Kreativ Blogger Award

I've been named a Kreativ Blogger by Gera Scott Chandler at Amused Creations, http://amusedcreations.blogspot.com/. I'm honored that she chose my blog as a source of inspiration. We found each other through the One World, One Heart giveaway last month. She works in polymer clay and I work with paper. Nonetheless, we apparently inspire one another as ideas can come from anywhere, anyone and any medium.

I explored the internet a bit to learn more about this "award" and discovered that it has been given to all different genres of blogs: art, religion, writing, etc. The requirements have varied over time but the main idea is to provide a list of things on your blog that inspire you. You then pass on the names of other bloggers that may have inspired you so that they then may inspire others. Lots of inspiration being thrown about! So, basically it is like the children's game of tag "you're it", or if you are on the cynical side, like a chain letter that arrives in the mailbox promising 96 different pairs of socks.

I choose the more enticing tag analogy and provide this list of seven things that inspire me (in no particular order) and three other bloggers (also, in no particular order) that make me think, smile, drool and/or stop in my tracks for a bit:

* Color - I don't have any brown in my house except for a wooden floor (which I love), kitchen cabinets (which I like) and one chair (which is just ok). To offset the brown chair, there is a fun small, orange patterned ottoman that goes with it. I especially like to observe the way one color will play off another.

* Water - I am always drawn to water. It is never the same: calm/dangerous, sparkly/dreary, blue/black, shallow/deep, cold/warm and so on and so on and so on.

* Vacation - Our annual week-long vacation to a cottage "up north" on Long Lake near Traverse City, Michigan is always special for so many reasons. Actually, I guess most any vacation is inspiring. New mental images can be provided for such a very long time afterwards.

* Teaching - I always learn when I teach. If I didn't continue to learn a bit of something from my students, I don't think I would continue to do it.

* Other artists - Enjoying the company, support and talents of other local and online artists is immeasurable. I am in awe of some because of their talent, others because of their generosity, others because of their ability to talk about their work in a way that is illuminating and not boastful.

* Learning - I love taking workshops because learning always can enhance what you are doing or will do in the future. I'm not usually very social during a workshops because I become so self-absorbed. If I'm ever in a workshop with you, please don't take my concentration and lack of conversation personally.

* Family - My kids are talented, bright, fun and eager (most of the time, I'm not delusional thinking they are perfect!). My husband is working harder for much less payoff right now. Nonetheless, as he must, as we all must do, he keeps going.

As for other blogs that inspire me, I nominate the following three bloggers and hope that you might find them inspiring as well:

Joanne Thieme Huffman at Ad Libitum, http://joannethiemehuffman.typepad.com/

Kathy LaRocco at Artful-Musings, http://artful-musings-of-kathyl.blogspot.com/

Lulu Moon at How Art Saved My Life, http://lulumoonmymuse.blogspot.com/

Have an inspiring day!


Lorrie