by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
I love blogging. (Hope it shows!)
I’m constantly striving to learn new and effective ways to communicate with you, my phenomenal reader.
Enter, the Infographic. Its usage is practically endless! Post it on Pinterest, along with other social media outlets, or insert it in your handouts, bulletins, etc.
I recently discovered Canva, my new go-to for graphic applications. I still like Pic Monkey but Canva, at least to me, seems easier for the newbie. Many of their templates have fonts installed, ready for you to manipulate, if you like.
You’ll need to create an account to get started. There’s no charge unless you use a background or graphic that’s not free (each item is tagged free or $). I was pleasantly surprised by the number of free options across the board. In fact, the last three graphics I’ve created have cost me nada. Each background or graphic you choose with a $ is only 1.00 each.
I created the Infographic below (ahem, I’m obviously still learning) to show you one option I chose from a list of ready-made templates. I kept it uber simple cause, well, that’s how I roll. Want more details? Simply take one of their tutorials to spiff up your skills. It’s all there!
{Click on graphic to enlarge.}
Do you use infographics? This month is all about learning and sharing what we learn. If you post something you’re currently learning on your blog, let me know, along with the url, and I’ll share it here.
Learning never exhausts the mind. -Leonardo da Vinci
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” -Picasso
Okay, so the word always is wishful thinking on my part but I am striving to be more intentional when it comes to learning and attempting new things. What kinds of things, you might ask?
During this hot muggy month of August, I’ll share everything from Pic Monkey tips to lessons learned behind the spiritual woodshed. I’ll even throw in the kitchen sink table (how to distress it, that is!)
One thing I’m most looking forward to is learning from you. If you post something on your blog that you’re currently learning, or have recently learned, (hey, is this a challenge?) I will link your blog post here. After all, sharing what we learn is what makes it so much fun! Agree?
So, let’s kick this new series off right. What’s one thing you would like to learn this month, or what are you currently learning?
****Congratulations to Susan Ely {The Shared Table…Breaking Bread, Building Relationships}, the winner of the Starbucks giveaway in July! Watch for the next giveaway coming up later this month.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
A quote often says more than an entire essay. It’s a morsel, rich with perspective, cutting through all the fluff. For this reason, we’re bringing our July series to a close with five favorite quotes on creativity.
“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.” -Frank Capra
“It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life.”
-Barthold Georg Niebuhr
“The writer who possesses the creative gift owns something of which he is not always master—something that at times strangely wills and works for itself.” -Charlotte Bronte
“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” -Erich Fromm
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” -Maya Angelou
It’s hard to beat a cup of Starbucks brew (cold brew, that is — my new favorite!) so simply share your favorite quote from above in the comment section below. Your name will be included in the random drawing taking place this Friday morning for a Starbucks gift card. A cup of coffee or tea is waiting to be handcrafted just for you by your local barista.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
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| My choice includes anything literary focused. |
Being an office supply nerd, I confess this Artist Date made me a tad giddy. Thank you, Julia Cameron.
Go to a stationery store. Give yourself time to stroll the aisles. What appeals to you? Do you want classic ivory stationery, or do you want something more zany? Your choice of note card sends a signal telling the world what kind of person you are, formal or casual, decorous or frivolous. Stationery makes a first impression. If you have it, you will use it. -Julia Cameron
Now let’s take it a step further. Purchase the stationery you feel best describes you (no window shopping allowed!) and then turn around and write someone. It could be someone who played a part in your being the zany-fied person that you are or someone who has been on your mind lately. I believe you already know the person who will receive your card.
Your turn. What does your stationery have on the front cover of the card?
“Creativity lies in paradox:
serious art is born from serious play.” – The Artist’s Way
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
A favorite childhood memory took place out back behind my grandmother’s house. There, on her scuffed red cement steps I concocted masterpieces in the form of mud pies. People came from miles around just to taste a morsel. Or at least that’s the world my only-child mind created.
“From the old lady who fills a page with doodling as she talks on the phone, to the man who welds dinosaurs in the middle of the desert out of wrecked car parts, all around us are examples of this mysterious, powerful urge to create, to be creative, to live out or somehow respond to the beauty of our creative Father. We are driven to create at this deep wordless level of the soul because we are all fashioned in the image of God who is an Artist.” – Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand
“God is an artist and he is beautiful. He has woven his image into the fabric of our lives, which explains our drive to create things which are beyond us and which we don’t always understand.” – Michael Card
Try this: Consider the sanctuary of your church and other church sanctuaries where you have worshiped. Which space best expressed the beauty of the Lord and drew your heart toward him, and why? You may want to sketch the spaces to remind yourself of how they looked and the elements they contained.
Now suppose you have the job of designing a church sanctuary. How would you make it reflect the beauty of the Creator. Sketch out some plans. Don’t worry about the quality of your artwork. –Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand Study Guide
How did your creative spark play out when you were a child?
