February 2019 - Why creative  hobbies are good for us

When we are into creative activities such as gardening, music, woodworking, dancing, painting, taking photographs, cake decorating, etc....we experience a sense of play, a state where we become fully engaged, losing a sense of time, feeling rewarded, energized.

Play and creativity enhances our well-being. When we suffer from anxiety and stress, it's difficult to be creative, but the irony is that being creative helps to generate happier feelings. If you're feeling down, try putting on some music and move or sing, writing down 5 things you are grateful for, laughing, or doing what you are passionate about. 

Creating for the sake of it - rather than focusing on the outcome - is what's important. And being creative has been proven to help with a range of emotional conditions. Take, for example, the power of music on people with dementia. Many dementia sufferers respond very positively to music, often unlocking memories that seemed to be gone, and offering a time when some communication is still possible. 

And the benefits to encouraging children to create are multiple. They learn and develop:
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• fine motor skills through the use of scissors and cutting straight and curved lines, and by holding crayons and paintbrushes
• creative thinking skills by exploring and trying new ideas
• problem solving skills as they have to figure out what will work for what they want to accomplish
• visual-spatial skills through drawing, working with clay, beading etc.
• innovation when encouraged to express themselves and take risks with their art. 

We begin to think differently when we embrace creativity and start to ask "What if" much more often.

January 2019 - Have you embraced Hygge?

If you haven't heard of Hygge, it's a Danish concept with no direct translation to English, but it's about creating an atmosphere or experience, a feeling of home, cosiness, happiness, and covers all six senses. Hygge is a year-round concept, but seems especially fitting now that winter has arrived.

Picture sharing an evening with friends over a homecooked meal, or a glass of wine during a painting night. Or maybe some time alone, curled up under a blanket and with a cup of hot cocoa and books to read. The sense of taste through Hygge is comforting, sweet, familiar.

Sounds are part of Hygge too - a crackling fire, the wind blowing through the trees, boots crackling on top of snow, the shrieks of children playing on the local ice rink.

Scents appeal to memories, of days gone by, comfort and safety, of fresh baked bread,  wet mittens drying, a beef stew cooking on the stove.

Cozying up in front of a fire with friends on a cold night is very hygge, especially after feeling the cold air on your face. Snuggling into a warm scarf and sweater. The warmth of handmade woolen mittens and hats, hand crafted wood tables, natural materials adding to the decor. Or getting your hands dirty with finger paints, moulding clay, perhaps knitting those woolen mittens.

Picture the beauty of that first hour after the sun comes up and again just before the sun sets. And the long shadows on the snow on a sunny winter afternoon.

Feel yourself slowing down. It's these quiet times when we find inspiration, when we appreciate all that we have. So watch those snowflakes as they fall. Find the wonder again. Recharge. Be creative in all that you do.

There are lots of books on Hygge. If you would like more information, spend a relaxing afternoon at the local bookstore or library with a warm cup of tea and peruse the books.

December 2018 - Care of craft tools & materials:

• Never leave your brushes in water with the bristles down for any extended period of time as the bristles may fall out!
• Use an Ivory Soap bar - or other unscented soap to clean your brushes, it helps to get that acrylic paint out of the bristles. If the paint doesn't get cleaned out, it can harden and ruin the brush. Or pick up some Masters Brush Cleaner at a local art supply store - cost is less than $10. 
• Don't throw out those old, ruined bushes. There are some techniques, such as pouncing and spattering, that prefer old brushes.
• If you don't have time to clean the brush properly, put it in the freezer and thaw it out later for thorough cleaning.
• Don't throw out old flat canvases that didn't turn out. Instead, cover them with gesso, then make a new painting. It may take a couple of coats to cover, but don't waste money buying a new canvas.
• Styrofoam trays that meat comes on are great to use as a painting palette, also heavy freezer paper.
• For jars (podgy, gel medium, etc.) that have lids that regularly get stuck and are hard to open, spread a bit of vaseline petroleum jelly around the inside of the lids. Makes opening so much easier.
• If you are a coloured pencil user, the best way to clean your pencil sharpener is by sharpening lead pencils in it after each day's use. The lead pencils help get rid of the wax build-up.
• When gluing papers, work on top of pages from a glossy magazine. The papers won't stick to the glossy sheets, and they will protect your surface, then they can be tossed afterwards. Use a fresh sheet for each glue job
• Cereal bags work great too when gluing - a good way to use up those bags before throwing them away. Rinse, cut open and leave to dry before using. I keep a big stash on hand for this purpose They also work well if you need to protect a small area on a table when painting.

November 2018 - Organizing Tips
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With fall having now arrived and winter approaching, many people have turned to reorganizing closets, cleaning out garages, getting living spaces and studios organized. Here are some tips that may help with some of the organizing challenges:

• If you have trouble keeping your clothes closet tidy and organized, here are two ideas that may work for you: organize by type of clothes, eg. shirts together, pants, skirts, etc.  -- or organize it by colour. This last one works for me. When I get up in the morning, my choice is about what colour to wear. See which one of these works for you.
• Clear, plastic shoe boxes and other clear totes work great for storing supplies, as you can easily see the contents. For small items, try mason jars, an attractive way to keep multiples of one item on hand.
• It's easy to lose paint colour chips, and paint cans don't always have the information or sometimes get painted over. Keep all your paint chips in one spot, and indicate on the chip which room the paint is for.
• A binder with sheet protectors works great to keep those loose papers organized that you need to keep but don't really have a spot for - things like take-out menus, a phone list from a club, papers from the school ...
• Use a tray to organize items on a table top or kitchen island.
• A pretty bowl is great for tossing keys into that may get misplaced otherwise.
• Old coffee cups can hold pens, pencils and paint brushes.
• Re-use old spice jars to store beads and other small craft items.
• String up an old clothesline or rope in your workshop, and use paperclips, bulldog clips or clothespins to pin up ideas, notes and works in progress. 

October 2018 Tips

We often hear people say "I don't have a creative bone in my body". We disagree. People are born  creative, but often we believe we are not creative as we grow up. Everyone is creative in different ways, expressing their creativity through everyday life, activities, relationships. It could be the way you tell a story, planning meals for family and friends, projects around the home, problem solving at the office. No special talent is required, just a desire and a willingness to learn and grow. What does creativity mean to you? 

The Navan Fine Arts Group plans to share a palette of tips each month on different aspects of creativity that we hope will be useful for you. This month's tips focuses on creating a look - whether you're painting a picture, or making a table centrepiece perhaps for Thanksgiving, or another project. 

⦁ Consider working with an unusual shape or size.

⦁ Arrangements look best when there is an odd number of items, adding some rhythm to the overall look. 

⦁ Add impact and interest by putting objects off-centre, or if making a picture, having objects look like they fall of the edge of the canvas.  

⦁ Consider unusual perspectives: worm's-eye view or bird's eye view

⦁ Adding a contrasting colour can make a display much more dynamic than a monotone arrangement. If you’re not sure about a colour to add or where to place an object, try painting it on acetate sheet first or taking a photo and altering the look in one of the design softwares. 

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