creative freedom | Not Shallow

Quick, what’s the first thing one should do before beginning a book called Inspiration Sandwich?

That’s right – eat a sandwich.

I made exactly the kind of sandwich I wanted – grilled cheese. Secret ingredient: Pub Cheese, a cheese spread. Spread that on some really good French loaf, put some provolone, tomatoes and avocado on it too and you’ve got yourself a nice sandwich.

I sat down with my sandwich (and a dog to watch me eat it) and savored every bite.

After eating, I felt tired. But I didn’t take a nap (which SARK would have recommended). Instead, I climbed into my big, brown reading chair and read Inspiration Sandwich from cover to cover.

Continue reading Living By The Book: Inspiration Sandwich – Getting Inspired →

I’m starting an ongoing series today that I’m calling “Living By The Book,”* wherein I take a book with a message, lifestyle or self-help program, try to live by it or practice its tenets for awhile and see if / how it works.

I was inspired to do this by a book called, interestingly enough,Â Inspiration Sandwich by an artist/author named SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy). SARK is a writer and creativity teacher who’s been dispensing advice on how to keep your creativity alive since about the late 1980s. You can tell one of her books by their colorful, water-color-ish drawings. This is the cover of Inspiration Sandwich:

The book is a collection of ways to awaken your creative self. Some of the ideas include inviting someone dangerous to tea, buying a toy for yourself and taking lots of naps. Inside, it says, “In the SARK tradition, it was written while in pajamas, and in between naps. My first job was at age four as the wake-up fairy in kindergarten. I believe in waking up creative spirits.”

Continue reading Living By The Book: Inspired By Inspiration Sandwich →