Idea web

A few summers ago I got the ideas to make a list of fun summer activities I hoped and dreamed to accomplish. I also, however, didn't want to be disappointed if I didn't accomplish things on my list. Summer should be about fun and freedom! A list feels very much like "work" to me, something I need to address daily and be sure to complete. 

To keep things fun, I created the "Summer Idea Web," where things are added at random and adorned with drawings and other fun graphics to keep the pressure off. Here is the start to my 2016 list!

I also found this neat downloadable list that is a bit more of a check list. I like that it has a column for who requested the activity, which helps tell the story behind the list.

Perhaps I'll try each this summer and see what happens! Goodness knows there are plenty of organizing projects I have hopes of completing, so a separate project list may come in handy! Last summer before the little one comes is looking to be full of fun and accomplishments.

Happy summer planning! 

scripture doodling

I'm prepping for bible study Tuesday and decided to write out some scriptures on the topic of kindness. A very uplifting activity indeed! Happy doodling!

bullet journal

I just bought a few new moleskin journals and am trying out bullet journalling for the first time. I'm excited to see how it influences my other journals. Can a person have too many? Here's my current rotation of journals:

• meal planning/recipe journal
• school meetings journal
• church meetings journal
• journal just my notes and thoughts on "The Fringe Hours" book
• bible study journal
• sermon/scripture doodling journal
• bullet journal

It seems like a lot when I list it out in that way but I love that each one serves a specific purpose. It's quick and easy to grab my bible study journal and know that everything inside is what I may need.

Enter the bullet journal. This is not new, but I finally decided to dive in a try. I highly recommend watching the video a few times to get a feel for the foundational purpose/structure. Then you can adapt as necessary. Seth and I each got a journal and sat down at the bookstore to get set up. I'm interested to see if this becomes complicated for me since there is a lot of crossover between work and home tasks. I don't really have a good bag/purse system currently so it is rare for me to consistently carry anything other than phone, wallet and chapstick. For now the bullet journal lives on my desk so I can check it in the morning and evening. On a rare occasion where I'll be out and about after work, I'm planning to bring it with me so I can work in it between appointments.

 

Have you tried bullet journaling? Do you have a different method you prefer? I am eager to see my stacks of sticky notes condensed into one place so i'll keep you posted on how it goes!

 

sermon doodling

A day late but I have so many doodles to share!

Lately I've been taking to writing out the scriptures we reference on Sundays. It's kind of a big commitment as our pastor prefers large sections of scripture, but I'm really enjoying it for a few reasons:

1. It's scripture - can't go wrong!
2. It makes my brain slow down and think about each word of the passage, which usually helps me see patterns and things I might miss with a single run through.
3. I want to be in the word more often and this is a fun way to dig in deep!

This first doodle is from lectio divina. As I was writing I realized the word "remain" pops up a LOT in this passage. I went back and highlighted each. I also like to write the verbs or descriptors in a way that stands apart. Since the passage was long and I had limited time, i kept to a simple print and just added cursive words as they stood out to me.

This one is also a longer passage from the sermon a few weeks ago. I went back with different colors to highlight certain words/phrases.  Nothing super fancy, but that also makes it easy to look back over later. 

I chatted at length with a friend the other day about this style of note taking/reflecting. It was fun to show her how sometimes I keep it simple and most always there will be a "mistake" somewhere. It's freeing to know that it can be as simple or complex as feels right for the moment!

happy doodling :)

sermon doodling

I'm working on some new posts about one little word and other crafting adventures. This year I'm doing scripture Sunday a bit different. To start I'm sharing my sermon doodles from a Christmas Eve sermon. The pastor started by saying there would be five points, just like a star. I love how each point of the star was a point of the message and at the end the five points work together the spell "peace." It was an awesome sermon and this visual is something that helps me remember these questions and ideas. Hoping to start this week back to school with a bit of wonder, peace and inspiration!

Scripture Art - behind the scenes!

I'd love to do a video of doodling my sermon notes but I don't have all the pieces necessary so in the meantime, I did a little step by step photo tour of a scripture I doodles this morning.

Big ideas here

1. I don't really plan ahead and yes, I use pen. I love living on the edge
2. Most of the time I can make a "mistake" work out and it becomes a "feature," as we say in our house. Sometimes I just have to start over (see below)
3. I start by finding the words or phrase I think should stand out and consider that as I begin, leaving bigger spaces and reserving fancier fonts for those.

I was trying a new font and I just went too far, it felt beyond saving so I started over.

So here is a step by step with commentary of how I worked through a new verse that I am memorizing this week.

Here is the verse that I'm using for reference. I have this nearby so I can keep looking at it throughout the process.

1. I want "blessed" to stand out but I'm not ready to commit to the details so I do an outline font. This gives me the option to color it in later, add stripes, scallops, etc.

2. I decided to highlight the word "peacemakers" and wanted a script because it feels smooth and connected and, well peaceful. The words in between transition in a contrasting way with squarish letters that match the width of the first word. "Peacemakers" got longer than I planned but since it's pretty vital to the verse, I'm okay with it spilling over.

3. I want the word to stand out a bit more so I begin tracing back over to help it standout.

4. In th end I stick to making the entire shape bolder rather than just the rounded parts or straight sides of letters. Now we will see if the rest spills to the right like this word or if I go back to keeping the words a similar width.

5. I decide to mix it up with s tall skinny font. This will allow me to get all three words onto one line and return to the width of the first few lines.

6. I'm all about contrasting here and to make "be called" stand apart, I go with short wide letters now. The are not quite bold enough so I'll need to go back over them.

7. I've traced over the phrase and I love how it stand out more. I might even consider adding color to this line later.

8. "Sons of God" seems like the big moment the verse is leading to, so I make it big. I go with a differs script than above to make it more casual

9. I decide to add thickness to the round bits of the letters and start filling in the first word. The little bars are nice but too plain.

10. I end up with my go to of stripes only I try to vary the width a little here and there. This would also be another spot to add little pops of color, but that's for another day.

 

I've added the verse title at the bottom and it's done! Well, for now :) I may go back and add colors but I want to sit with it for a bit. I also may add a border or some small icon in the lower corner. As you can see, there is a bit of thought but not much preplanning. No major mishaps that needed to be covered up this time, but when that happens, arrows and hearts are great for patching errors.

Hope that gives you a peek into my process and I'll work or a video or photo tutorial of how I do my scripture notes! Have you been doodling? Link in the comments so we can see your art!

 

 

sermon notes

I'm still enjoying taking sermon notes in my journal. I find that I'm able to reference what I heard more easily, plus it's fun! Here are a few weeks worth of notes, no promises that my spelling is perfect. It's free form :)

I am hoping to do an art piece around the verses and concepts of this sermon.

I switched to landscape, which is proving more easy.

So many good scripture passages during this one, a future art piece as well, perhaps.

 

Scripture Art

I've been trying to keep up a May goal for memorizing scripture. Writing it out always helps me so here is one of my verses from last month. 

I love picking different fonts to highlight certain words or phrases. 

Sermon Notes

Today I want to share about my newest way to create. It is summer heat friendly and portable for traveling!

I spent the last two weeks of June on the computer for about 8-10 hours a day. Not the fun computer stuff like blogs and twitter, but hard-on-the-eyballs computering. Though a few minutes a day were spent on fun side projects, it was mostly one monstrous project and I promised myself that upon finishing, I would take a few days off from the computer.

So Sunday morning I found myself up early and ready to dive into summer. I've been inspired a lot lately by illustrated faith. I decide to listen to one of my favorite sermon podcasts. I've been trying to find in on a tangible way to process what is being preached and reflect on what hits home for me and this is what I came up with. I wanted a place where they would all be together and this Piccadilly Journal is something I've only used a few times over the last 5 years (entry one is from Dec. 2, 2010). I think good notes should be something you want to look back at later.

Enough words, picture time!
Sermon #1

I took notes! Only I took them in a way that was visually stimulating and in some cases reflect the meaning or message. I love that the sermon series we just started is called "off the chain" because it was really very freeing to just draw, write, listen, and see the words form.

I loved the mental challenge of mixing it up but making it cohesive. I loved the moment of flexibility when I realized I was almost out of room and there were 2 more points to be made!

Sermon #2:

I've been playing with color and different typeface, figuring out what makes the most sense in the moment. Admittedly more than once on this page I had to pause the podcast to finish a detailed section. Not practical for realtime note taking, but I'll work on that.

The most important part to me is how this helps me internalize what I heard. I am a visual learner and by drawing out my notes I can recall the info more easily. For some people this is not an organized way of taking notes and depending on the situation, I too am all for indents and bullet point. But for me, I remember drawing the swirly arrow to symbolize deployment and that "rock the mic you got" is a reminder to live out your calling confidently. When someone mentioned wanting to hear my story I referenced my notes saying "I wrote something about the importance of story in purple near the center binding going vertically." When I pulled about the book, there it was:

there's incredible power in your story

I will certainly still doodle in my journaling bible, but for now i'm also enjoying the large blank space to freely write and document!