Sketchy Ideas for 2013

It's a new year, and many of us are starting it resolved to make our creativity practice both meaningful and mindful. I don't know about you, but I don't have this mapped out in project management software. I just plan to chip away at it day by day. Here's how I started today:

I made a quick sketch from a photo.

It's a shot Bill took yesterday on our New Year's walk along the Wolf River near our home. It was just a little slippery under the snow, so I handed the camera to him and concentrated on my footing.

I snapped a digital photo of my sketch so I could upload it to this post. That photo was dark, though, so I opened Gimp to lighten it. While it was open, I figured I might as well label the odd scribble in the lower left. That fallen leaf is one of my favorite parts of the image, but I might not remember that from just looking at the sketch. Labeling isn't cheating -- it's expanding on the sketch to flesh out an idea.

Then I remembered my intention to consistently watermark images I post online this year. So I set up a Gimp brush I can use for that. I stamped it in the lower right corner. Gimp imaging is part of what I teach in my Digital Fabric workshops. FYI, registration is now open for that class at the Midwest Weavers Conference in Emporia, Kansas in June.

I'll come back to this sketch another day. For now, it's time for me to move on with other tasks. I have orders to get in the mail, and I need to send out orientation materials for students registered for the Cross-Knit Looping eCourse that begins January 15. There's still some room in the class, if you're looking for a jump-start for your 2013.

Got a favorite creativity exercise? Hit the Comments link below this post and tell us about it!

added 10 minutes later: My other resolution was to add a link to the bottom of posts reminding readers about my email mailing list sign up option.  Will try to get it right the first time ... next time.