Building Creative Community
Come for a night of creative exchanges! Lana will help facilitate an evening of creativity with an activity and conversation on how we are all 'creative' in our own lives. Lana asks "How are you creative in your own life?" While paint, chalk, crayons and Canva are all ways we help ourselves and our children actually create, we can also see creativity as "being creative in the kitchen" or "being creative on how to approach a difficult situation."
“survival is an act of creativity” - Suleika Jaouad. Amy Maddock thought of this quote from Suleika from this prompt.
“Improvisation drives creative ideas and is often unplanned.” - Michele Odhner; One memory that stands out is bringing paints for the kids camping. I forgot the paper! So the activity turned into gathering nature and recoloring it! Purple pine needles, blue acorns, rainbow-striped leaves, painted rocks. We used pine needles for brushes, etc… It was super fun and engaged the kids for far longer than if I had remembered paper.
“It’s fun to work in an unexpected and silly way on the floor, and it’s cool to see the masterpiece it becomes with everyone’s contributions on one paper.” Family activity recommendation from Dani Bowyer.
Our boys wanted to host a summer long wiffle ball league so I added some extra layers to make it more creative and, therefore, more meaningful. We got grass spray paint so they could spray lines and field “sponsors,” they got duck tape in every color and tapped their bats into different theme/color designs, they came up with team colors, names, picked a playlist, and had to come up with the snack lists. They are keeping decorated journals with stats and currently making plans for an all-star game, home run derby, and end of season celebration. Creativity looks different in our house now that they’re older and I can’t just put out a cute project - I have to think of ways that get them invested because it’s something they have a genuine interest in pursuing. - Emily Hasen
One of my favorite ways to be creative is through music. A personal creative outlet for me is playing the violin. This looks a lot different for me than it used to- now it’s squeezed into the edges of my life, practicing every once in a while for a special event and then not again for a long while- but it still feeds my creative side! I love bringing music into our home, from silly songs and rhymes with our one year old to having “music jams” with the big kids and friends. - Annalisa Synnestvedt
My daughter & I love doing arts & crafts and being creative together. Beaded necklaces & bracelets, coloring books with markers & crayons, junk journaling/scrapbooking, diamond art, pottery painting, watercolor, singing/dancing, and cooking/baking. I also enjoy doing embroidery, making felt holiday ornaments, and thrifting for artwork & frames for gallery walls. Love getting inspired by my daughter & others for other creative outlets and ideas. - Alina Tinjala
When I think about creativity - when Dean was asked about whether he took time in his life to do his own projects when he was teaching he would say “I pour my creativity into my teaching.” He was constantly thinking about where his students were, what state they were in and how to adapt. His course was never the same. Being a marriage family therapist I was always thinking about what concepts could have profound or healing aspects that could be adapted not so much in a therapy style but more “educational” style, with focus on if they resonate with those who attended my collaborative presentations they could aptly pick them up and use them.
I now think about how I can connect with my grandchildren, creativity, often seems part of it, asking my artistic 13 year old grandson to help me set up my craft room, identifying what things should be in there, looking at layout including him helping and being in charge of using the cardboard left over from our moving for a cardboard extravaganza event . Cars, robot, birthday cake. and house were all the end results.
My projects often involve how to acknowledge other people, their loves, and talents.
As experienced from my mother I had craft materials for our children and now grandchildren. I still want to save left over TP rolls, thinking how can these be used beyond the fun masking tape decorated bean rattles. - Nita Holmes
Parenting constantly requires creativity. I've done many art projects with my kids, have enjoyed baking with them, and gardening and being outdoors. But what springs to mind after a frustratingly inefficient morning of international travel is finding ways to survive boredom together, without screens. I often try to make up games with my kids, like doing 15 jumping jacks while waiting for the bus, or finding 5 things outside a train window that surprise/delight/intrigue them. As my kids get older and more receptive to sarcasm, I have come to enjoy pointing out very obvious and boring landmarks to them while travel, like, "Look, that over there is a tree," or, "See that? It's a window." Sometimes we just people watch and try to notice clothes or styles we like, or find the 3 funniest dogs, etc. And sometimes playing peek-a-boo with older kids is ridiculously funny. My hope is that if I try to come up with creative distractions, not only will we be far less irritating to the people around us than we would if my kids were simply whining and groaning with impatience, but I will teach my kids ways to occupy their minds and find engagement in unexpected ways.
Warning: this does not work if the kids are hangry.
As for traditional creativity, I love leaving art supplies out and seeing what happens, or I find if I start playing an instrument, my kids will join me. But if I ask them to play an instrument with me, they'll all refuse. Sometimes it's about starting something and letting them find their own way into it. ~Melissa Bowyer
I’ve always been a creative person—someone who likes to think outside the box. When my first child, Braeden, was little, it became clear early on that he was incredibly curious and intelligent. To help foster his learning, I would scour Pinterest and mom blogs for fresh ways to repurpose household items into fun, engaging activities that would keep him entertained while promoting development.
What I quickly learned, though, was that more than the activity itself, Braeden craved connection. He wanted someone by his side to explore with him, answer his endless questions, and just be with him. That realization took my creativity to the next level. We started doing science experiments, which gradually led us into the kitchen—a place where Braeden truly came alive. By the age of two, he was standing on a step stool beside me, helping measure ingredients and use the mixer. Now, at six, he’s making his own meals, performing "food experiments," and asking deep questions: Where does food come from? How does it grow? Can we grow it ourselves? How do farms work? Can we make plants grow faster to feed people quicker?
That one seed of creativity—simple activities supported by love and presence—has grown into a lifelong curiosity. It’s taught me that creativity isn’t just about crafting or art supplies. It’s about being present, being resourceful, and seeing the world as full of possibilities. Not just thinking outside the box, but wondering what else the box could be. ~Erika Synnestvedt
Have a suggestion? Would love to hear from you!
Creative Night from 2 summer ago - link to Lana’s Journal Page