Julia Cameron recommends not only writing 3 uncensored pages a day to get ideas for projects, but she suggests taking an artist's holiday. I did this yesterday, going to Barnes and Noble for my art quilt magazine, where I also found in the creative "kit" section, a Storyteller doll with a book of 20 tales retold by Mary Packard for Metro Books.
I fell hard for Storyteller dolls on a trip to the Southwest. Loving libraries, books and children, I had to have one. I had already bought some oven-bake Della Robbia Clay for myself or to use with the grandchildren. One can roll a ball of clay and push in the middle to make a bowl, pinch the sides and turn it over for a base, add a head with an open mouth for singing or talking, arms and legs, and little children from rolled tubes of clay made into stick figures, attached by scratching/dampening the areas of connection, drying, cooking and painting. The Singer or Storyteller can be a grandparent, animal or whimsical creature. There should be at least 3 or 4 children attached. I am eager to try this project with Hannah and Erika. Many images and the history of these clay pieces can be found on-line. (click for close-up)
P.S. I forgot to say that the grandchildren love to hear "REAL" and "REAL SCARY" family stories. Packard's book has many Hopi quotations:"Hold fast to the words of your ancestors."
This is a good opportunity to gather those stories.
