I figured I’d better promote my upcoming event before its too late.  I’ve been busy organizing (and think-working on it) but forgetting to tell people.

Heritage Christian Fellowship has asked me to do an women’s event next month (actually, it’s only next week already.) Traci Gales suggested the idea of sharing a little of my story and do a guided painting with a group over coffee and pastry, perhaps. (I’m sure I’m oversimplifying.)  I told her despite popular belief that sort of thing is not really my strength.  I’m not that kind of a teacher.  I think I’m too far into the “give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a meal/teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime” kind of philosophy.  I’m not sure what I have to offer is actually what anyone wants, but here is a chance to try it and find out.

So here is the thing.  I have come to believe through this last year that Creativity is a Survival Skill. I kind of already believed it as a concept but now I feel I’ve got proof. And I hoping that by sharing a little of what I’ve learned about the importance of practicing creative acts (both privately and out loud) others will be encouraged to keep—or start—practicing on their own. It’s not a luxury, its a mindset that we all have access to. I think we are all creative beings, we just spend too much time comparing or having high expectations of ourselves, or staying trapped in old shame, or we don’t prioritize playful creativity as important. There are lots of reasons we don’t access this natural survival skill we all have built into us from the womb. These days, we leave it to the pros and the eccentrics, but I think that is a sad cheating of what God gave us in the beginning. If we are created in God’s image, we should be more in touch with this wonderful ability we all have to make the world better (or at least our personal lives) just by starting with what is in our hands.

So there will be four stations at this event: hand-lettering, various watercolor media, mixed media/collage, and coloring-in.  Pretty basic 2d stuff, but we only have a limited amount of time to play with what is on hand. I’ve hand picked helpers who will facilitate the supplies at each table. Some are more established in their practice than others, but all are willing to play. They will be there in case some non-artists (as they call themselves) get nervous about the free-for-all of supplies at their table.  If anyone has a masterpiece at the end of an hour, they are doing it wrong. This is just about freeing ourselves up creatively, taking a new challenge with a different medium (a good way to get out of a rut) and hanging out together in a big creative love bubble.

The event is next Saturday morning, Sept 5 from 9:30-12. Tickets are only $12 each and coffee (at least) will be served. Tickets are on sale at Heritage during services tomorrow or can be purchased through the office. It is necessary to RSVP a ticket because we need to know how many seats (and supplies) to put out. Sorry guys, I know you are creative beings too, but this is a Ladies Only event. 

If you can’t get tickets on Sunday and yet you are local enough to make the event, please contact Traci Gales at tgales@cox.net or wait till Tuesday and contact the office: Phone: 949.361.1022 / heritage@heritagesc.org.

Here is the address:

190 Avenida La Pata
San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: 949.361.1022
heritage@heritagesc.org

And one more thing (in my best “infomercial voice”) if this isn’t enough to entice you, we have special music planned. Two of the Logie sisters (the musical family who has been visiting Vernon the past few weeks) are bringing their gifts of song. Here are some tasters:

Sultry Annie Rose has her first album coming out this week.  Not bad, huh? More like AMAZING!

Here is Isabelle, with one of her originals. I took this weeks ago and its still one of my favorite songs. (Don’t you love how the whole family knows it too?)

“The creative adult is the child who has survived.” —Ursula K. Le Guin

(But its never too late!)