Be, Awake, Create: Mindful Practices to Spark Creativity
Author: Rebekah Younger, MFA
Publisher: Reveal Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2019
Length: 264 Pages
About the Author
Rebekah Younger has created artwork, knit clothing, interiors, businesses, communities, and books. She brings her love of creating to all aspects of her life and shares it with others through teaching mindful creativity.
Activities to Spark Your Creativity
This book offers contemplations, mindfulness practices, and art activities to spark creativity. Each chapter is written to invite self-reflection and creative expression through "hands-on" learning. The print version of this book is a workbook/journal that allows the reader to record responses on the pages. If you read a digital copy, the author suggests the use of a journal or notebook to record written and artistic responses to the prompts.
My Thoughts
Creativity is defined as "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination" (Dictionary.com).
Ms. Younger has done an excellent job in developing exercises, activities and prompts that encourage creativity. She considers herself a "creator" and uses her creative talents in everything she does. This book is not limited to the visual arts. The author encourages the reader to discover creative ways to express herself in art, music, dance, writing, photography, sewing, and other activities.
Mindfulness meditation is used to develop an awareness of our environment and the world around us. Meditation helps the creator stay focused and be awake to things that might be overlooked. A creator has a mindset that is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
A few years ago, Ms. Younger had heart by-pass surgery and spent many months recovering. During this time, photography became a tool for her recovery. She used her camera to record images of ordinary things around her that she had previously taken for granted. She developed a new way of looking and seeing things that brought her joy and fulfillment.
I think the ideas in this book will definitely spark creativity in the hearts and minds of the readers. The more you put into the activities, the more you will get out of this excellent book. Highly recommended!
MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI ~ I got a free digital copy of this book to review from NetGalley.
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This imaginative picture book offers children a sweet adventure that they will not soon forget. "Mortimer's Sweet Retreat", by Mandi Tillotson Williams, is a rhyming story that will entertain and delight young readers.
About the Author
After experiencing a personal family tragedy-turned-miracle, Mandi Tillotson Williams has decided to
pursue her lifelong dream of writing for children on top of having her own
photography business and juggling three kids and their activities. She has also written "Moritmer's Book of What-Ifs (A Children's Rhyming Picture Book)".
Mortimer Crump's Sweet Adventure
Mortimer Crump was plucked off a stump by the flying Boo Woolly Weave. Mortimer was shaking with fear until the Boo Woolly Weave plunked him down in a land of "marshmallow bees, lollipop trees, and a lake full of jelly bean stew."
Mortimer loved this new magical place and he realized that the Boo Woolly Weave wanted to be his friend. When Mortimer decided to explore the inside of a gingerbread house, his new friend was kidnapped and carried off to another land. Mortimer had one day to find the Boo Woolly Weave or he would turn to sand! Even though Mortimer could be in danger, he wasted no time in going to rescue his friend.
Was this all a dream? The Boo Woolly left Mortimer a sweet souvenir of their magical adventure.
My Thoughts
I haven't read a children's book that offers such a fresh and original plot in quite some time. The author has a great imagination and the story is sweet in many different ways. There is suspense, adventure, drama, friendship and fun in this short children's ebook.
I viewed this book on my Kindle 3 (black-and-white pictures) and my Kindle for PC application (color pictures). The formatting is perfect for the Kindle with a full-screen illustration and several lines of text in each screen view. The text is placed above or below the images so it is easy to read. The pen drawings are colored in with crayon/colored pencils and are a great fit for the story. This book really NEEDS to be viewed in color because the illustrations are so delightful.
I highly recommend this ebook for children of all ages. I bet parents will enjoy it just as much as the kids. They don't get much better than this!
FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering.
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I was recently visiting my mother's home and found this "golden oldie" on her bookshelf. This is actually two stories about some very innovative children. "Surprise on Wheels and Wings Over The Woodshed", by Margaret Friskey, was published in 1945.
The words "Irving School, Sept. 1954" are stamped inside the cover of this book. Irving School was an elementary school in Higginsville, Missouri. This book must have been read many, many times because almost every page has been mended with tape.
This is a book for beginning readers. The book is illustrated with both color and black & white drawings.
Childhood Before the Days of Television
These two stories tell about three siblings who were very creative. Patsy and Peter were five years old. Billy was just two years old. Patsy and Peter knew how to build things with a hammer and saw. In "Surprise on Wheels", they found a big wooden box and built a boat. The boat would not "GO" so they decided to build a train. They were upset because they did not have any wheels and the train would not "GO".
Little Brother Bill said his big round wooden blocks could be wheels. The children attached the wheels to their train and the train went racing down the hill (with a push from the pet goat).
In "Wings Over The Woodshed", the children build a wooden airplane and their Uncle Joe helped them make it fly! Uncle Joe strings a rope between his barn and a neighbor's tree. He then uses a pulley to make the plane "fly" along the rope. They use the plane to rescue a neighbor's cat who is stuck in the tree.
My Thoughts
The children in this story were very innovative. It is hard to imagine five-year-old children being able to build vehicles like they did in these stories. The children seemed to be very skilled with the tools and there was no mention of safety issues in the book.
In the days before television, children had to entertain themselves. They had to use their imaginations to visit faraway kingdoms and play with whimsical characters. I think every child imagines building their own car, train or airplane. These children were doing what many dreamed of doing.
I think most parents today would hesitate to turn their young children loose in their workshop. I do think these stories illustrate a spirit of adventure that many children of that day displayed. It was wonderful to turn back the years and read a book that was treasured by children over 60 years ago.
Book Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations to Roberta for winning my book giveaway last week. I will be sending the signed copy of "Marketing Shortcuts for the Unemployed" to New Zealand this week.
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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Camel Lot; A Misplaced Adventure, written and illustrated by Karen Jones, is a charming chapter book for children. It is currently being offered as a FREE ebook on Amazon.
Three siblings created an imaginary kingdom named "Camel Lot" when they decided to spend the afternoon playing in their mother's forbidden flower garden.
About The Author
Karen Jones lives in Indiana with her husband, daughter and Chihuahua dog. Her family is a constant source of inspiration. She has written numerous poems, stories and funny lyrics. Ms. Jones wrote "Bermuda's Triangle; A Misplaced Adventure", another ebook for children.
An Imaginary Kingdom
When Artie, Lance and Gwen were instructed to go outside and play, they struggled to think of fun things to do. Five-year-old Gwen suggested that they play in their mother's garden. They were NEVER allowed to play in the garden without permission. They decided that the forbidden garden would be the perfect place to spend the afternoon.
The children decided the garden would be a magical kingdom named "Camel Lot". Artie was the king, Lance was a knight and Gwen was the princess. The children soon realized that they were not alone in the garden. Gwen got an unexpected push as she sat on the garden swing. Gwen's brothers were determined to get to the bottom of this prank. They were shocked when they found a lonely neighbor boy in Camel Lot.
My Thoughts
I read this book on my Kindle and took a look at the color illustrations on my Kindle for PC application. This book has six short chapters and 6 color illustrations. The illustrations feature scenes from around the garden.
This book is appropriate for children in grades 2 - 4 and could be used as a read-aloud for younger children.
I enjoyed the daring and imaginative spirits of these children. This is a wonderful example of kids having fun without expensive toys, a television or a video game. The mysterious visitor in the garden brings an element of suspense to the story. I would love to see a picture of the children in this story. The garden illustrations were good but it just seems like something is missing. A few more illustrations would make this good book a great book.
I encourage you to download this book while it is FREE and share it with a child in your life. You will be glad you did.
