Tag: re:create

All of the Above

I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say "I'm not creative" just in the last eighteen months. I disagree. We are all creative, as humans created in the image of a creative God. We've misunderstood creativity. We've unlearned the creativity so natural to children. We've allowed the critical voices to occupy space … Continue reading All of the Above

Everything Thrums

As I prepare this post, Teen has the TV on while watching videos on his phone and Tween stares into the computer game abyss. The competing sounds drown out the natural world: birdsong, chattering squirrels, leaves rustling in the (too) slight summer breeze. My friend Bruce encourages us to listen, to tap into the flow, … Continue reading Everything Thrums

Finding My Tribe

Some days you issue a simple request, and the fulfillment of that request moves you in unanticipated ways... In this case, I asked a long-time friend, "Will you write for my blog?" His submission whisked me back to the magical summer when we met (even before reading this piece, I did think of it as … Continue reading Finding My Tribe

Seasonal Recreation

How did you play when you were young? And how do you play now? I used to swim and bike for what seemed like days on end. I took art classes, played piano, and read. These days I hike or run or practice yoga. I write, play at art, and have an ever-growing stack of … Continue reading Seasonal Recreation

When It Clicks

College, first semester freshman year, I had a professor (in a non-writing class) who taught me one of the most useful skills I have ever learned: freewriting. "For the next minute [or three, or five], put pencil to paper and Do Not Stop! If you cannot think of anything to write, write that. If that … Continue reading When It Clicks

Recreate, Re-Create, Create

Ah, family vacations...! Since my dad traveled for work, our family didn't take a lot of vacations. At the other extreme, my husband's family shared annual adventures, each year a new version of the Great American Road Trip. A few years ago we took our kids on a two-week camping road trip--nine states, five national … Continue reading Recreate, Re-Create, Create

Overwhelmed

I received a rejection slip! Of course I'm disappointed, but here's the catch: all creative ventures involve risk. I took a risk. It didn't pan out the way I'd hoped, but I took it nonetheless. I am creating, and putting my work out there, and it's a step in the right direction. This post just … Continue reading Overwhelmed

Thankful Thursday – Reading April-May 2017

Reading has always been one of my favorite recreational activities. I read to lose and find myself in stories of people like me in situations unlike any I've ever--or will ever--encounter. I read to explore the world, different cultures far and near. I read to find our common humanity, our shared emotion in vastly different … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Reading April-May 2017

Art Therapy

Dr. Seuss writes, "Oh, the places you will go!" which I echo, "Oh, the places our children will lead us..." Before Teen was born, I could never have imagined that he would lead me hunting for and racing snails, and later, in search of snakes in the jungles of Costa Rica. LaRae Seifert was Frank-ly surprised … Continue reading Art Therapy

Word Doodles

Most of us want to fit in. But often creative types just don't--their forms of play, of self-expression, set them apart from the crowd. Many of us learn to love that about ourselves, at least most of the time. Then again, it's also nice to receive appreciation for our unique gifts and our very selves. … Continue reading Word Doodles