Passion

Many people have a problem knowing what to write about. Me too, sometimes. So I went snooping to find out what types of blogs are out there and what type of things they write about. Well....some are pretty mundane and boring, but finding a topic you are passionate about helps. I am a teacher, so I am interested in encouraging people to learn new things, and in giving them tips or hints to expand their repertoire.

Here's one: Start a Wish Jar Journal.

A Wish Jar is something you can ask others to participate in, or do by yourself. the idea is to put your wishes and dreams into a jar. Be specific. Don't say....I wish I was happy....say I wish I could go back to Italy again...or I wish I'd bought that snazzy pair of shoes I saw yesterday....or even...I wish my brother would call.

After you have filled your wish jar (or box or canister, or notebook, or desk drawer) with a variety of wishes on a number of subjects (places, things, people, the weather, your home, your work, your love life, your favorite recipes, your pet peeves) pick one out and write/make a journal entry. Use words, photos, scribbles, paint, cut-outs or just a color to illustrate your ideas and your mood.

Ideas often suggest a certain color, so use it in your journal entry. "I was so mad I saw red" "I'm green with envy", "I'm feeling so blue today". Just remember these colors mean so many things. Red could also connote vibrancy and high spirits, green is also serene, and blue is also the color of a bright blue sky and a feeling of euphoria. You will soon develop your own color language. Don't worry if it doesn't make sense to anyone but you.

Simple images can convey ideas and feelings too. Whether they are hand drawn, or cut out of a magazine, or xeroxed from a book, they will also help you express your ideas by creating your own visual language. Again, these don't need to make sense to anyone but you. So what if nobody else gets that to you a tree represents peace and dreams, since you used to day dream and take naps under the big one in the back yard, or that dogs scare you, so you always draw them behind fences with big teeth. A sunflower for sunny France, cypress trees for Italy, white picket fences for home. All of them are part of your own unique visual language.

Art requires you to think outside the box. The objects and elements you select and creatively combine make up your own particular style. It takes a leap of faith to allow yourself to express yourself freely. Remember, there's a story inside you that only you can tell.