Site Seeing: 1000 Awesome Things

OK, this is just fun ... a blog that creatively instigated a book and a song ... enjoy!

Creative Inspiration: Apollo 13

This past weekend, Apollo 13 astronauts James Lovell and Fred Haise gathered with ground crew members at the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, where the space capsule is displayed. Together, they celebrated the 40th anniversary of their astonishing and safe landing.

Jack Lousma, the main communications link between the ground crew and the flight crew, told the Kansas City Star he was "dumbfounded" when someone asked him later, "What if the astronauts hadn't made it?"

"It never entered my mind," he said. "We were all positively focused on getting those guys back."

And that, my friends, is the way to generate productive, creative energy. It's a new week. Let's shoot for the moon.

P.S. If you've never visited the Cosmosphere, it's amazing. I highly recommend it.

What a Wonderful World

My mentor and dear friend Duana Linville Dralus died this past Saturday. Family and friends will gather today to celebrate her life.

Since I have shared Duana stories with you in the past, thought I'd also share a bit of the service today. We're starting with Ben Harper, Waiting on an Angel. (She did not go alone.) And we're wrapping it up in perfect Duana style with Louis Armstrong.

What a wonderful world. All the better because Duana was in it.

Creativity Tips: Rule Out Imaginary Rules!

How often do you follow rules that don't exist?

I presented a creativity session this past weekend and my young buddy Ellie attended. She promptly grabbed my props and started playing ... drawing pictures, writing in the journal, wearing the crown.

I've never told anyone NOT to play with the props. But the session is generally filled with adults. You know, well-behaved people who seldom make history.

My tip for today? Follow Ellie's lead. Until you're told otherwise, assume you have permission to play!

Amuse Amber Update: Amber is home from the hospital! Thanks to everyone who sent links, ideas, etc. I'll use some of the remaining ideas in future posts. Let's wrap this series up with an amusement courtesy of Andrew. He's a 6-year-old friend of Neil's son Jackson. Again, kids know fun.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Pizza.

Pizza who?

Pete's a lot cleaner after he takes a shower!

Creativity Exercise: Write a Letter

According to this fun site that Leslie found, April is National Card and Letter Writing Month. So, your exercise for today is simple: Write a card or letter to someone and mail it.

Yes, I'm talking about taking 10 minutes for an actual pen-to-paper, look up their mailing address, find a stamp, lick-the-envelope communication. It's a tad more effort than an email, IM or text. And the lucky person who receives your missive will know that.

P.S. It's also International Twit Award Month. Don't make me go there ...

Amuse Amber #16: Check out the Online Sketch Pad!

Creativity Tips: Well-Behaved Women

It won't surprise you to learn that I have a T-shirt with the Laurel Thatcher Ulrich quote, "Well-behaved women seldom make history."

So, you can imagine my horror when I recently saw a bumper sticker announcing: "Women who behave rarely make history."

1. It's fine to steal an idea and make it better, make it your own. It's not fine to steal someone else's words, make them worse and then sell them.
   
2. "Well-behaved women" is a precise description. "Women who behave" is not. We all behave. Some of us just behave a tad more outrageously than others.
   
3. Yes, I realize that taking a red pen to random bumper stickers is a sign that I've been a writer/editor for too long. It's a sickness. You gotta love me anyway.
   

Amuse Amber #15: The image is from CarryABigSticker.com. Just reading the bumper stickers should amuse you for a bit!

Creative Community: Write for Charity

Recently, I've been receiving more emails and requests from people re: the CI blog and including information about their projects or products. I've chosen not to include most ... I'm picky. But after an email exchange with Beth Davis at Write for Charity, I'm passing this one along to you:

Write for Charity is accepting submissions for an anthology of poems and short stories on parenting. Proceeds from sale of the anthology will benefit children's charities. Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2010.

Oooh. Tax day, for those of us in the U.S. Are you ready?

Amuse Amber #15: Check out Shit My Dad Says. Is it vulgar? Absolutely. Is it funny? You betcha.