The Saturday Morning Post: Challenge Your Creativity to Grow

I try not to ask others to do something, I am not willing to try doing myself. Well sort of, I am not going to try neurosurgery, or changing the doohickies in my car.  This year I led the committee that set the themes for the local arts council shows.  Some of the ideas were mine, some were not my idea, but for all of them, I agreed that they were good. That we would ask our creative community to create art for those themes. Under the policy of not asking others to do something I am not willing to try myself, this has pushed me to challenge my creativity. 

One of the themes is "Still Life and Real Life."  I have never painted still life works. If I am going to ask others to do so, I should try. And I have. Are they great works of art destined to hang in a museum for centuries? When I stop laughing, I know they are not, but they are the best still life paintings I have ever done. I enjoyed creating them. I learned and grew by creating them. Without this challenge, I probably never would have. 

Challenge yourself to create in new ways this week. 

There is a YouTube series where an artist challenge himself to create 30 paintings in 30 days. He outlined a plan for different styles he wanted to try his hand at. The video said 30 in 30 days, his follow up video explained that he worked on planning for a couple of months, and several of the works took several days to complete, he may not have created all 30 in a 30 day period.  Still he challenged himself to create 30 unique works, exploring 30 styles and techniques. He learned and grew by challenging himself to be creative. 

How will you challenge your creativity this week.

Friday Frivolity

Martha 100, when I saw this book cover, my first thought was, "I know she is old, but she is not that old." (Google tells me she is 84.) A couple of years ago she appeared in an advertising campaign, apparently filmed shortly after far too much Botox. She does not seem to have repeated that, it is nice to see her face moving again. Whoever designed this book cover, really should have shown it to me before they went to print. 

I was in DC last week to have lunch with a friend, and I walked down the Kennedy Center to see the tarp that was put up when that evil name was pried off the front of the building.  There were two security guards out front to keep people behind the barricades. One of them asked what I was looking for, I said, "The same thing everyone else is, what is behind the tarp." He responded, "only god knows, and she isn't telling anyone!" 

You know, Trump lies so often, that if he tells the truth, most people don't believe him. 

Have some fun today! 

Thursday Ramble: Dress for Success

My college alumni association keeps trying to organize a Washington DC chapter, and turn out reportedly is underwhelming, so they try again a year or so later and make the exact same mistake. The organizing meeting is a cocktail party at a "Private Club" in DC, hosted by a prominent local alumnus. The "Club" has a strict dress code, men MUST wear a coat and tie, and NO ATHLETIC SHOES. I simply decline the invitation, I don't dress for dinner, I have worn dress shoes once in the past five years, and then only when I had a relatively short distance to walk or time that I expected to stand in them.  I wear mostly running shoes. I have a couple of pair in simple black, with black soles. They are not flashy Air-someone's, they are simple dark shoes that I can walk and stand in for two or three hours. I am old, my feet and legs are not what they once were. I wear shoes that fit my needs.  The last time I wore a tie was a funeral, the next time I wear one, will probably be another funeral. This is not 1926, we don't dress for dinner. The dress code is decades out of date with the way people live. It is attempt at elitism. 

I don't need to dress to impress. 

I have only once been turned away for not being appropriately dressed at a restaurant. And it gave me one of my favorite stories.  It was January of 1991 in Paris, I was wearing Levis 501's, a navy blue Scottish wool sweater (I still have the sweater), an expensive brown leather jacket, and timberland hiking boots, and the doorman at Maxim's literally pushed me back in the taxi at lunch time. We went around the corner, up a narrow side street and had an extraordinary lunch in a tiny restaurant with Michelin Stars on the wall, and a lifetime of storytelling.  If you are going to be turned away at the door, this is a great place to start. I won't try to go there again.   

My World of Wonders June 24, 2026

Where have I been this week? Into DC for a long walk, lunch with a
friend, and another long walk. Out to lunch at a local Tex-Mex restaurant. Dropped a friend off at the airport, the Farmers Market, the pool, the treadmill, the community center. The pool, the treadmill. Out to Dulles to see a friend who is visiting the area. 

Who have a talked with this week?  Erica, Giuseppe, Michelle, Kevin, Jon, Ruth, Amy, Rebecca, Bonnie, Dian, Joan, Pratibha, Rebecca, Marcell, Susan, Paul, Jennifer, Guido, and Jennifer. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Not much, we went out to eat three days in a row. I started a batch of spicy pickles. Saturday was smokes sausage, cheddar mashed potatoes and a simple salad with a fresh vinaigrette. Sunday meatloaf, baked potatoes, and sauteed zucchini and mushrooms. 

What is below? Three of the over 40 works in the most recent community art show. 

The General by me (Yes, I would sell it.) 

Land that I Love, Rebecca (available for purchase) 

Iwo Jima Memorial, Paul P. 

Travel Tuesday: Sails on the Potomac at Alexandria Virginia

 

Monday Moods: Hopeful for the Future

**

Saturday afternoon was the opening of the latest community art show. My co-chair had a schedule conflict so I was solo in hosting the opening reception and it was great fun. The theme is 250 Years of Red White and Blue. Some took this literally and included red, white and blue in their art, others interpreted this to mean things that celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Many of the contributors talked about their work, I spoke for those who were not there. Everyone was brief, we moved through at a nice pace. 

One that I described is a photo of a car with political bumper stickers on the back of it. Why would we include that image? Well, what is more American than expressing our political opinions? The contributor explained in her submission, that she had parked at a shopping center and came out to find a note on her car, disagreeing with her political bumper stickers, and I have to think "what is more American than disagreeing with politics?" We can have differing points of view, we can express our political views, we don't have to agree - except to agree that others are allowed to have their views. When I said this in the reception, everyone across the political spectrum nodded and expressed agreement. This country was founded on political and economic differences. *

There is a four canvas mixed media work talking about the struggle for women's rights.  A really neat piece. 

I challenge our neighbors to be creative. The next show goes up in early August on a theme of "Explosion of Color." I urged those at the reception, if you don't have something for this show, you have a month to create something. Go for it. 

* A struggle on total freedom of thought, is at what point do we limit hate speech? And how do we keep those limits from becoming tyranny? 

** The sculpture above. The artist has a studio in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, they meticulously cut layer after layer of fiberboard to form the shape, then paint the work in amazing colors. I should take a sculpture class someday. 

The Sunday Five: Tell Us About Yourself

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? 

My answers: 

1: Where do you hope to travel to in the next year? Alaska. 

2: Is there a trip you keep putting off, that you know you really should take? A friends and family trip to Florida. 

3: What bloger(s) would you you like to have lunch with? Michael, Mitchell, John, Bob, Mistress, Sharon, Angus, Neil, Steve, Diane, Ken, Walt, I have probably left a few out. 

4: What is your favorite way to travel? Often, I enjoy flying, by ship, by train, driving needs to be in short intervals. 

5: When I am in your area, should I make plans ahead, or just drop by? Always plan ahead. 

Please share your answers in the comments.