Check out my E-Bay Auctions! I have 38 items on auction this time, including new Zarela items!

Well, back to reality - we are in day 3 of CRCT testing. I am showing the kids the musical version of Tom Sawyer after the test. I am also showing videos in my regular classes, which are pared down to 50 minutes - which is hardly any time at all!

I have decided to start with The Girl Who Owned A City by O.T.Nelson. It's a great book - here is the first quote from Part One:

"Animals, maybe, aren't so lucky. All they do is what they do - what their instincts tell them. They can't invent plans, and make choices, and dream about tomorrow."

I have to prepare for my class tonight, as well as to paint some shrines that just got pre-ordered, so I don't have a lot of time to write. I did a LOT of writing in my paper journal, and now it's time to get down to business.

I receive an e-mail newsletter from Comadre Coaching, a great resource for creativity. Here is a sample - go and sign up!

Ten Creative Chispas to Spark Your Imagination

by Nancy Marmolejo, Comadre Coaching

A chispa is a spark, a spark with the potential to become a wildfire of ideas and innovation. Creative action involves catching these sparks, doing something with them, and enjoying the results.

Here are 10 simple things you can do to jumpstart your creative spirit and infuse your life and work with a greater sense of satisfaction and purpose.

1. Understand What You're Passionate About. For some people, this is done in the form of a mission statement, an artist's statement, or a set of guiding principles. Finding what truly drives and inspires you will help focus your attention on your creative gifts.

2. Catch Your Ideas. How many times has a great idea struck you and by the end of the day you can't remember what it was? Creating a system for catching your ideas will help you see what an amazingly creative mind you already have. Whether you use notecards, a PDA, a tape recorder or a notepad, find the method that you'll be comfortable using and use it!

3. De-Clutter Your Mind. Amidst the wonderful ideas floating about your head are random thoughts, mental observations, worries, fears and reminders. Begin keeping a daily journal for your mind's ramblings. Write at least 2 pages, preferably longhand, on whatever is going through your head. "The drycleaning is ready today. I wonder when I'll finish that project for work. There's that party tonight. I think I'd like to take up rock-climbing." When you can't think of anything else, write "Keep writing. Keep writing..." until the next thoughts hit you. This is a great activity for first thing in the morning and right before bed.

4. Enjoy Creative Rituals. Engaging in an activity that will entertain, amuse and delight your creative spirit keeps your outlook fresh and your innovation fired up. A ritual can be as simple as a 5 minute act or as elaborate as a weekend away. The purpose is to inspire you to do something new and different, saving special time for reflection

5. Make time for SPAM. No, not the canned meat and not unwanted email. In this case SPAM stands for Spirituality, Prayer And Meditation. Keeping time for yourself to spiritually acknowledge the gifts of creativity will not only help you be more creative, it will give you the quiet time needed to hear the creative voices whispering to you.

6. Practice Gratitude. Gratitude is a HUGE part of creativity. When you express gratitude for the simplest things, you�ll find yourself rewarded with a host of new ideas. Use your daily journal to list everything you're grateful for and you'll soon feel the power that gratitude can have in your life.

7. Practice Appreciation. Along with gratitude comes appreciation: appreciating the creativity of others, appreciating beauty, appreciating people's efforts. Find something to appreciate in everything you see today, whether it's an old chancla (?) or a museum piece.

8. Create Community. Find or create a community of people who share your passions and interests. Share what excites you: your successes, your frustrations, your craziest schemes. Communities meet online, by conference call, in person or through other means. The right one is out there and is waiting for you.

9. Stop the Trickster. The Trickster is that negative voice in our heads who tells us that we aren't good enough, that we can't change, that being creative is for other people. Tell the Trickster to be quiet and understand that it is only an illusion of your mind designed to keep you from growing.

10. Celebrate Small Victories. Creativity doesn�t have to be grand or on a large scale. An insignificant action for one can be considered a victory for another. If you try at least one of the items on this list, then consider that a small victory.

Watch how infusing your life with the gifts of creativity sparks talents and skills you may not even know you had.