Random Acts of Art Kindness

 As I look around me at the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, I see that we are truly missing Kindness in our daily lives.  From hate groups to hate speech, the world is growing dimmer each day,  In order to spread Kindness and cheer, I have decided to engage in Random Acts of Art Kindness (RAAKs). 

 

First of all, what are RAAKs?  Random Acts of Art Kindness is a way to spread the joy of art to those who need a little extra Kindness in their lives.  You can do this by creating little pieces of art (drawings, collage, Artist Trading Cards, etc.) and leaving them randomly around your town or community for others to find.  This is not meant to be a scavenger hunt for all of the art you leave (similar to geocaching).  It is, however, meant to give spontaneous happiness and Kindness to those who happen to find them.

Next, do all RAAKs have to be the same?  Of course not!  Art is as different as each individual person is.  This does not mean that you cannot create the same piece of art to leave at several different locations.  You can put as much effort into creating RAAKs as the joy you will receive by sending them out into the world for others to find.  For example, I have bought a set of small colored envelopes with white cards from Amazon on which I will create artistic notes  to leave in random places throughout my community.  This piece of Art Kindness can be taken by its finder or passed along to another person who needs a little Kindness in their lives.

Thirdly, where do I leave my RAAKs once I have created them?  RAAKs can be left anywhere!  I plan on placing them on random cars at the grocery store, in Little Free Libraries, inside books at Barnes and Noble, on the restaurant table with my tip, and even engaging local business owners to help in the endeavor.  The point is to place them where they can be found by others.  You never know when or by whom the RAAKs will be found.  That is the beauty of randomly placing the places.

Finally, do I have to make my own RAAKs?  Ideally, yes.  But that is not the main purpose in placing RAAKs.  The real reason is to spread Kindness.  If you do not have the time or energy to create your own, then I would like to encourage you to order a free set of Kindness Cards.  Vicky Barone is a North Carolina artist who creates Kindness Cards to be given out in the community.  She is offering a free set of her designer cards to those wishing to do the same.  The only price you pay is for shipping.  When I ordered my set of 30 cards, it only cost $4.04 for 2-day shipping.  Please visit her shop at https://www.vickybarone.com/products/kindness-cards and order your set of cards today.

Whatever your age or stage, it is possible for you to create RAAKs to spread Kindness throughout your community.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  You may be able to start of tidal wave of Kindness in our world that will last for generations to come.

Creativity and the Level 10 Life

 Lately, I have been researching how to approach living my best life in 2021 and recording the process in my Bullet Journal.   While searching for answers on blogs and Pinterest, I kept noticing the phrase "Level 10 Life" popping up everywhere.  I decided to delve deeper into the topic.

The phrase "Level 10 Life" was coined by Hal Elrod in a book entitled The Miracle Morning.  Elrod claims that 95% of people never reach their full potential because of a lack of planning, prioritizing, and implementing attainable goals.  According to him, we need to reflect on ten various realms in life to see what we can do to reach a Level 10 Life on our own terms. Those ten realms include the following:  friends and family, personal development, spirituality, health and fitness, finances, physical environment, career, romance, fun and recreation, and giving and contributing.  By dividing each realm into measureable, attainable steps and working to achieve these goals, one can presumably take the necessary steps to living a Level 10 Life.

But I wondered whether all of these realms applied to everyone in their quest to live a Level 10 Life.  I don't have a significant other or a career, so these would not apply to my life.  I also consider charity to be part of spirituality and personal development.  Finally, I asked myself what gives meaning to my life and motivates me toward the ideas of accomplishment and connection with the world around me.  Easily enough,  I decided that CREATIVITY had to be counted in my Level 10 Life in order for it to feel like it belonged to me.

If you are reading this blog, then chances are that CREATIVITY belongs in yours, too.  You will find examples of goals for each realm of life on other blogs, so I will give you samples on creativity.  However,  a Level 10 Life is all about YOU,  so please develop your goals so that you will have no trouble owning your plan of attack.

Needlework 

Create 1 cross-stitch pattern per month for 4 months.

Take 1 class on crochet on www.Craftsy.com

Learn 3 new knitting stitches a month for 3 months.

Embroider two handkerchiefs by March.

Papercraft

Practice Hand-lettering for 2 hours a week for 2 months.

Compile 1 scrapbook page per week for 3 months.

Design 12 holiday cards by December 1st. 

Create 2 Bullet Journal spreads per month for 6 months.

Writing

Complete 30 journal entries in 1 month.

Compose 2 poems a week for 5 weeks.

Write one chapter a month for 12 months.

Join a writer's group on www.meetup.com

Cooking/Baking

Learn 1 new recipe a month for 10 months.

Make homemade jam.

Learn to bake challah.

Take a cake decorating course. 

Fine Arts

Create 1 painting per month for 4 months.

Draw 1 mandala a week for 6 weeks. 

Sketch in the park.

Compose 1 Artist Trading Card each week for 12 weeks.

I hope that this gives you a sense of SMART goals to help you create your own Level 10 Life.  Just remember to leave room for your soul to grow!

~ Melissa

Creating Gifts with MyMemories Suite V3

The time of year for gift-giving is at hand, and I must say that I have been working on gifts for months now.  Since we are all experiencing the turbulence of a Revlon economy, I imagine that more homemade gifts will be given this year.  Plus, nothing says "I Love You!" more than the time which someone invests in making a gift for their special someones.  Some people knit, some people bake, I make digital scrapbooks.  So far, I have created 3 scrapbooks for gifts: one for my mother of the family, one for my sister of her son, and one for my little cousin of all of the growth she has experienced since coming to live with us two years ago.  Thanks to the MyMemories Suite V3, I am not even printing out the scrapbooks.  I have imbedded music into each album and will be downloading them as slideshows onto mp3 players and flash drives!  Who wouldn't love to have a scrapbook that fits in the palm of their hand and that they can take anywhere they please?

But did you know that scrapbooks aren't the only things which you can create using the MyMemories Software?  I didn't until I started playing with the software itself.  Volume 3 even has a special feature just for making calendars, and the MyMemories Store offers card, brag book, calendar, and gift tag templates.  Right now, on the MyMemories Facebook Page, the Friday Freebie is a template for holiday gift tags.  However, you have to grab it by Friday in order to get the item for free.  What a great way to embellish those pretty wrapped packages than by creating a homemade gift tag with personal pictures on them!

Do you travel to Wal-Mart or Target each year to print out family holiday cards?  This year, look no further than your own computer and printer to create the perfect holiday greeting card.  Below I have included a link on how to make greeting cards using your software. Remember that if you use the code STMMS4712 at the MyMemories Store, you can get $10 off the V3 software and $10 to spend in the store.  With all of that extra savings you can purchase your calendar packs, gift tags, and seasonal card templates. Don't forget to grab the holiday freebie kits from the store as well! The MyMemories Suite V3 is the gift that you can give yourself and use to gift to others.  I call that a win-win situation!  

Quick and Easy Card Making Using MyMemories Suite V3

Holiday Postcard I made using the December "Blog Train" with the theme "Traditions."