exercise Archives - Linda Nelson

STEP FORWARD INTO THE NEW YEAR……………

January 4, 2016

…….using one of my exercises from the past!

Personal storyboarding, journaling….. call it what you like, but cataloguing your dreams, goals, aspirations, feelings and reflective thoughts, or just plain having some creative fun with the fabulous being that you are is a wonderful way to commence the new year. Pictured below are a few I did in previous years.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Many folks journal on a regular basis, be it in written form or by using art/craft medium and materials, or perhaps, both. I’m not suggesting you commit; this is simply an idea for a New Year‘s creative play date with yourself. It might be an especially satisfying diversion for those who have demanding office based careers. This exercise is purely hands-on playtime!

I’ve gathered up some contending materials from my over-abundant stash of stuff and have chosen to use this little black gift box as a starting point.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Okay, now it’s your turn to gather some playtime materials and create your own personal storyboard!

Another crafty exercise I’m sharing with you today is for how to transform clear plastic packaging into something not so trash worthy. The box top was from the Christmas cards I purchased; the other piece is packaging from my new citrus zester.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Simply cut away unsuitable portions of the plastic until you are left with nice flat pieces, then grab a sanding block and sand both sides of the plastic to obtain a frosty-looking surface.

The rest is up to you; let your imagination do its thing. I chose to make a greeting card and a gift tag; I’ll definitely plan to make some more cards as I acquire more plastic to work with.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Linda Nelson 2015

As you can see, the plastic lends itself to hole punching, paint, sewing machine stitching, paint markers, adhesives, paper and stickers. With regard to the gift tag, my paper punch required a slightly more forceful “punch” than would normally be needed when using paper; I suggest not punching out too many shapes.

I bet that if you give these activities a try, you’ll come up with some fabulous things!

Now, get creative!

STEP FORWARD INTO THE NEW YEAR…………… Read More »

A NEW YEAR’S COLLAGE EXERCISE

Many years ago I took a business enrichment workshop led by designer, artist and author, Gail Toma. One required exercise was to create a visualization collage that best represented the life of my dreams. I found this activity both pleasurable and helpful with goals I sought to achieve. Below are a few I’ve made in years past. They each mark a period of time when I was either exploring the idea of a new direction in my life, or fine tuning a journey I was already on.

©Linda Nelson 2015

I think an activity like this is a wonderful way to commence the new year; however, this time I’m tweaking it slightly. No goals. No future thoughts. Pure, raw, in the moment expression. I could not have gotten where I am today without the past, and my goals for the future never cease to exist anyway. I’m celebrating the beginning of 2015 with creating a collage that visually reflects what I delight in, who I am and where I am at today. I invite you to do the same.

Grab some supplies and materials, and start cutting and pasting away. I’m fashioning mine bunting pennant style, a style I haven’t done before. After all, now is the time.

This exercise needn’t be completed in one sitting. Approach it, if you so choose, as if you were working on a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, chipping away at it in spurts. The most important aspect is to have fun visually expressing your current existence.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!