Don't Box Me In!

I'm thinking about boxes.  Being in boxes.  Thinking outside the box.  I'm doing an art experiment at MuseCraft to help me reach outside some of my personal boxes.  I think I want to write about stretching outside my limits a little more than the scope of the experiment will allow, so I'm going to start a series of posts over here.

Anyone else feeling like they want to break out of their boxes?  I'd love to get a conversation about it started.

Of course, boxes aren't all bad.  Presents come in boxes, after all.  But you have to open the box and take what's inside out before you can really enjoy it.  Staying inside the box does not lead to doing great things or having wonderful adventures.  So, the boxes have to go!  Or they at least have to be opened up.

Of course, I'm making all of this up as I go along, thinking of what I want to do and what I want to say with no real plan in mind just yet.  This is stuff that has to do with exploring and thriving and living and adventures and all the things I am working to bring into my life.  This is something I feel sure I need to be working on.  But where to start?

I'm going to start with some questions:

• What boxes have I put myself in?
• What do I want to do but never actually try?
• Why don't I try the things I want to do?

 I'm going to make those questions the topic of my next few blog posts.  I don't want this one to turn into a novel, and I want to give this topic some time and consideration.  So for now, I'll leave this as is, and I'll find out what starts happening when I climb up and start peeking over the top of this box.

Oops

I just reminded myself of something I really do know but managed to forget...take photos during the process of creating a collage. I had a collage for my three 2010 words (remember them? Create. Thrive. Explore.) I really liked it, but I felt it needed a wash over it to sort of pull everything together. I didn't photograph it before doing the wash. The wash is a really nice brown ink watered down (Daler & Rowney FW Acrylic Ink in Burnt Umber). But it really didn't belong on this collage. It darkened it too much. The colors are too subdued now, not giving me the vibrant energy I wanted for my piece. I will do another piece, a different piece, and I'm sure it will be good. But I really wish I had photographed this one before doing the ink wash. At least then I could have done a printout of the more colorful version. Ah well. Live and learn. And explore!