Family Positive Portrait Workshop, the art of being lovely to each other

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have such a beautiful extended family or bunch of friends who could come together to make fun portraits focusing  on what we love about ourselves and each other?

It has always been a dream of mine to teach some  art classes  in America, preferably around the Portland Oregin, San Francisco area and this dream became  partially true last Sunday for a couple of hours.

The Vail family who come originally from around the Oregin area  came to Rotorua for Christmas and we ran a group arty, mixed media  workshop about positive portraits.

Portraits for me was a pretty lose and open term, because I think portraits can take any shape or form. 
If you think its a portrait, then it's a portrait. 

 think anything can be a portrait if you want it to be. 

It was fun to teach them as they were so willing, receptive and lovely to each other.

Every single artwork created had a magic of its own

Wouldn't it be a lovely dream to run more family and group workshops like this?

I wish them all the best for their return home and hope they enjoyed a taste of what Rotorua has to offer. 

 The art of being lovely, creative quotes of the week. 

 If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds I  strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher. 

Abdal Kalam 

I would add that we can all be teachers, so why not give it a go and start practising the art of being lovely to each other?

You can book an art of being lovely together positive  family or group art making workshop with me by ringing 07 3463435 emailing jkeen@clear.net.nz  or texting me on 0273513887

 a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

St Mary's Catholic School, Rotorua, Cinderella Production

Encouraging Creativity, stolen from another website

"I have stolen this content for your internet  for your digestion.  I hope you enjoy it and that you find it absorbing, interesting and  ultimately inspirational.
 I am available to run  creativity classes for individuals or groups. 
So feel free to enquire." Janet Keen, Creativity Queen.


"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - Albert Einstein
We do not need to teach creativity, but rather inspire its daily practice. Somewhere along the way, we simply forgot to honor this innate gift and how to access its power. Our role as educators is to encourage learning experiences that increase the ability to recognize and listen to our inner voice.
Let us begin by shifting emphasis from finding the right answer to creating school cultures that encourage risk-taking and embrace ambiguity. Psychologist Carl Rogers believed that we repress and even hide creative talent if our working environment is not psychologically safe or grounded on unconditional acceptance and empathy. Building a culture of trust is the first essential ingredient for an innovative community of thinkers to emerge. In order for innovation to breed, we need to feel safe enough to get out of our comfort zone, embrace uncertainty, take chances, and effectively collaborate with others. Together we can build ways to enhance rather than undermine creative thinking. No app, nor piece of technology, can produce this. It grows from the hearts, hands and guidance of a caring community.

The Idea Catcher

We can start by using note-taking apps to encourage observation and reflection. Have you ever noticed how ideas suddenly occur while going on a walk, taking a shower, driving or daydreaming? When our mind wanders between subconscious and conscious thought, we indirectly find ourselves working on ideas. Digital journaling can help us to tap into the flow of our internal conversations and then recognize and archive these moments. With regular practice, we begin to view the world through new eyes, and turn on the creative switch within us.

Tricking the Muse

A strategy often used to help generate ideas is brainstorming. An essential cornerstone of this technique is an understanding that creativity thrives when criticism is absent. It is essential that during brainstorming all judgment of ideas, whether negative or positive, be postponed for a later decision-making stage. We must also hold on loosely to ideas, to keep the process moving forward and be more willing to revise concepts later. Brainstorming sets us out in search of a parade of ideas while simultaneously harnessing our natural inclination to focus and identify solutions. 

Let's Get Visual

Doodling is also a powerful format for generating ideas. Again, this process needs to remain fast, fluent and flexible. The challenge here is to select a drawing app that reduces the desire to spend time creating art. The minute a thought becomes precious, the flow of ideas is repressed. The goal is to keep sketches open and unfinished, so that revision and modifications are easier to embrace later.

Paul Torrance defined creativity as "the process of sensing problems or gaps in information, forming ideas or hypotheses, testing, modifying these hypotheses and communicating the results. This process may lead to any one of many kinds of products -- verbal and nonverbal, concrete and abstract."
In order to innovate, we must have the capacity to redefine problems and frame questions. The formation of essential questions or need statements will direct and shape discovery-based learning. These questions are constantly referred back to, revised, used to establish criteria and regain focus during the decision-making process. Learning to write an inquiry question is a bit like peeling the layers of an onion; with every iteration, we get closer to the central issue.
When generating problem statements/questions, we need to adopt a flexible process that will promote the articulation of several versions. 

Be Brave

We need to demystify the creative thinking process and model how to tune into its power. Before questioning why thoughts, images, or sounds that resonate within us are important, allow time and space for unusual ideas to exist. Since the direction of this learning path can take unpredictable and seemingly random detours, it will require bravery on the part of both student and teacher. Do not be afraid to relinquish control. Use creative energy to spark the desire to learn, realize self-fulfillment, and fall in love with dreams. It will be worth it!


Enrol your child on a Janet Keen Creativity set of after school painting and mosaic classes and see his or her creativity soar using hands on techniques that are fun and lovely
Phone Janet Keen 346-3435 or email jkeen@clear.net.nz . Enrolling now for next year and school holidays 

One Hundred days project continued.

I am now up to number 90 and have 10 more illustrations to  go before I finish. 
These should be finished by the end of the week. 
I am late I  realise but this was due to unexpected interruptions and (possibly) time management issues. 
But the main thing is I have not given up and I will get there. 


 Day 25.  "Fly away to a land far away for a holiday and live the dream." Janet Keen 

This was created on the plane flying over and is an affirmation that I  am going on lots more overseas holidays. 

Quote
I have had a holiday, and I'd like to take it up professionally.

Kylie Minogue


Day 26. "Appreciate the little things in 

life, for they could well turn out to be the 

big things," Janet Keen.

Creative Quote.

Love is not just tolerance. It's not just distant 

appreciation. It's a warm sense of, 'I am

 enjoying the fact that you are you.'

N. T. Wright

This was made while I  was sitting at the table in the luxurious apartment enjoying the view of the sea and anchored ships on the horizon.

 Day 27. "Find time to play and feed the birds and you will be rewarded with love," Janet Keen.

Creative quote
 Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

John Muir

 This  was made after we went along the beach around Glenelg and saw the boats, seagulls and buildings along the seafront. 


Day 28. "Enjoy the fishing for the fresh sea breeze, anything you catch is a bonus," Janet Keen

 Creative Quote
The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.

John Buchan

Day 29. "Feel the freedom of the sun on your back while you dream." Janet Keen

Creative Quote

“Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: - you are my 

sun, my moon, and all my stars.” 
 
― E.E. Cummings

Day 30. "As I create I  am closer to my source of power." Janet Keen.

Creative Quote 
 “Breathe in that vital connection to the life source and 
sensual beauty everywhere. Feel loved and strong.” 
 
― Jay Woodman

Day 31. "Wishing on stars is never a waste of time as long as you let your closest friends in on it." Janet Keen  

 
Creative Quote

“I imagine what would happen if everyone turned their 

regrets into wishes, went around shouting them.” 
 
― Nina LaCour


Day 32. "Always trust in the beam from your lighthouse, it can save your life." Janet Keen.

 

Many people spend too much time trying to be the captain

of someone elses boat. 

Learn to be a lighthouse and the 

boats will find their way.