Day 340: Annoying things parents say...

Yesterday me and my housemate, Beth were reminiscing about our childhoods. We soon got onto the subject of being unjustly told off by our parents. You know the times when you feel you don't quite deserve to be told off for what happened?

I was sharing a time when I copied my older cousin, Nicola by walking on the hoover tube which was curling around on their living room floor. My dad came in and told me off for walking on another person's hoover cord and spouting off stuff about being disrespectful. But, hello! What about Nicola? She did exactly the same thing. Did she get told off? No! When I protested, I got this:

Emma, if Nicola jumped off a cliff, would you?


What an absolutely RiDICulous thing to say! Parents ALWAYS say it though, don't they? Quite clearly I wouldn't jump off a cliff and nor would Nicola for that matter. If I was her I think I would be offended at such a suggestion.

There must be a story in this. My blog challenge for today is to cast your minds back to remember an annoying parent phrase which really grates on you and use it to create a great story. It could be a funny one to exaggerate the absurdity of parents! Or why not turn it around and create a story where the parents are the ones getting a telling off.

Using memories as inspirations for genius is always a winner. See what you can create...

Day 339: Stumble Upon

My friend Beth told me about this website. You can go on it and search for anything you want (ie, wooden sculpture or knitting pattern) and it will lead you to a website about that thing. It's a great way to find websites you wouldn't normally find.

Check out this video to find out more...



...and then get going. What inspiration will you stumble upon?

Day 338: Ryan Woodward

Here is a Animation by Ryan Woodward. Just watch it and follow it's emotive story.



Music, dance, animation, art, all in one video.

What does it inspire you to create?

Day 337: Show me the Monet

The BBC have just started showing their new arts programme, Show me the Monet which is basically the x of the art world. People who have been making art quietly in their garage, as well as professional artists have come from all over the country to get in on the change of having their work on view at an exhibition at the Royal Collage of Art in London. Those artists will try and prove to a panel of judges their work is the one.

Could you do it? Would you be brave enough?

Follow the real talent of the British art world by watching the first episode on iplayer. Real people, taking their creativity seriously.

Will you be inspired?

Day 336: Mr Men Google doodles...

It's been one of those days where I've visited Google a lot to get this and that for my assessments I'm finishing. A pretty boring job to be honest, but Mr Roger Hargreaves has cheered up each visit. Everytime I go to the google homepage, there is a different on of these:

Mr Men have taken over Google for the day! These three are my favourite, I think (although it's hard to choose). When I was a kid I remember going round my grandparents and choosing which one I wanted them to read to me. Little Miss Tiny was my favourite.

It must be cool to think you affected so many lives of children through your wonderful stories and illustrations. Thank you Mr Hargreaves.

Take a look on the Google homepage and see which one is your favourite...

Day 335: Picture this: London Town

You'll be please to hear that I successful achieved my blog challenge from yesterday.

London Town in pictures for all to see. Recognise any of them?

What did place in you capture in pictures?

Day 334: London Town

Today, I am walking the streets of London, and I'm setting myself a personal challange to spell out 'London Town' in photos. Reckon I'm up for it? Come back tomorrow and see!

Where are you on this fine Saturday? What creative challenge could YOU set yourself?

Get active. Get creative.

Day 333: Three is a magic number!

Today is day 333, so the challenge is to do three of everything! Eat three times (which isn't too much of a challenge), make three things, paint three things, knit three things...

You get the picture picture picture.

I am going on a merry trip to London today, so my person challenge is to go to three galleries. I'm also going to see Wicked in the West End too, but I can't afford to go three times!

So, by tomorrow, 3 creative things must be achieved. They don't have to be the same, so maybe think of three different creative things. Get your imaginations rolling...Another job for us creative thinkers!

Day 332: Nature in the Urban Jungle

As spring gets ever more vibrant, I've started to notice lots of strange things. This morning when I was waiting for a lift at the side of the road, a blue tit caught my eye as it flew and landed in the road. Next to it on the road was a big spider, obviously injured. My guess was the blue tit saw the chance of a tasty snack, but before it could eat it a car came and the bird shot out of the way. It didn't return for the rest of the time I stood there. I watched the spider struggle, round in circles. Car tyres missed it by inches each time. No one notices a little spider in the urban jungle.

I find it bazaar when nature interacts with city life. Yesterday, I saw a hedgehog scamper across the empty road at midnight as I walked home from work. It's the second one I've seen wandering the street of Bath this spring. Where are they going? Have they just woken up from hibernation and looking for food? Come to think of it, I don't even know what hedgehogs eat. Isn't it crazy the thing we don't know about animals that live all around us?

This morning when I went into Saltford Primary School we were talking all about animals, which I thought was weird with all the interaction I've have had with them lately. We wrote poems based on Mandy Coe's poem, Invitation from a mole. Can you guess what animal I am writing about?

Invitation from a ...
Roll in the dirt
and    take   time
feeling
as you ripple along.
Bits get stuck but
no bother.
What was dry
becomes moist as you
                                   edge
                                        closer
to the sweet, crunchy, succulent
leaf.
It's worth the                    wait.

Day 331: Sharing Harry Potter

I was flicking through the channels on the TV as I eating my lunch and finally settled on a show about book clubs. The programme went from a studio of presenters to an idyllic country house where 8 people were sitting around discussing a book they'd all read. They shared ideas and opinions on the book and looked like they were having a pretty good time.

There's something about sharing the experience of reading a book. When Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows came out, I remember my sister and I read it together. Sometimes we would read it aloud to each other and sometimes we'd read independently at the same time. It was really nice being able to finish a chapter and then talk about it with someone else.

Making reading into a social activity seems like a really good idea to me and watching this programme made me want to join a book club. Everyone who reads a book takes slightly different meanings from it, based on their own experiences of the subject matter and where they're at in their life, so sharing reading gives you a bigger picture of what that book is about.

I've made the decision. After Uni (everything is after uni at the moment!) I am going to set up a book club. Are you with me? Why not set one up yourself with your friends, at your school/collage or at work? Try teenreads to start you off on your way or contact your local library to see what's already going on in your area.

Reading doesn't have to be done alone...

Day 230: Livewriting by MCM

Imagine writing a 52,000 work book. Now imagine writing it in 45 hours. And finally, imagine writing it in front of an audience of thousands, who give you answers you HAVE to fit into the next stage of you story.

Impossible?

Well not for MCM. In March he wrote a book called The Archivists whilst 300,000 people watched online! Isn't that incredible? I mean, talk about inspiring. Makes my 17,000 over 7 months look a bit pathetic! I guess it shows how new media is the way forward for us creative thinkers. MCM is using all that new technology has to offer to make books and stories a success. Now that's what I call creative thinking.

Keep an eye on the website. Apparently the next live write will be taking place in 6 months...

Interactive writing. It's the future!

Day 329: Sewing, here we come...

On Saturday, I put up a picture of my unopened presents, which is pretty and all, but it's a bit mean if I don't share what's actually under the wrapping paper. There were a few creative gems in there, one being the massive one at the back (scroll down to take a look). My lovely Mum, Step Dad Mark and grandparents gave me a sewing machine!

I am so excited. My creative enthusiasm hasn't been let loose on one of those since I made a Mickey Mouse Apron in Year 8 (which was awesome, of course.) I can use the Meet me at Mikes Book (see Day ...) I got for Christmas to sew toys, coasters, skirts...pretty much anything really. What would you make?

I have banned myself from even getting it out of the box until after Uni. Final slog now. Knitting is destracting enough without a new creative toy to play with.

If you know any good sewing websites/blogs, leave a comment below. Best to help each other out with all this creative stuff, right?

Day 328: Boating with Jamie Cullum

Okay, so I didn't actually go boating with Jamie Cullum, but I did see him and go boating on the same day. Not just any day, my birthday.

Here are the creative highlights of my 24th birthday. Firstly, I took a turn at rowing down the Avon River. I have to say, I wasn't too bad at it, (although I'm rubbish at steering. I kept getting distracted by cute duckings swimming beside us!) but it took me a while to get the hang of rowing, so I made up a little song to help me keep rhythm. The lyrics are the following:





Up and along and down and through x3
Through the river we glide.

Up and along, down and through x3
Through the river we glide.

To be honest, the lyrics don't do it justice, but it shows purposeful creativity nonetheless!

Second highlight is the Silver Ring Choir. We went to see them in concert, celebrating their 60th Anniversary. They were stunning. Apparently they've toured the whole world, Paris, Canada, New Zealand...all over! The best song (in my opinion) was their rendition of, 'Sing a song of sixpence'. It made me cry a little bit, it was so incredibly creative and melodic.



The main highlight has to of course be Jamie Cullum, who played after the choir.

Believe it or not, this picture is actually Jamie. Can I get away with calling it creative exposure??

He.
Is.
Incredible.

I mean, I can't even do him justice through these words. He has so much energy, I don't know how else it could be released but through creativity itself (shown brilliantly by my amateur photography skills). At one point he was playing the piano, drumming on it's top, singing and beat boxing all at the same time. I was literally gob-smacked! He sang, 'What a difference a day makes' too and I was transported to another place, it was so peaceful and calm. Amazing.

A brilliant birthday. I wish every day we like that!

Day 327: Happy Birthday!

...to me! Yep, today is my birthday.

As you can see, I've got a busy day ahead of me! Plus, I am going boating, having a picnic by the river and then...


Yep, that's right, my lovely fiance bought me tickets to see the one and only Jamie Cullum. SOOOO excited. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Do us a favour, as it's my birthday, try and do something creative so we can all celebrate together :)

Happy Unbirthday to youuu!!