The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.” – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2008 Relief Society Broadcast

I still remember when President Uchtdorf gave this talk, “Happiness, Your Heritage”.  It hit me that creativity is something that can be accomplished daily – daily!!  Many times it is already happening and I just need the eyes to see it.  Thus I begin my new habit for the next 21 days. I will recognize the creativity in my life.  I will create and journal it here.  Thanks to Rhonna Farrer for the inspiration.  Her challenge (many rounds ago) in 2006 is how this blog began.  Now for the 21st round (how could I not participate in the 21st round of the 21-Day Challenge??) I  will journal my creativity habit.  Starting today and ending on Thanksgiving Day.  Perfect.

Today we created happy sharing memories with friends.  Every Friday here is Friend’s Day.  From 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. we open our home, backyard, and mostly the treehouse 😉 to any friends that want to play.  I love it.  It is a time to celebrate friendship and learn how to get along with those we love.  Here we cherish friendships and friend’s day.

It also means the other days during that time are family days.  I love that time too.  Time to create memories and learn together with the people we will be spending eternities with.  That’s very important too.

Today after I scooped ice cream cones (because these special days mean special treats) I remembered visiting my Great-Grandma Alder.  She always had ice cream and cones on hand.  Shortly after we arrived at her place for a visit she would say “Sheldon, get the cones”.  And Great-Grandpa would every time.  I remember that about our visits the most.  That and the amazing marble maze upstairs and the shuffleboard downstairs.  🙂

I will be putting photos into these posts as I find time.  Photography is one of my favorite creative expressions.

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” – Henry Dubois

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” – Alan Cohen

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin to Pooh

🙂

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart believe it, I know I can achieve it.” – Jesse Jackson

So you’ve probably guessed that the word is… courage. Another neat one to ponder. I shall leave with this quote that spoke to me. A good one to remember it at the end of a hard day.:

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Inked overlay (recolored) and flowers by Rhonna Farrer; font: Porcelain

All papers, brushes and elements by Rhonna Farrer, except for music wings by Helen Parkinson. Fonts: Holiday Serif, Kiss Me and MA Sexy

I was blessed with parents that encouraged my creativity. I want my children to also feel safe expressing and using their imagination. That is one of the gifts that I can give them – my encouragement, attention and love. I want my blog to, among many other things, show my whimsical side.

A habit is an interesting thing to contemplate. Of course there are good and not-so-good ones. There are ones I have been trying to create for a while. Washing all the dishes every day (still looking forward to the day when that is a chore the kiddos can do – 🙂 ), keeping up on the laundry before there are massive piles, and keeping the living room in somewhat of an orderly condition. The living room is one of the most challenging – with three mobile children and one that loves to be held and cuddled. Jacob and Joshua are both getting much better at picking up one toy before moving on to a next, so that’s a blessing. Anyway – there are other habits too, like reading my scriptures daily and reading to my kiddos too.

Today I was thinking that perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to develop little happy habits as well. Having a little me time every day is good. A long time ago I wrote a little list of the things that make me happy – everything from homemade lemon soap to thunderstorms to fresh fruit to building sand castles to well-written songs. I need to dig out that list again and have some happy moments. Here’s to creating all kinds of good healthy habits!

I have found some be-au-tiful quotes. I’m going to list them here and use them for inspiration. Some are about habits and some are ones I stumbled on looking for habit quotes.

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” – Muhammed Ali

“If you don’t like the news, go and make your own.” – Anonymous

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” – Francis Bacon

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard

“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” – Spanish Proverb

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” – Winston Churchill

Since I’m helping with story hour at the library tomorrow – this one jumped out at me:

“Library. Here is where people, one frequently finds, lower their voices and raise their minds.” – Richard Armour

I think that goes for little people too. 🙂

And here’s a quote that sums up what I am trying to do with this 21 Day Challenge:

“Learn as much by writing as by reading.” – Lord Acton

I have no idea who Lord Acton is, but he sounds pretty wise. 😉 Good luck to everyone with their personal quests on this challenge.

I have grand visions of how my blog should look. I want it to be fun and inspiring, at least to me. 🙂 But if I put off posting until it is beautiful, it might not happen anytime soon. The main reason I want to blog is to journal about my family and me. Photos are good – they help tell the story of us. And I love photos! So I begin…

My blog name comes from an event I witnessed years ago. I was a college student on the verge of finals and just knew my life was challenging. I went to visit a basement music store to take my mind off things. As I walked up the stairs coming out of the store, I saw that it had been raining and muddy puddles were everywhere. A young pig-tailed girl in front of me became the victim of one of those puddles. I started walking quickly, so that I could help her up and maybe dry a tear or two. Instead, I saw her hop up, giggle and then begin to splash joyfully. The view of my current life changed. I might have challenges and difficult things to face, but by golly, I could still find joy. Joy in the trials even. My “Pollyanna” moment has been a tremendous blessing for me. I proudly proclaim that I am a “Puddle Jumper”. It doesn’t hurt that I have always had a child-like view and personality. 🙂

One thing that encouraged me to post is the challenge going on at Rhonna’s blog. The challenge is all about making or breaking a habit in 21 days. I have wanted to start a blog for so long. I certainly read enough of them. I need to take the time to tell my story as well. So, even if it is a short entry, I will blog for the next 21 days. It might be a little more sporadic after that. But I will be consistant for the next three weeks – :). Each week there will be a new word for us to ponder and find quotes about, perhaps create an art journal page or scrapbook layout with. The word for this first week is Habit. I found two wonderful quotes so far:

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” – Mark Twain

That one made me laugh. The next quote makes me want to focus on creating good habits.

“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconcious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character…” – Steven R. Covey

I will leave with a photo that I hope becomes a habit very, very soon – Backyard Picnics. 🙂 lol.

Brush Stroke on photo by Michelle Coleman. Fonts: SA Cinta and Artistamp Medium