Creativity

Imagination. Creativity. School. Work. These are not words commonly associated together. Why is that? As kids, most everyone is overflowing with creativity. Somehow, that gets lost. Somewhere someone tells us that we failed. Either that the sky actually isn't purple, or that stripes and polka dots just don't go together. We start to listen to what others have to say, and genuinely care and want their opinion. Without it, we don't know how to dress, how to talk, how to draw. Is creativity a lost art? It can be applied to so many facets of daily life such as solving everyday problems. How can I get my brothers to stop fighting?

Whenever I see a product that is made different than normal, I stop to really investigate it. How did they come up with that design? Was there a problem with the original product? A store that I love to visit is Creative Kitchen. They have all sorts of kitchen appliances, whisks, and other things to make delicious food. For example, this thing-a-ma-jig chops up hamburger much easier than just using a wooden spoon. Creativity isn't just for artists and writers, it is for everyday use.

Last year I took a class at Judson, with Professor Wilson (dir. Finger of God, Furious Love). It is by far, my favorite class I have ever taken. I actually looked forward to class. Why is it that most classes are so boring to sit through, and seemingly unbearable? Why is it that Old Testament class is one of the most boring classes? It should be abundant with questions, fascinating stories and students eager to listen.

There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.        — Edward de Bono

One of the first things, that Prof. Wilson talked about in Exploring Creativity, was that our God is a creative God. When you open the Bible, what are the first words? "In the beginning, God created..." God created. In order to create, you have to be creative. There had never been a human before, and then he whipped up Adam, out of DUST. Dust? You know that stuff on the side of the road? God made the human race out of that pile of dust. Wow. That's pretty creative. I never would have thought of that.

The key question isn’t “What fosters creativity?” But it is why in God’s name isn’t everyone creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled? I think therefore a good question might be not why do people create? But why do people not create or innovate? We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything.   — Abraham Maslow

 If you are interested in some good reading on creativity I would recommend Cracking Creativity, and for ways to be inspired and pushed, The Creativity Book. Both of them were my textbooks from my class, but I kept them both.

haircut

Day 5

...i found someone with the whole list, and couldn't help myself






::a person you admire::

Corrie ten Boom. I can't even imagine forgiving guards from the concentration camps, that had tortured and humiliated you and your family.

::a song that makes you cry::
i know i have said this before, but I don't easily cry....


::an art piece::
oh so many. art history 1, 2, and 3 bring many images floating to the front of your mind, but the first one that comes to mind is Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Vermeer. i remember this easily because i wrote a paper on it. 


::a time when you felt passionate and alive::
when i realized that i was content and satisfied being single. it has taken quite the process, but it's worth it. God is the center of why I live. i don't always act like it, but i'm trying to correct that.


::talent of yours::
listening to people (does that count?)


::hobby of yours::

baking all sorts of fattening things
crocheting


::something you know you do differently than most people::
eat an apple. i eat the middle section and go all around (just the peeling with some flesh) and proceed to the top and bottom. then i eat the rest of the apple. i am very particular about my food.


::a website::
http://uniqueandamazing.blogspot.com  This is a blog of an amazing friend of mine. She's very honest about what's going on in her life and I love it. She also posts a lot of random images-with-text. One time I got my photography project as an inspiration from 


::a way that you want to be remembered::
as a woman of God who was passionate for things that truly mattered.


::a movie no one would expect you to love::

phonebooth (2003)


::recipe::

well one of my favorite recipes is caramel rolls, but that's too long to share. how about toast? take a piece of bread, stick it in the toaster, wait, then slather it with pb&j.


::childhood memory::
playing in the "woods," dead trees as my fortresses


::a physical feature you love::

my ears. one is unattached, and the other is. did you know i am abnormal?


::a scar you have and it's story::
it's on my knee. i would have taken a picture, but it's miniscule (don't tell my ego that) i got it surfing in Hawaii. Yeah, that's right. I'm tough. I was bleeding from some coral in potentially shark-infested waters. (i just wish it would be bigger than the size of a Q-tip)


::hopes, dreams and plans you have for the next 365 days::

focus more on God. nothing comes before him.


::a motto or philosophy::
even though things are broken, it doesn't mean it is useless.

Day 4

::song you want played at your wedding::


For the father/daughter dance, I want There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney. I'm the last person I would have thought that would ahve had country music played at her wedding. But I guess you just can't fight it. :) My dad recently had me listen to the song, and I knew right then

::guilty pleasure::
getting REALLY good deals. think 75% off sales :)


::vacation you would like to take::
Ohhhhh, Europe how I long to visit you. A dream ever since middle school has been to travel to Italy. But now that I'm teaching myself French, I simply have to go to France, right? And with art history, I should really travel to, pretty much everywhere. Okay, I like that. Who wants to donate money?

Day 3

:favorite place to eat:

Noodles & Company or Chipotle. Neither of which are in the state of North Dakota. I'm very excited for good eats when I get back to school.

:a photo you took:

This is my friend, La'Barb. We met at Riverwoods last summer. I really didn't blog much about it, but it was an eye-opening experience and you get close to a lot who work there. She is thinking of coming to Judson, and I couldn't be happier! I love this girl. She is so amazing, and would be ecstatic if I got to see her on a regular basis. =)

::a photo of you taken over ten years ago::

Me and grandpa!

::a photo of you taken recently::

Part 2

::favorite quote::

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could, some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
-Emerson

::a moment you wish you could relive::
studying late nights and mornings with Anne Van Veelen

::five things you couldn't possibly live without::

• Jesus
• the Bible
• my camera
• my mac
• my sanity (do i still possess that?)

30 day challenge

I must feel the decision to blog lately. I've been redesigning all three of my blogs (how did I get three blogs?) and actually posting some too. Well Bramblewood Fashion is doing a 30day-made-into-eleven day challenge. Thought it'd give me a good excuse to post.


::favorite song::

Should I just give you my whole iTunes library? One song that just gets me in a better mood, and makes me laugh after watching the video is "So What," by Pink

::favorite movie::

• You've Got Mail

I have always loved Meg Ryan. She always plays suck quirky characters. I like to think that I have that same quirkiness.

• The Proposal

Betty White and Sandra Bullock. How can you not love this movie?

::favorite book::

Definitely Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. My Creativity professor, Darren Wilson, (director of Furious Love and Finger of God) was raving about it in class one day. And my mom is an avid Rivers reader. So I decided it must be pretty good. Rocked.my.world. Wow. For the first time, I realized how amazing God's love is. I couldn't put that book down. When I was finishing the last chapter, I was sitting in the bathroom (it was about 2am and I didn't want to wake my roomie), just sobbing.
Read it.

::favorite tv series::

• Golden Girls
• NCIS
• M*A*S*H

Dawson

Dawson Kalyn

We have a new addition to the family! Welcome Dawson Kalyn! Fortunately she was born before Grandpa had to go back home. =)

Trenton and Teagan LOVE their new baby sister

Denium Apron

So I've been on a sewing kick lately. Interesting, since I haven't done it before. But after coveting longingly looking at aprons on etsy, I decided to make one for myself. So I took an old pair of jeans that don't fit anymore that I have outgrown, random fabric that was intended for a skirt that never happened, and a shirt in the goodwill pile. Put it al together and VOILA!! After four years of crocheting I finally learned how to sew. The shirt made an awesome belt, and jeans backwards make awesome pockets.

               

To-do list

I glanced at my to-do list on my bedroom door and found that someone had tampered with it. Hm, I wonder who that could be telling me to do Andrew's chores.......

Free stuff

=) Anyone who knows me, is in the knowledge that I love shopping, especially when I get good deals. And I tend to brag about it. Just last week while at the mall, a store had a 75% off sale. My total should have been 108, but it was around 25. I saved three times more than I spent! This summer has been crazy for deals. I need to start saying no or I won't have enough car space! Anyway......I got a package in the mail today. From Amazon. My total would have been almost thirty, but since I had 15 dollars in Amazon gift cards, it was only 12 dollars. And after I had bought them, Amazon sent me a lovely email saying I had a four dollar promotion because of the dvd I had bought. I have a very large wishlist for movies. Having a film studies minor doesn't help things.

I love SwagBucks! =)

Kuchen

Today, thanks to my fabulous Aunt Susan, I learned how to make kuchen. If you don't know what that is, let me inform your kuchenless mind (I pity you) of the wonders of custard pie. I was shocked how many people at Judson were oblivious to this delicious German piece of fabulous. I was equally amazed at how easy it is make kuchen.
The custard is half-and-half, flour, sugar, salt, and eggs. Make a sweet dough and put in the pie plate, then chocolate chips/peaches/or whatever your heart desires (I'm going to try raspberries from the garden!) unless you want a plain custard kuchen. Then pour the custard over the pie, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Throw it in the oven and devour the delectable wonderment.

SwagBucks

Have you heard of SwagBucks? It's amazing. At first I thought it might be  scam or a waste of money, but it really isn't. It simply takes searching for things like you normally would. With each search, you could get Bucks, which can be redeemed for gift cards. It is completely random how many and how often you get them. They range as far from just one to 50. The best day to search is on Friday because it is MegaSwagBucks Day. I have already gotten 15 dollars in Amazon gift cards. And I will probably be able to get my next one by the end of the day. It's awesome getting free stuff. I hope you will sign up!



Click on the SwagBucks banner or click on the link below.    http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/MeganMargaret

If you have any questions, leave a comment!

Photo Tribute for Grandpa

Grandpa's 80th

Just over  a week ago, we had around 40 people at our house. For my Grandpa's 80th birthday celebration. It was a good thing we had three campers available to use! 22 were at our house. It was crazy, but so much fun. And it went way too quickly.

We made a trip out to the hills. It's amazing how much you can see.

Me and Grandpa!

Family shots: Warren, LeAnn, Jessie, and Heather

Grandpa and his sister, Bev

Abigail LOVED the watermelon. She kept diving in for more.

Jessie with Scott and Andrew

Grandma time!

Elle and Nan

Ben and Mae Piper

"graduation" poses

Jessica, Grandpa and Jon

Dad and his authentic Hawaiian shirt I get him in Oahu

He has worn it to meetings before!

Andrew: gotta love that red hair!  Mischief galore....

Nan and Susan playing an old duet during our Talent Extravaganza!

Paul

Fatherly love: Abigail and Nathaniel

Huge group shot! Thanks to Ben for getting everyone in their place!! =)

Ha, I love my mom

When my mom and I were in Rochester, MN recently, she saw these statues on the sidewalk. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen anyone run that quickly to get a picture taken. She then insisted upon me  posing too. So...meet my new boyfriend. ;)

Prairie Bible Camp

Slideshow by Rachel Wissmann:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDAn3ka-I0


I *finally* had enough time to put together a PBC post.

Group shot!

Animal Womp

A game to get to know others better

Popcorn!! Paul did an excellent job every night making fresh popcorn =)

It was wonderful having sunny weather with no rain! We had bonfires every night.

French braiding--a tradition

Launching bottle rockets!

Daily flag raising

Morning devotions

Boxes for craft time. The kids loved having something more useful than the typical kitchy crafts.

Songs and motions

The time travelers...

Hepzi-hop-a-hip-a......something like that

Memory verse: Hebrews 11:1-2

Pinata!

The Chapel

Paints for VBS

Lexi

Basketball during freetime

Smiles

Trying out some gymnastics tricks

Water ballon races

Nice catch!

....until next year!