals. Some people write down their deepest thoughts and feelings every day. Others write a single poem or a few lines of an essay once a week, every few months, or whenever they feel like it. The best part about journaling is that there are no rules or restrictions. If you want to get your creative juices flowing, start a journal to record your inspirational thoughts and ideas, or to keep track of an artistic project.
Find a blank book that you like, with or without lines. It should be a color, size, and texture that appeals to you. You can also make your journal, designing a cover with drawings and photographs. The most important thing is to start journaling. Initially, you might want to schedule time for journaling each day. But even if you don’t, you know that your journal is there waiting for you when inspiration strikes.
One of the better ways to encourage creativity is to try new things. Don’t let your preconceived notions of what a “journal” should be get in your way. Anything too formal or linear is up for grabs when flying with your creativity flag:
- write with your non-dominant hand
- write in a different
- Write in a different direction
- Landscape orientation is a great start, diagonally, or even in a circle
When it comes down to it, you don’t have to write anything at all. You can draw, doodle, or paste a collage of images. The important thing is not to worry about your artistic skill, but to focus on expressing yourself. Anything fresh will help jumpstart your creativity: use different colored pens or pencils, fill your pages with colorful doodles, words from magazines that catch your attention, anything to keep you from thinking in the same old ways.
Your journal can be about any aspect of your creativity. You may or may not believe it at this moment, but there is no such thing as a “non-creative person”. A collection of fragments can be a place for you to store your dreams, a place to jot down brilliant ideas, or even the beginning of a larger creative project.
Don’t just put together a journal and forget about it. Every once in a while, take it off the shelf and read it as if you found someone else’s journal lying there (and that it was okay to look inside). You might be surprised by the inspiration you find.
Happy Journaling ♥
When I was teaching in preschool, during the summer months we were in our classroom setting up learning stations for the various ages of the students – for some it was their first time away from the Family Unit and others it was their third year in the classroom. Just like a preschool teacher, you will need to set up a homework area that is adaptable for everyone.
Make sure the area has everything the little professors will need to complete their homework and school assignments. Make sure the sharp supplies are up and out of the way of the younger learners. All you need is a table – like the dining room table, enough elbow room for everyone. A bookcase or buffet that holds the school and office supplies. Or a near by closet or pantry that is only being used to warehouse unwanted kitchen purchases. Put the supplies for little learners on the low shelves with picture labels so they can be independent in getting what they need and clean up after themselves.
The final and most important step is when an area is located, the redesign is completed – you must come up with the Homework Area Rules. For example, if the older children listen to music while studying – have them wear their ear buds to not disturb others. If the younger ones are listening to music in the background, play it softly. Place a mark on the volume dial to indicate the music volume cannot go higher than the black mark or write the number of volume level the music needs to stay at while studying. Example of some rules: Be Respectful, Be Helpful, Be Kind and lastly, Clean up for the next person. As a family unit come up with your own rules and have everyone sign off on them, this way when the arguing, crying and screaming starts . . . and it will ~ just point to the rules!
It is now much easier and faster for me to refer to a certain person, article, workshop, etc. that needed information about that certain topic. I hope this helps with keeping your notes organized.
Lifestyle-by-designs 