Experiencing Creative Courage Lab + Glitter Ornament

Hello, amazing creators!

Today I want to share with you a class I'm working through + a technique for glittering ornaments with alcohol ink.  Enjoy!

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Experiencing Creative Courage Lab

Creative Courage Lab Day 1 - Get Messy

You may be wondering, what is Creative Courage Lab?

Creative Courage Lab, led by Melissa Dinwiddie, is just what the name says, a lab. This is not your ordinary lab with test tubes and microscopes.  
This is an art lab, but it is not about making beautiful art.  
This lab is about flexing your creative muscles.  
This lab is full of creative people who want to push themselves past their comfort zone, reaching for their fullest potential.  I'm honored to be part of it.

Every day, for the next 30 days we receive prompts to create tiny, daily art/writing/music.  
Then, we share it.
And, we notice.  
Noticing is possibly the most important part of the process.  We notice how we feel for each step of the process.  We notice what "gremlins" show up in our head. Gremlins are what Melissa calls those negative voices in our head that stop us in our tracks whenever we try to step out of our comfort zone. 
In the lab, we are facing these gremlins head-on.  We are building courage and confidence in our work, and in ourselves.  
One of my goals for the Lab is to create a daily video documenting my response to the prompts.  This is challenging in 2 ways.  First, I am posting unedited video!  Second, I committed to 30 days of videos...I am worried that I will not stick to my commitment. But, that is the point of this lab...to push yourself into new territory!

I want to share a bit of my experience so far.  

On Day 2, our prompt was Explore
I was super excited about this prompt.  Exploration is my zone...it's my favorite way to create!

You can watch the Day 2 Video here.

I decided to try something new:  alcohol inks on gessoed paper. 
​I didn't know what to expect.
It was pure fun!  In fact, I went way past the 10 minute time limit :)

Creative Courage Lab: Day2 - Explore

I dripped and dropped the inks, smeared them, and generally tried various things to see what would happen.  I ended up with a pretty cool piece!  

And, just for fun, I collaged my word onto the page using ​Gloss Heavy Gel,

Added some bling with Glass Bead medium,

Bling - Creative Courage Lab: Day2 - Explore

Stars! Creative Courage Lab: Day2 - Explore

And finished it off with star-shaped brads!

Finished! Creative Courage Lab: Day2 - Explore by Jessica Sanders

​So much fun :)

Through the process of creating, I noticed that I was completely unconcerned with the outcome.  I was in 'explore mode', and the only thing that mattered was what I learned from it.  
That was an A-ha moment for me!  
I realized that this is the approach that I should strive to have whenever I am making art.  Cultivating an exploratory attitude will allow me to work from a mindset of abundance, rather than lack.  There are abundant possibilities...seeking one result feels like lack to me.  It is very limiting!  And, I often don't achieve the results I am looking for.
I want my art to make people smile.  If that is indeed my goal, then I cannot pour joy into a piece without experiencing joy in the process of making. Selah.

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Glitter Ornaments :)

I recorded an alcohol ink ornament demo technique using a very small amount of ink + glitter!  Enjoy

You can watch the Demo Video here.

Have a wonderful day!