Sparking Family Creativity

Family Drawing Time
Originally uploaded by momofthreewi

The past week has been practically bursting with creativity at our house and I am loving it. It all started last week with a mother-daughters field trip to meet one of our favorite authors. Jeanne Birdsall wrote an absolutely delightful book for middle grade readers called The Penderwicks. I read it aloud with the girls a couple summers ago and we all enjoyed it immensely. If you have children between the ages of about 8 and 12, pick it up for them. I'm certain you will fall in love with the characters just as we did. The girls are such excellent readers (Annie is almost never without a book by her side, stealing a few moments to read a few more pages whenever she can), but we still enjoy reading books aloud together. It can be difficult sometimes to fit in the time to do it, but we do the best we can because it's something we all value so much.

When I heard there was a sequel to The Penderwicks coming out and that the author herself would be speaking and signing books at a wonderful bookstore about an hour from our house last Friday night, the girls and I couldn't wait to go. When Jeanne Birdsall, the real-live writer of this real-live book that we loved, walked into the room and started sharing what inspires her to write her books, I thought Caroline was going to turn inside out from excitement. "That was so cool" came out of her mouth no less than five times after she was done speaking and had signed the girls' books. Caroline adores writing, so this was akin to a little football fan meeting Brett Favre. And as an aspiring writer myself, I was equally inspired by the evening and enjoyed every moment. The boys stayed home and did whatever fathers and sons do when they have the house to themselves and we had a very special girls' night out that we will always remember. We've already started reading the sequel, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, and it's like visiting your favorite relatives after a long separation. We can't wait to see what happens next.

The girls with author Jeanne Birdsall (can you tell they're excited?):


Following that event, a new book I had ordered arrived in the mail and I couldn't wait to crack it open. This one is The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. This book is stuffed to the brim with ideas to help you connect creatively as a family, through fun and unique projects, lovely traditions, exploring nature and much, much more. I have already flagged a number of pages that inspired me, but we started with a very simple idea first...Family Drawing Time. I purchased a sketch book for each of us and a few special drawing pencils and crayons. So simple. We gathered around the table after dinner one evening this week and everyone drew together at the same time. Annie suggested we put some ideas on little slips of paper in a bowl, pull one out and then everyone could draw their version of that item (for example, a tea cup, any candy, a flower, etc.). It was so fun to see the different variations each of us created and I loved the sharing we did after each "round", offering praise and admiring each other's work. It was a simple, lovely family moment that sparked creativity in all of us, even those of us who don't consider ourselves to be even remotely good at drawing (raising my hand here). The next night at dinner, Theo eagerly asked "Can we have Family Drawing Time again tonight?" That is the mark of success in my book. I highly recommend checking out the book yourself and finding some activities that spark creativity in your family.

Finally, I continue to be inspired creatively by my new camera. I am so amazed and even moved by the beautiful images that are showing up when I download them from my camera. I am so inspired by the tiniest little items around me that I could never have done justice to with my previous cameras. Smudge is my eager sidekick on my many outings to explore the often-missed beauty all around our community and I am so touched by the many little signs of spring that I might not have seen if I wasn't out there looking for them. Even if you don't have a camera or you don't enjoy photography, take a little time to notice the tiny buds forming on the trees and bushes, the daffodils and hyacinths beginning to peek out of the earth and the fresh, new leaves pushing their way free. It is such a special but fleeting time of year and it's so easy to miss it.

Some of my favorite captures from the past week (click photos to see larger versions):