3 Easy Ways to Creative Play Inspired by Mother Nature

As the temps continue to cool down a bit here in Dallas, I find myself drawn more and more to the outdoors. And, while I enjoy my walks and runs in the lovely fall weather, I'm once again inspired by the innate creative brilliance of Mother Nature.

In the same way flowers beautifully bloom 

(without asking anyone's permission), 

swans glide gracefully across the lake 

(without wondering if they're doing it well enough) 

and leaves seasonally change into their autumn colors 

(without second-guessing their choice of hue) ~ 

I invite you to embrace your own creative spirit with that same inherent knowing and ease.  

Here are three quick Creative Oasis prompts using nature's inspiration to help you do just that:

#1 Color Yourself Creative ~ Step outside and take a look around. After scanning your surroundings choose a color in your immediate view that appeals to you. 

Next, set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and create a color page in your journal or on a blank sheet of paper.  Creating a Color Page is as easy as filling every inch of space with the color of your choice using any creative supplies you like: collage, crayons, pastels, paints, markers or all of the above. 

I love Color Pages because they offer a super low pressure way to play with creative materials. It allows us to put the emphasis on the joy of using our creative supplies rather than worrying about the final outcome. There's no right or wrong way, so you get to dive in and play!

Here's an example from my Creative Oasis Journal. As you can see, even the "rules" of creating a color page are very loose, thus the splashes of gold and other colors on my primarily blue page.

#2 Shoot the Moon ~ or the sun, or the clouds or that spiderweb on your front porch. These days it's easier than ever to take photos with our phones and iThingies. 

Once you snap a shot of some bit of nature that catches your fancy you might choose to add a quote  or play with manipulating the image using a creative app. (Click here for a list of the top 32 photo apps via Creative Bloq.)  

I used the app "Photo Studio" to create the above image combining a quick pic of my Japanese Woodblock calendar and a simple haiku I wrote. It was fun, creatively satisfying and took about 5 minutes to do it all.

#3 Wok Out ~ Take a stroll through the produce section of your grocery store (or better yet, outside at a local farmer's market) and choose a variety of veggies solely on the basis of their color and shape. If you're feeling adventurous include at least one veggie or herb that you've never tried before.

Throw together a colorful stir-fry for dinner enjoying each step...choosing which shape to chop each vegetable...deciding on a sauce...even picking which plate or bowl you'll use to serve up your bright, delicious, nutritious, creative concoction. If you like, it might even be fun to create a special name for your dish as well!

Here's to taking cues from nature and looking for easy ways to add a dash of creative joy to our days!

Until next time, all the best from my nature fueled Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

No Time to Read This? Creating Time for Your Creative Oasis Teleclasses to the Rescue!

Photo Credit: Robert Couse-Baker via Compfight cc

“Feel like you barely have time to read this one page, much less enjoy any of the many creative projects, plans and dreams you have waiting on the back burner? I understand and that’s why my brand new 12-week teleclass series based on the Amazon Best-Seller Creating Time – Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life by Marney K. Makridakis is the one for you!”

  ~ Jill Allison Bryan ~ Founder of Creative Oasis Coaching™, Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach, Singer/Songwriter

If I Only Had More Time!

If you’ve ever had this thought, (and let’s be honest – who hasn’t?!) then Creating Time for Your Creative Oasis is the teleclass for you! We’ll spend 12 weeks together exploring the fun and effective time management methods and unique new ways of thinking about time created especially for creative types like you and me in the fabulous book, Creating Time – Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life by Marney K. Makridakis.

Prompts and Permission and Peeps, Oh My! 

Prompts ~ Each week you’ll choose from several fun creative prompts to play with as we explore Creating Time. All handouts, creative prompts and activities will be totally optional. There will be no Homework or Have-Tos in this teleclass…only Creative Play and Get-Tos based on what appeals to your creative sensibility, desires and schedule.

Permission ~ You can count on enjoying the permission to dedicate time for yourself that comes with joining a class. You’ll also learn gentle ways to practice giving yourself permission to create the time and space for the creative projects, plans and dreams you’ve had on hold for far too long.

Peeps ~ Not the sticky candy kind, but rather a group of kindred creative spirits who just like you (and me!) are looking for ways to spend more time doing the things that energize and delight them creatively. Our weekly group calls will provide a gentle accountability, support and camaraderie that will help keep us motivated and inspired through our 12 weeks together.  

Bonus! Creating Time Tips Straight From the Source 

Creating Marney K. Makridakis, 
Best-selling author of Creating Time and founder of Artellaland.com

For an extra special bonus, the author of Creating Time Marney K. Makridakis will join us during one of our calls. She’ll lead a portion of our telelclass and share some information about her exciting upcoming programs as well. (As member of her Mapping and Mentoring with Marney program, I can tell you that we are all in for a real treat!)

 Are You Ready to Create More Time for Your Creative Oasis? 

$425 includes 
12 group class session,
e-mail follow-ups, printable hand-outs 
and links to all teleclass recordings 
(so you won't miss a thing if you're unable to make the live call!)

Group class calls will take place each Wednesday beginning
September 18, 2013 through December 11, 2013
(no call November 27th)
2 to 3:30pm Central Time

I'm so excited for you to join me for 12 full weeks of using creativity to reinvent the clock, reclaim your life and rejuvenate your Creative Oasis!

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. – If you'd like to have Mid-Week Oasis Moments (bite-sized bonbons of creative inspiration) delivered each week please sign up here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html

You'll also receive a free copy of "Permission to Be Creative 101" – my short e-book that will help you take the first small steps to make the time and space for creative fulfillment – your Creative Oasis – in  your busy life!

5 Reasons I'm Thrilled About This New Book About Creativity

#1 – The Muse Is In: An Owner's Manual to Your Creativity is the third book to grace our planet by the out-of-this-world imagination of Jill Badonsky. (my mentor, friend, creativity coach, founder of Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaching and author) Her previous books include the life-transforming The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Body Guard and The Awe-manac - A Daily Dose of Wonder – essential reading for any creative type out there - but especially ones who need a reminder that creativity is important, who are plagued by inner critic voices in their heads, who are prone to procrastination or perfectionism or...wait a minute...that's 99% of creative types, isn't it? These books were written for us!

#2 – It's a user friendly owner's manual for your creativity! Like The Awe-manac, The Muse Is In is a book you don't have need to read from front to back. You can pick it up on any day of the year and digest a few creative nuggets of inspiration and encouragement. It's filled with interesting tidbits, thought-provoking quotes and fun creative prompts to set you on your way to enjoy your own creative process.

#3 – On the December 16th page (which happens to be my birthday), you'll find a quote about creativity there by yours truly, Jill Allison Bryan. How cool is that?

#4 – On the Thank You page, Jill was kind enough to include me and my fellow Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coaches as well as lots of other really cool and special people who I am honored, surprised and tickled pink to be grouped with.

#5 – Next week, January 23rd, Jill has agreed to stop by here and share some tidbits about her fabulous new release - The Muse Is In: An Owner's Manual to Your Creativity. If ten or more of you leave your comments and questions for her here on my Creative Oasis blog, we'll do a drawing and one of you will win a copy of her new book. (she's cool that way)

I'm off to dive into the pages of what I can safely say is the only owner's manual in my life that I've ever actually looked forward to reading!

Hope to see you back here next week - January 23rd as Jill Badonsky's blog tour stops in for a visit.

Til then, all the best from my creative oasis to yours,
Jill