Creative Challenges

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Megan Warren

It’s a new year, so it’s time to think about our creative pursuits for the coming year. I participate in a variety of creative challenges throughout the year to try new themes or techniques, but also to keep myself challenged and my art fresh.

Here are some free creative activities that you can take part in:

Photo challenges – there are a variety of photo challenges available throughout the year:

Photo a day hosted by Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim Each month a new list of prompts is shared for the community.

Lisa Rough from Sacred Circle Creative Life has embarked on a gratitude photo a day project for 2016 inspired by Brene Brown’s Gifts of Imperfections online course. She has created a Facebook group to create a community for those taking part. If you are on Instagram you can tag your
photos with #366daysofuntamedordinary

Capture your Grief – 31 days of mindful healing,
reflection and storytelling hosted by CarlyMarie Project Heal
each October in honour of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month.

Susannah Conway hosts
the August Break and December Reflections photo prompts in the months of August and December.

Art challenges

Lisa Sonora hosts a 30 day journal project each January – this years theme is Creative Fire.

Anoeska from the Netherlands is hosting Zenuari a daily zentangle challenge – she has put together a challenge booklet that can be downloaded from her website. She suggests that if posting daily is too much pressure, you could make it a weekly challenge.

Louise Gale is hosting a weekly challenge – A Year of Nature Art – each week focuses on a different theme, the theme for week one is leaves. Louise will be sharing photos, sketches and her creations to her Instagram and facebook page.

So what are my creative challenges for this year?

I’m participating in Lisa’s 366 days of untamed ordinary photo challenge, I’m sharing my daily photos on Instagram.

I’m also considering joining Louise’s Year of Nature Art as I’m challenging myself to draw different things in an attempt to improve my drawing skills.

For the month of January I’m working on a journal prompt project using Mandala sacred symbol stones from Sarah Wilder – The Fifth Element Life. Each day I post a new mandala inspired by the prompt. I share the prompts on Instagram and my Facebook page

Grief, Healing, Loss

Uplift

Posted on November 15, 2015November 15, 2015 by Megan Warren

I am honoured to be a contributor to Uplift – a collaborative series of conscious healing for hurting hearts this holiday season.

To find out more about Uplift and the contributors visit CarlyMarie Project Heal and the event on Facebook.

Mandalas

Exploring Mandalas

Posted on November 7, 2015November 7, 2015 by Megan Warren

In June 2014 I was preparing for surgery and couldn’t sleep worrying about it. I chatted with my friend CarlyMarie about starting a new journal and drawing mandalas again.

I first started exploring mandalas in 2002 when I was hospitalized with pregnancy complications, my son and I would colour mandalas when he came to visit. I found it relaxing and I started colouring them too.

Then I started drawing my own mandalas. I drew them freehand and with a compass. I have drawn them on and off over the years. For me they are an exercise in relaxation creating a meditative like state.

After chatting with CarlyMarie I started drawing mandalas again, spending my recovery time after surgery drawing mandalas.

I shared with my online friend Kathryn about picking back up my mandala practice and she was keen to join me. From our chats 100 Mandalas was born. Encouraging people to draw 100 mandalas was born. Since October 2014 when 100 Mandalas was launched I have drawn hundreds of mandalas and met many people who share a love of all things mandala.

One of the things that I wanted to do when rediscovering my mandala practice, was to share mandalas with others through workshops. Since then I have had the opportunity to facilitate many workshops through our local bookshop community groups.

Now it is time for me to branch out and offer my own workshops, with the first being held at the end of the month.

What I love about mandalas are the infinite possibilities – there are so many different ways to create a mandala: drawn freehand or with a compass, ruler and pencil. Coloured pencil, pen, painted or mixed media mandalas, also digital mandalas