it's not the end:)

I'm pretty sure the whole world is thinking about the end of 2014... maybe it's with relish, "phew, that year's finally over, it really STUNK!"or maybe it's with a bit of a "meh" there was good, there was not so good, but I'm looking forward to that fresh start. Maybe, just maybe, this was the year of success, change, motivation and exciting journeys, maybe all of the good that happened FAR outweighs any inconvenience, sadness or depression.

As with every year, there are always ups and downs, (understatement, I know) some of those downs can be overwhelmingly life changing and so challenging that we don't know how to maneuver to the "up". But I want to go back to my roots when I think of being down and getting stuck there, my mom always told me to "do something for someone else". No, I have not had a lot of personal experience with extreme struggles, trials and tragedy, but my mom has! and frankly she truly walks the walk and talks the talk of how to crawl out of those dark places in life. (shameless plug here). She recently finished a book called, "He Leadeth Me", by Charlotte Halsell Bradshaw (you can find it on Amazon, wink, wink). This little book chronicles how God has led her through some mighty fine times, but also how His voice guided her through some trials that would make the strongest soul crumble if they didn't have the Creator of the Universe talking them through it.

My point here is, and as usual I DO have one, we have 365 days within a year. But who says that December 31, 2014 at 12 midnight has to denote "the end". Yes, it is the actual end of 2014, (thank you to any doubters out there about my "point"), but it is NOT the end of trying, striving and attempting to make a difference. We definitely have to start with ourselves and what daily attitude we will put on, but if our circumstances are less than stellar, sometimes the circumstances may win. So what do we do? Choose our attitude, choose to step outside of our circumstances, choose to see the glass half full, choose to forget about ourselves for awhile and do something for someone else. There are 8,760 hours in a year and they can begin at any point, there really is only one "end". So until that day comes? Maybe you can make some conscious choices to move forward, it may be inch by inch, but
 you'll get where you want to go eventually. Because it's really not the end.

Let's continue this conversation in the next several days with some practical "how-to's"
Hope all is well with you my quirksters
Talk to y'all soon
xoxo
r

Holiday Humbuggers;)

"Hello Mr. Humbug, Hello Mr. Grimm"
God Bless us Everyone;)

Perhaps you're one of those that is comPLETEly overwhelmed with the holidays. Be it Christmas, New Years, Winter Solstice or any other winterized event that is worth raving about. Maybe the thought of family, friends, gatherings and all the frivolity involved just sounds like a big old energy drain and you don't know what you can do to ease into any of these moments or what you can officially "bring to the party", so to speak. I have a few suggestions, in particular, ones that focus on bringing back the fun in your Christmas and maybe letting go of some expectations of Martha Stewart-like buffets, decorations and home-made (aka thousands of man hours) gifts that are meticulously prepared, made and wrapped or served with unique flair and intention. Some of these have actually been tested by myself (or ones close to me), others just sounded like fun. So here goes:

1. Let it GO! There is a reason why this "Frozen" anthem rings true with so many listener's, we all need to attempt to let some things go, particularly at this time of year... maybe it's shoving things into a closet or closing a door on a less than perfect room in order to throw together an impromptu hot chocolate party. Maybe it's putting aside our differences with family members or seasonal friends (those people that always attend your family parties that you have nothing in common with...) and trying to find something that you can share. Needless to say, maybe this shouldn't necessarily be a "Frozen" anthem? maybe we would all be a lot less stressed in our lives if we could just let.it.go.

2. Gifts of time. Never underestimate the fact that your time can be given as a gift. You don't have to give a $50.00 gift card to someone that already has absolutely everything they need. Maybe it can be an interactive gift, making something with someone, a craft project or some kind of memory that they can keep forever. My mother-in-law loves when we jot a note and wrap it saying, "we will bring a tea party to YOUR house!" or any other gift of time. It's special for everyone and memories don't get thrown into the Salvation Army curbside give away bag.

3. Take a walk and take it all in. Slow down a bit and check out the lights in your neighborhood. Slow down is the key here, I know everything seems to be first on the scale of importance? But if you're exhausted then no fun will be had and your moments will be fuzzy and a blur of busyness.

4. Prioritize. What needs to come first? In appreciation of a season of wonder and love, perhaps acknowledging why we have this season in the first place. Taking more than just a perfunctory moment to bow our heads and thank God for saving us through His son Jesus. What an amazing, loving and thoughtful God to have created a way that we can be with him. This is where my thoughts become overrun, because as a human being I cannot even fathom the sacrifice that He made for us. So take time to thank Him, for humbling himself and coming to earth as a helpless baby, and experiencing everything that we experience...painful humanity, and living life on this earth with us and then allowing himself to be sacrificed in the most excruciating way possible... but THEN overcoming death... yes, this is a part of Christmas, CHRISTmas and acknowledgement of Him will help gain perspective on what is important in our lives. We might all be surprised by the peace that He provides within us when we put the one who created us first in our lives.

5. Give! Do something for a stranger, a distant relative, a frenemy, a neighbor that you never see except when you back out of your driveway at the same time.  See #2 for "gifts of time" there is a lot to be said for taking a moment and dropping a note to someone, calling, texting, waving, hugging, shaking a hand, put a posy in someone's mailbox, sing some Christmas Carols at the mall, hospital or rest home.

I'm pretty sure you mightlook at this list and think AAACK I can't do any of these things, I'm just overwhelmed looking at this post. But maybe you can start with #4 and see where your priorities lie and listen for sweet gentle guidance on what you can do to have a lovely, peaceful holiday season.

So blessings on all of your heads, talk to y'all soon,
xoxo
r

s...t...r...e...t...c...h... yourself.

Percival Pencil (one of my softy creations)
He's for sale at www.etsy.com/shop/quirkified

To all of my dear quirkified friends I would like to share a bit more on our habit of creativity. We've talked about so many aspects, but what about stretching yourself?


Personally, my "thing" tends to be the artsy stuff. Time literally grows wings when I'm drawing, painting, claying little bits of cuteness, crocheting, or coming up with a visual for a word picture that is running through my brain. These are my go-to's, the things that come naturally and will continue to morph over time as I practice my creativity habit.


I would say my second love is to write silly
"dr seussy" stories and then doodle cartoons to accompany them in a variety of mediums. Yes, this has a tendency to be a companion to my artsy "go-tos" but the stories are a bit more of a stretch and time tends to grow wheels instead of wings.

Maybe you are like me in wanting to explore all sorts of areas of creativity but you head back to the familiar like a mosquito to stagnant water. Maybe we need to find what stretches us but does not frustrate us. Personally I find in order to not be frustrated I have to make sure that I'm not looking at a big picture, that it needs to be something small and doable. Something that gets me excited by the success of accomplishing it, finishing it, regardless of my need for improvement or tweakage of whatever it is I'm attempting.

Some examples;
1. Set a goal. Make it just outside of your comfort zone. Just enough so you know you'll learn something but not be overwhelmed by time or the amount of effort required. (side note, I'm working toward being in a Craft Fair the first week in December. Putting together items and thinking of how to best display and attract is a stretch for me.)

2. Do something that you might not consider to be in your creative repertoire, but you find yourself thinking about doing. For me, this is cooking! I've never been much of a food person, yet with the dawning of Pinterest and all the lovely enticements pictured on these boards I find myself wanting to attempt some of them. A small goal for someone like me would be to make a dessert or an appetizer to share with friends or family, someplace safe that will accept my meager offerings without too much teasing or critique. (a little bit of a soft landing during your stretch is more than an acceptable compromise, since you are stepping out)

I hope these stretching suggestions are something you can relate to and be encouraged to reach for, hey we're in this together..

UPDATE: When I originally wrote this entry I was busily preparing for the aforementioned craft fair that has now transpired as of this past weekend. I'm more than delighted to say that it was an exhausting blast and that I learned SO much from the experience. Displaying items that you have invested time and effort into creating can make you feel very vulnerable, but I found that it was more than worth it. Some minor successes occurred and lessons were learned so I would add this to the "plus" column in my endeavor toward the creativity habit.

Blessings on all of your heads, I will talk with y'all soon:)
xoxo
r

A dream is a wish your heart makes:)

Sing with me if you know it:)

 A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true.

Yes, this little Cinderella ditty is full of platitudes, but in the world of creativity and allowing ourselves to envision our dreams through that creative lens, then HEY, let's just get a bit dreamy-eyed and start aiming for what may appear to be impossible right at this moment.

One of my favorite things to do is to attempt (key word here...attempt) to interpret dreams...appropriate for this post, I know, I know. But there are some consistencies within our dream world that can appear on a regular basis. Things that are important to us may be masked as some kind of challenge or obstacle. Maybe it's what seems to be unattainable for you... people talk about flying in their dreams...to one person it may be euphoric, something weightless and lovely, representing freedom. But to someone else, flying may be representing a fear, not being "grounded", flightiness or irresponsibility. My point is, in order to interpret a dream in any way, you need to have intimate knowledge of the individual and what is happening in their lives.

Dreams can be a great way to see inside our hearts and minds what is really important to us. Family, friends, faith...all the components that go into a happy and fulfilled life. Part of that life is finding out what you really want to do with what God has given you, with your own personal creativity. We've talked before about taking small steps toward a creative goal, but what about coming up with an overall wish, dream, vision for what you want to do with your unique creative DNA. My suggestion at this point, to kick it all off?

write.it.down.

Turn all of those swirling thoughts that run through your mind like a merry-go-round, into something with a rhythm. Something that ultimately sums up what you want to do. Many would call it a mission statement, and for lack of fluffy words or a magical mantra, I'm going to stick with that. Take some time to think through where your mind continually returns.  In what situations do your efforts feel effortless?What parts of your life fly by and you don't even begin to think about what time it is....don't you love that feeling? write.it.down.

So maybe this will be your first creative step. write.it.down.
xoxo
r

Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.umGYBeAD.dpuf

Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.tnxtQcQN.dpuf

The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

Proverbs 16:9

Verse Concepts

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Goal-Setting#sthash.umGYBeAD.dpuf

  

Embrace Imperfectionism

This is a very difficult concept for many of us, reveling in the perfection of the imperfect. It does sound like an oxymoron, but if we try so hard to be perfect, particularly when we're being creative, we have no room to grow. How do we know when we've improved upon something if we keep throwing everything away?

I don't know about you, but many times I find myself paralyzed with the thought that the reality of a project or idea in my head won't match what my fingers eventually will configure. But then, I begin,  I find that the imperfections make a piece unique and all my own, no one else will do it exactly that way, and most of the time the actual imperfections make something a "keeper".

In the Japanese culture there is lovely practice, kintsugi. It is the art of repairing something that is broken, with metal, gold or silver lacquer, with the understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. So.many.visuals.

Maybe when we're embracing imperfectionism we can identify with something that we've created and how God sees His creations…us… I personally think we all are more attractive with scars, both inner and outer, because it shows we've actually lived, that we've allowed ourselves to have room to grow, make mistakes and hopefully move on.  Just think of how His forgiveness and His love have highlighted a difficult life journey with the gold of kindness and patience, and the silver of empathy, understanding or any other gift that emerges from brokenness.

So maybe we can tie up this concept of imperfection and perfection and package it in regard to our creativity. Maybe in everything we do, whether it be caring for our children, working at our jobs or creating works of art, we can enjoy the freedom that the beauty is not in the perfection of what we do, or the actual product, but of attempting to do it and be ready with the superglue.

xoxo
r
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 18:30)

A HUNTING WE WILL GO!

So many of you quirksters are aware that an upcoming treasure hunt event is on the horizon. I will be posting the how-tos and what-if's to the Quirkified Facebook page listed under events. Yet, I thought I might do a bit more than just tease you.

You will be looking for a Quirkified Crocheted Rock. THAT is a treasure in and of itself, but you might ask, "is that ALL I get?"….you might end up muttering a Charlie Brownism "all i got was a rock" and that would just be pitiful. So, NO, you will be receiving something handmade from my etsy Quirkified shop:)… you could also purchase your own crocheted rock which will be available on etsy in the next few days. Quirkified will number and track its adventures for you… who knows where this treasure hunt could go.

A few more specifics:
I will be making frequent posts to Quirkified with clues as to where to find the crocheted rock. You may participate in the hunt in one of two ways.

1. Look for the ACTUAL rock, make an afternoon of it, even if it ends up being a snipe hunt ('cuz some random person may have already picked it up.) It would be a fun activity to do with a friend, loved one, enemy or stranger. Just think of all the bonding you would do when you ask people, "have you seen a bright green crocheted rock around here somewhere?" (insert odd and averted gazes and looks here….we LIVE for those moments.) If you actually get your hands on THE.VERY.ROCK. you will automatically receive a free gift from the etsy Quirkified shop.
 ( you will need to follow the instructions on Quirkified Facebook events page in order to obtain your gift…thank you for reading the fine print…you rock. no pun intended, or maybe…hmmmm)

2. Find the crocheted rock, virtually, yes I said, virtually. Piece together the Facebook clues and if you come up with the correct location? described in detail and posted to Quirkified's page? The 8th person to submit their guess will receive a free etsy Quirkified gift. Now that's a deal.

First of all, there's the fun and excitement of hunting for something.

Second of all, there's finding the something.

Third of all, you get the opportunity for FREE STUFF.


as usual, there's  a verse that goes with our topic or event:)

xoxo r
Psalm 62:2
He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Spice up your habits!

SPICE UP YOUR HABITS;)

Once we've started a habit of creativity and spending actual time "doing" instead of mulling, we need to take steps to keep things fresh within that framework, to "spice it up" so to speak.

In relationships, if they become too habitual or predictable, they lose their luster and their love glow. Frankly, they lose their creativity. There is a lot to be said for comfort, but surprises are wonderful too. What about our relationship with God? How do we express that? do we take time for it, or do we run through the motions with the predictability of liturgical practices that we have innately memorized, but no longer hear.

With the dawning of all things Quirkified, for me, it has been a bit of spicing up most of what I already do. Turning my creative habit into less of a "race against a deadline" and more of a "let's enjoy the journey". I find myself getting lost now in moments where I'm painting, crocheting, writing and trying to make space in a life that is attempting to stay fresh but not frantic.

Basically, today what I really want to share and encourage all of us to do is make our habits and the mundane into something more magical. I'm sure you're probably thinking, "exactly how do I do that?" or "easier said than done", but maybe we just need to be more present, particularly taking notice of those joy moments where there are no visible numbers on the clock...just be. This may sound kind of zen-like and perhaps a bit impractical? Sooooo let's get practical about spicing up our habits (it's really not as much of an oxymoron as it sounds.)

1. Make time to notice the "happy". Write it down, draw it, sing it, pray it.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of spirit is…joy (that's one of them, at least)

2. Connect with other people, be accountable within your creativity. A new habit can be doing coffee with a friend, attending a bible study, mentoring someone, volunteering. You might be surprised what stepping out of your initial comfort zone within the parentheses of your creative context will do to add a bit of punch to your habits.
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

3. Solitude. Take some time to go for a walk, bike ride, run, something that gets you moving but is solitary. Let yourself be refreshed by recognizing what your body can do, yes, many of us have limits, but we can do something. Your brain and your creativity will thank you mightily for making this one a habit.
Psalms 55:7  Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

Personally, I think 3 things to spice up your habits is a really good start, you may just want to focus on one until you feel it's part of you. Of course you may already be doing so much of this, but maybe you just needed a nudge to notice it and throw it into the spicy mixture that is now your life habit of creativity. 


xoxo r

just a little bit.

I wonder how many of us when we consider accomplishing a task, whether it be glaringly creative, like a mural that spans the side of a 747,  or attempting to keep our yard from becoming an Amazon jungle (unless you actually live in the Amazon jungle, this is probably not your landscaping goal…) What I'm saying is,  that no matter what we do, instead of being overwhelmed by a task or project , maybe we can break it down. I am verrrrrryyyyyy slowly learning this lesson and actually having minor  success, of course it IS day by day, so hey, fingers crossed.

First, what do you want to do? Do you want to re-organize something? do you want to paint a picture? do you want to write a song? maybe you want to start a blog, run a marathon, train your dog.  The possibilities are endless and time can really be your friend. 

So you might ask, 

"Hey Quirkified, if I'm gonna  run a marathon, how do I start?"

and I will readily answer,

"with the first step and eventually you'll hit that 33,000 steps that will equal 26.2 miles"

(yes, this is an approximation but I did look it up)…;)

But seriously, the first step in anything, is the smallest form of forward that YOU can handle. This is very individual, maybe you're a list person, maybe you're a "get up and do it" person, maybe you're a muller and you need to let everything compile in your brain or maybe it's setting a specific goal and time to accomplish what you want to do. 

So? begin. Whatever you want to do, do just a little bit and those little bits will add up to a finished product. Think of a beautiful Monet painting full of dots and colors on a large canvas. That didn't just miraculously happen. Each flick and dab of his paintbrush was a forward step in completing his masterpiece.

What's your masterpiece going to be? What is your smallest form of forward? Do just a little bit. every.day. 

xoxo

r

2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and don't give up, for your work will be rewarded.

Inspiration, Perspiration and a dab of Procrastination

In the creative world, it seems that we often wait for that lightning bolt of inspiration to strike our imagination. We hold out for the spark to ignite whatever seems to be floating around in our messy brains and bring some order to that chaos. I found a wonderful quote today:

"One man's data is another man's noise."

which in turn makes me think in my world of creativity and ominous disorganization? the ONLY time that I manage to pull together some type of output, is when I have a deadline, hence the "dab of procrastination". So what would happen if we all looked at our creativity as a part of us, like one of our muscles. What if we actually looked at our next endeavor as a process instead of a flash in the pan. Personally, I think God has been showing me for years that the more I work at my creativity the more ideas come to mind and the more I want to express what He has put in my mind AND the more I want to actually complete projects. I have found that grandchildren and making gifts for them can be a great deadline, but also can be an incentive to do other things as well. I love the lessons we learn as we grow up:)

Needless to say? what is your creative chaos and how can you turn it into calming order.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace in all churches of the saints.

What are we here for?

Welcome my old friends and new ones as well, this little blog will be a work in progress as I endeavor to share, learn and glean about all things blog-like and computer world related all with the pin-pointed focus on creativity and how that relates to God and real life.

The purpose behind this bit of writing is to encourage myself and others that we can be creative, every.single.day. God designed us for a purpose and we each have a unique way to express ourselves; art, poetry, music. Those are the "go-to" creative categories where we tend to wedge our abilities. Yet, being able to run a household, getting along with others (aka, tact), finances, organization, and SO many more, are ways that God has gift-wrapped our particular DNA. All we have to do? (welllll, all? sounds simple, yes?) is to figure out our sweet spot. What it is that floats our boat, gets our juices flowing, makes "time fly when we're having fun" and every other platitude that will encourage us to DO SOMETHING.

Recently, in the past year, I have had a revelation through the encouragement of my mom, sister-in-law and husband (you will often hear of Timmy, for those of you that don't know us, he IS my husband but we've known each other so long that I'm not changing my name for him, "Timmy",  to adjust to any stigma attached to the fact that we are grandparents and being courted by AARP.) anyway, these people and many more, I might add, are responsible for my desire to finally attempt to be creative on a regular basis. I've always had a goal in mind to sell my crafty wares and artistic dalliances through some type of venue that would allow me to have feedback and also be "doable". Etsy has become the crafters haven for all things handmade so I thought I would join the throng, and drag my dear mother along for the adventure.

So this is why we are here, on this blog…to be crafty and creative and to enjoy and share ways to encourage each other to follow after what God has placed in our hearts and minds that will express the unique gifts He has given us.

From here? go to Facebook, and "like" our new "Quirkified". Let's keep in contact in a variety of ways and make this a way to communicate. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!!
xoxo
r
Isaiah 64:8

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter;

 And all of us are the work of Your hand.

- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Creativity#sthash.jp8sEpyr.dpuf