The Heart of Creativity – Creativity Exercise #6

Art software and scissors  are two great tools for turning art into hearts.
Art software and scissors are two great tools for turning art into hearts.

I like drawing hearts. Their swooping lines are gentle on the eyes. They are easy to make with pens, crayons, scissors or computers.

They are a reminder of love and inner peace. That is especially important today for me with the deaths in Belgium. I want to focus on love and peace.

As Bob Marley wrote, our destinies are intertwined. When you are safe, we are all safe. When you have love, we all have love.

“One love, one heart, one destiny.”
― Bob Marley

I used the computer to frame this photo of one of my art works.
I used the computer to frame this photo of one of my art works.

HEARTS EVERYWHERE – CREATIVITY EXERCISE #5
I chose to share the hearts exercise today to remind myself as well as to inspire you to remember love and peace.

This is a simple creativity exercise. You can draw hearts anywhere. I use paper, backs of bills, in the fog on windows, in the sand and even on my telephone.

This creativity exercise, though, has a little different method. It focuses on making hearts out of photos and copies of your or other’s art work.

I framed  favorite photos with heart shaped cutouts
I framed favorite photos with heart shaped cutouts

MAKING HEARTS FROM YOUR ART AND PHOTOS

You may find when you do this exercise that you come up with a framed or cut out heart that is a keeper, but that is not the goal. This is about taking time to focus on the beauty of your world and seeing it through a symbolic heart shape.

STEP ONE Select a box with a lid that you can use for your collection of photos and prints.

STEP TWO Collect photos of places and things you find to be beautiful, colorful or interesting. Some people print them out on their printer at home. Others collect photos from magazines or have photos printed at a place like Walmart.

Take time to enjoy the photos and prints. Intentionally notice the colors and lines of the images. Express your gratitude for the opportunity to experience such beauty.

I cut out this copy of one of my paintings.
I cut out this copy of one of my paintings.

STEP THREE Make copies of your or other people’s art work, respecting copyright laws of course. Smile.

STEP FOUR Some of you may have computer or cell phone software which allow you to frame or crop a picture. Some examples are Picture It 10, Photo Studio or Adobe Photo Shop. If you do, create a picture folder for your images.

I took a photo  outside of a painting. The sky and trees reflected in the glass .
I took a photo outside of a painting. The sky and trees reflected in the glass .

STEP FIVE Turn the images into hearts by one of four methods:

(A) Trace a heart shape on to the picture and cut it out. Try different heart shapes.

(B) Create your own heart shaped frames by cutting out a card stock paper into a heart shape and placing it over the photo.

Color around the heart shape you traced on the photo.
Color around the heart shape you traced on the photo.
(C) Trace a heart onto the image and color in the outsides of the heart.

I selected favorite pictures and made heart frames with Picture It 10
I selected favorite pictures and made heart frames with Picture It 10
(D) Computer software and cell phone software are great fun for making heart-shaped frames. If you have the older Microsoft Picture It 10 it has lots of ways to make heart frames.

Again take time to not only make heart shaped frames but to enjoy the images. Try selecting frames that match or contrast with the themes of the pictures.

I like adding saying to the images.
I like adding saying to the images.
STEP SIX Try adding sayings or thoughts to your heart designs.

Here are a few I like:

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.
…live in the question.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

“Sometimes miracles happen in this world simply because good people take action and decide to do something, and never give up.”
― Eileen Anglin

From me to you.
From me to you.

I hope you enjoy expressing your heart and seeing your world through the framework of a heart of love.

May you have peace and strength.

UPCOMING: Creativity Exercise #6 is about being a tourist in your own community.

If you have missed earlier creativity exercises here is a list of all articles on this site.

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