Doodling: Attention Deficit Disorder or Surplus Reorder? May-25-2010
Artsbowl Guest Blog, Part 1
I've been honored with an invitation to be a guest blogger at the creative courses hub Artsbowl.com. As doodling is my newest pet topic, my first blog is part 1 of a fun piece I'm writing about doodle drawing. Read it here: Doodling: Attention Deficit Disorder or Surplus Reorder? •

Exploring the 'New Wisdom' of Doodling May-23-2010
Bad Behavior Creative Learning Tool
The April 2010 issue of Oprah Magazine features an article by Melinda Wenner ("Imperfect Harmony") discussing the upsides to some common "bad behaviors" like anger, procrastination, gossip, and...doodling. ...

Nit Wits #51: Tuna Catsserole (Cat Humor) May-17-2010
A Tall-Tail Story w/Free Printable Coloring Page!
I discovered the secret to making a kitty appear out of thin air. This procedure works especially well after you've tired yourself out by searching for your cat in the house with no luck in finding her ...

Saguaro Love
(from Chris' 2006 Arizona Journal)

Lulla Pullooza (The Pull of Lull) May-15-2010
Journal from May 15 Creativity Portal NewZine
Does creative expression act as a therapeutic conduit or outlet for you? It does for me. Reflecting on the act of expression makes me realize that the manifestations of my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical selves is a poignant validation of life, of my existence.

The courage involved in allowing the emotional energies of joy, pain, love, and loss to move through my being to see the light of day must be rooted in a comforting, safe relationship of trust. Yes, trust in myself, and trust in the process of allowing the vulnerable fragments of my inner world to coalesce through medium and mode into form. These forms take shape into containers of writing and art and displays of physical movements which tax my muscles and challenge me to grow. Each moment (and movement) of creative birth gets wrapped in a warm blanket of assurance that I matter. I am matter. Yes, for me, this process is therapeutic, healing, and joyful.

If you're finding yourself indulging in an Artist's Soul Retreat this month, you'll love the new interview with Muse Lull (muse of pause, diversion, & gratitude) and this piece by Kristin Donovan: Journaling Heals All Wounds. (Read my reflections on Donovan's article in The Healing Power of Journaling.) •

Tony Buzan's Free Creativity Test at ThinkBuzan.com May-11-2010
The ThinkBuzan Creativity Test
Ashleigh Ryman, marketing executive at ThinkBuzan.com contacted me about taking part in 'a brand-new, ambitious new study their company is conducting, by way of an all-encompassing Creativity Test developed by Tony Buzan (leading lecturer on the brain and learning) called the ThinkBuzan System Test.'...

Scott Belsky's Book: Making Ideas Happen May-6-2010
Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality
Scott Belsky (founder and CEO of Behance and author at Creativity Portal) has just exhaled by publishing his 5-year book project Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality. Must be a hot little number, because according to his site it's now a Wall Street Journal bestseller. ...

"What would it be like if everyone ~ including the emerging, mid-level and even the highest paid creative ~ had been initiated into their creativity?"
~ Diana Rivera

Reflection: The Healing Power of Journaling May-4-2010
Inspired by Kristin Donovan's 'Journaling Heals All Wounds'
Expressive writing, including therapeutic journaling, have been invaluable tools to my own self-discovery and personal healing since reawakening to their power in the summer of 1996, months after my 29-year-old brother Tom was killed in a work-related accident. ...

"When I feel healthy, I am full of energy to create. If I don’t take care of myself, I pay the consequences."
~ Molly Anderson-Childers

Lulling Around for a Bit May-3-2010
Lull: Muse of Pause, Diversion, Gratitude
Sometimes you just gotta disengage and put your feet up for awhile. Do you rush through life too quickly, letting all the delicious, small details blur into the background? Read Lull's interview and see if you'd like to join me in putting your feet up for a bit (don't worry, it won't be defeeting) •