Play!

December 23rd, 2008

The (totally optional) theme for Creative Every Day in January 2009 will be...Play!

This year, I will be choosing a monthly theme for Creative Every Day Challenge participants. I've chosen themes that have helped inspire me and I hope that you will find some creative mojo in them as well! The themes will be general words, so that they can easily be manipulated to work with whatever creative mode or medium you are working in at the moment. Throughout the month of January, I'll be sharing some of the ways I use play to infuse my daily life with creativity. Feel free to embrace the theme for the entire month or any part of the month, if it speaks to you!

How to use the themes:

If you're feeling creatively stuck or blocked at any point during the month, use the theme as a source of inspiration to get you moving.
In the case of play, explore how you can get playful with your work, journal about what play means to you, make a piece of work using the word play in it, or more simply....just play!
Using the theme is entirely optional for CED participants. Use it if it inspires you, ignore it if it doesn't.
I'll be sharing posts throughout the month around the theme (among other things) to get you thinking about how to incorporate that particular theme into your life. Feel free to make suggestions or share how you use that theme in your creative worlds throughout the month.
Feel free to focus on the theme in your creative activities for the entire month or as much as you'd like.
Have fun with it!

I created the picture above through play and a bit of fun. My work table is covered with with craft paper and there were already doodles and paint smudges on it. So, I added some more, painted the word play and added some fun dodads. Then I posterized it in Photoshop to get what you see above.

Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn't taste good. -Lucia Capocchione

Posted by Leah on December 23rd, 2008 in art, creative every day 08, creative every day 2009, creativity, inspiration, mixed-media, play | Permalink | 34 Comments |

34 Responses

Brilliant. Love the idea of having themes to engage with. And love the playful, spontaneous image you created!

Posted by: Jennifer Lee | Dec 23, 2008 at 12:43 pm |

One word can stimulate so much & I think “play” is a great way to start off the new year. It’s a good word to remember when I start to take myself too seriously.

Posted by: Regina | Dec 23, 2008 at 2:30 pm |

How deliciously exciting!
I’m off down the beach until the first but I may start a little early being creative everyday since I’ve decided to leave the reading books behind and just take the sketchbooks!

Leah & Family, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I will see you in 2008.

Posted by: JaniceMarie | Dec 23, 2008 at 3:33 pm |

hi leah!
what a wonderful theme and i love what you created!
happy holidays! 2009 is going to be so much fun!
xo
melissa

Posted by: Melissa | Dec 23, 2008 at 4:15 pm |

yay…PLAY…I like that!!!

Posted by: Apple | Dec 23, 2008 at 10:28 pm |

Play! What a marvelous prompt to get us started. I’m re-learning how to do just that very thing, how to play. I think, as we get older, we forget what it means to really just “play”, to let go and just have fun without regard to the outcome.
Thank you so much…this is wonderful.
I think I will make a nice large collage of just the word PLAY to hang above my studio table to keep me motivated all month…or maybe all the time! *smile*
Happy Holidays!
Peace & Love,
~Barb~

Posted by: ~Barb~ | Dec 24, 2008 at 12:33 am |

Yes! I like this idea!

Posted by: Autumn | Dec 24, 2008 at 3:39 am |

i want to join in this new year! merry christmas!
sheri

Posted by: sheri | Dec 24, 2008 at 4:28 am |

Ooo, I can do play! I do it every day with my daughter. What a wonderful way to start the year.

Posted by: Kathryn | Dec 24, 2008 at 9:48 am |

i love your first theme of play! count me in for 2009…2008 was so much fun, let’s do it again!! thanks for all you do here and for sharing your wonderful creativity with all of us!!

Posted by: lucy | Dec 24, 2008 at 1:39 pm |

Leah,

PLAY is such a wonderful four letter word! January is going to be fun.

Thanks again and a very merry holiday to you!

Posted by: Snap | Dec 24, 2008 at 10:31 pm |

Great theme to kick off the year. It ties in with my Christmas gift to you and all of my blog friends. Swing by my blog to download your present and to play a little. Thanks for the continued inspiration. I look forward to playing with you and the other creative lovelies in January and throughout 2009.

Merry Christmas and Cheers to a creative 2009!
{soul hugs}
Kathryn

Posted by: Kathryn – Collage Diva | Dec 25, 2008 at 8:44 am |

Finally getting “things” in my life straightened out and need/want something to propel me forward (rather than sitting in the same spot). So I want to “play”!

Posted by: Judy | Dec 25, 2008 at 9:09 am |

Thank you.

I want to start in this New Year 2009.
Such a wonderful new year.

Posted by: Lay Hoon | Dec 26, 2008 at 5:08 am |

Leah…I can’t wait to kick off 2009 with Play…what an awesome theme… This year is going to ROCK! Thank you again for putting together such a wonderful and inspiring blog for us to come and create and to get to know each other..What a wonderful experience it has been… 2009 will even be better.
Wishing you and everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Cheers!

Posted by: michelle Schafer | Dec 27, 2008 at 8:02 am |

Ohhh! Can’t wait to start “play”-ing!

Gayle

Posted by: Gayle | Dec 27, 2008 at 12:13 pm |

Great Theme! If you haven’t added me to your 2009 list, please do! I’m glad to get back to some art creativity again, now that I have the time!

Posted by: donna | Dec 27, 2008 at 2:40 pm |

This is a great idea. I love having a monthly theme, with ideas posted through the month of how people are using it. That is really great. I hope 2009 is a creative, productive year for all us CED 2009 participants!

Posted by: Dale | Dec 27, 2008 at 8:34 pm |

I can’t wait! I am setting some time aside tomorrow to create a typepad photo album in order to post my creative lovelies as they come into the world! Thank you so much for being the Creatrix you are and keeping us all inspired!

Posted by: Lunarmusings | Dec 27, 2008 at 9:31 pm |

I LOVE the theme of ‘play’ as the first theme of the year. How fun! Thanks for putting together a inspiring community for us to share our creativity. Can’t wait for 2009!

Posted by: christy | Dec 27, 2008 at 11:13 pm |

will watch with interest! broken bones prevent joining in at the moment ;(

Posted by: Guzzisue | Dec 28, 2008 at 4:59 pm |

What a great idea; please count me in, I’ve blogged about it at http://www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com and am figuring out how to add your wonderful button.
I’mm looking forward to being Creative Everyday in 2009.
Thanks!

Posted by: Sandra | Dec 29, 2008 at 9:49 am |

I’m going to try this again! I fizzled out late in the year but hopefully if I keep trying, one of these years I’ll do it EVERY day. I like the idea of playing. Even at my age I can still be a kid at heart!

Posted by: Janet | Dec 29, 2008 at 2:46 pm |

Do we need to sign up again? Or can we just carry over. Either way, count me in CED 09!
Woot!
a.

Posted by: Andie | Dec 30, 2008 at 10:44 am |

I’d love to give this a whirl. Sign me up.

Posted by: Evnissyen | Dec 31, 2008 at 7:25 am |

This is probably a silly question, but where would we share our work on here? Would it be on this post if we make a comment? Or is there a designated place for that?

Thank you.

Posted by: A~Lotus | Dec 31, 2008 at 6:54 pm |

If it’s not to late – I would love to join in. This is a fabulous concept “o)

Posted by: DaBatt | Jan 17, 2009 at 11:50 pm |

Leah, your creativity is a great find today… it explodes litres and litres of colorful possibilities around me… please count me in… Play Play yeahhh

Posted by: memi | Jan 20, 2009 at 7:46 am |

If only the theme were “play on words,” my last CED entry would totally fit!

Posted by: Adam | Jan 26, 2009 at 7:28 pm |

[...] I’d start by picking up the theme from January and combining it with February. That gives me Play + Words – and I knew exactly what I wanted to [...]

Posted by: Playing with Words « Writing, Reading & Reflections | Feb 1, 2009 at 11:54 pm |

Playing with Words…

Since it is February 1st – and even though the Creative Every Day prompt won’t be coming out until tomorrow, I thought I’d start by picking up the theme from January and combining it with February. That gives me Play + Words – and I knew e…

Posted by: Writing, Reading & Reflections | Feb 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm |

Hi, I am late, I was “playing” with little inchies! An I am looking forward to be creative in 2009.
Regards
Waltraud

Posted by: Waltraud | Feb 9, 2009 at 7:58 am |

Kids play all the time-
Where does it say we have to stop playing, and act like adults ALL- THE -TIME ???

I LOVE this theme !

What you created, Leah, is * Very Cool *

My work table is pristine white since I always protect it with a big posterboard.
Maybe it would be playful to mess it up a bit ?

I like the way you and ” The Hubster ” relaxed.

Peace,
Elizabeth C.

Posted by: Elizabeth Colvin | Dec 10, 2009 at 1:47 pm |

Leah, thanks for keeping us up on our toes!

Much love, and love the Play aspect.