Have Creative Goodness, Will Travel : April 2014 Update from the Random Acts of Art Adventure

As a long winter in the US and Canada has started to slowly give way to the arrival of spring (more or less!), the 6 Degrees of Creativity Random Acts of Art Adventure continues to travel onward.

The pouch’s most recent stops (#22 and #23) have reached Wisconsin and Illinois:

From Nancy in Waukesha, Wisconsin

Nancy in Waukesha, Wisconsin received these creative goodies from its previous stop in Minnesota with Thresa. Nancy shared, “I wonder where all of the materials came from…. I thought it was so interesting to use items that could have come from so many places, to come together and make something new.”

The pouch then left the creative hands of Nancy to travel to Heather at Suncrest Studios in Bolingbrook, Illinois:

From Heather in Bolingbrook, Illinois

creative goodness delivered from Wisconsin

Below is Heather’s page in progress from the Pouch’s Passport Book that also travels with the pouch:

Passport book traveling with the pouch

It’s so fun to keep watching this adventure unfold at different locations and in the wonderful hands of each participant!  Thank you to Nancy and Heather for your photos and being part of this creative journey!  🙂

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About the project**: A 8 x 6 inch canvas pouch filled with various artsy stuff, is mailed amound participants to make some creative goodness with…then the created art is given away in a random act of art to someone else!  The pouch gets filled back up with more creative stuff & then mailed again to the next participant to continue the creative cycle!  This project has 40+ more stops over the next 12 months (more or less!) to destinations in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, India, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

** Signing up for this project is now closed.

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Random Acts of Art Pouch Update >> October’s Travels

The Random Acts of Art Pouch continues on its travels, spreading lots of creative goodness to each of these destinations in October:

Lynette in Depew, New York

Liz in Boston, Massachusetts

A sneak peek into the Project’s Passport Book that is also traveling with the pouch. Thank you to Liz for sharing this page she added!

“I created this piece as a gift of gratitude for someone special. It took on many faces through the process and was often stuck within the boundaries of my hope for the piece. Creating this piece reminded me that I work best without an agenda, goal, hope or expectation for the product. Once I surrendered to the process, materials and the way I was feeling I became free and was able to create something more authentic.” ~ Liz

Barbara in Ludlow, Massachusetts

“The random acts of  kindness pouch arrived late yesterday afternoon, and I was very happy to receive it!  I emptied it and looked at all that it held, and decided to embroider one of the little sock monkey squares…I made a little pouch out of it… and will leave it on a shelf at the grocery store when I go shopping tomorrow morning with a little note inside of it.”  ~Barbara

Over the last four months our pouch has safely reached 12 destinations! Hooray!  Many thanks to Lynette, Liz, and Barbara for sharing their photos, art, and reflections as this pouch and acts of art continue to travel among us. After a couple more stops on the east coast to Michelle and Bonnie, the pouch will be leaving the country to spend some creative time Canada. Stay connected for more updates!

If you’re interested in receiving regular updates about the project, be sure to follow the pouch on Facebook.

About the project: A 8 x 6 inch canvas pouch filled with various artsy stuff, is mailed amound participants to make some creative goodness with…then the created art is given away in a random act of art to someone else!  The pouch gets filled back up with more creative stuff & then mailed again to the next participant to continue the creative cycle!  This project will have 60 stops over the next 17 months (more or less!) to destinations in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, India, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

Postcards from the Pouch Travel Update: September | Random Acts of Art Adventure

It is a such pleasure to provide this latest travel update for 6 Degrees of Creativity’s current project, Random Acts of Art by way of the canvas pouch of art goodies participants are sending & sharing with one another to create art!

Here are some the creative stops and activity over the last few weeks:

Lindsey in Medford Lakes, New JerseyCreative goodness created by Lindsey inspired by materials received in the Random Acts of Art Pouch!

A sneak peek sent by Lindsey inside the pouch before it travels to Sue in New Jersey.

Suzanne in Morristown, New Jersey

Julie in Grand Island, New York

Christa in New Rochelle, New York

Art created by Christa inspired by the materials she received from Julie.

   Our canvas pouch is also traveling with a special Passport Book where each participant is able to leave a creative message!

The Pouch’s next stop will be to Lynette in Depew, New York. This month’s travel plans include a tour in New England states Massachusetts and Connecticut. Since July, the pouch has traveled through 5 states to 9 different stops!

Thank you to Lindsey, Suzanne, Julie, and Christa for the fun photos and positive creative energy as this pouch continues to embark on its adventure with all of us!  If you’re interested in receiving regular updates about the project, be sure to follow the pouch on Facebook. There’s also a virtual map of the pouch’s destinations so far here.

And…For some more Random Acts of Art inspiration and its connection to Eudomonic Happiness, check out this 14 Secrets for a Happy Artist’s Life post and challenge.

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About the project: A 8 x 6 inch canvas pouch filled with various artsy stuff, is mailed amound participants to make some creative goodness with…then the created art is given away in a random act of art to someone else!  The pouch gets filled back up with more creative stuff & then mailed again to the next participant to continue the creative cycle!  This project will have 60 stops over the next 17 months (more or less!) to destinations in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, India, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

Postcards from the Pouch: August 2013 | Random Acts of Art Adventure Update

I am excited to share that the pouch for 6 Degrees of Creativity’s Random Acts of Art Project is safely back on the road for its creative travels!

Just this week, the pouch arrived to Sue in Oaklyn, New Jersey- Yes!

Hopefully throughout the upcoming month, the pouch can continue smoothly to its other east coast destinations!  The 6 Degrees of Creativity Facebook page continues to post updates as they happen…

Next stop: Lindsey in Medford Lakes, New Jersey!

I’ve also received some of the art that has been inspired by and has included the creative goodness sent in the project’s pouch.

Below is art inspired by the pouch’s July stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Rebecca Arnold at Cedar Crest College’s Art Therapy Program:

Rebecca was “very intrigued by the sense of community the art pouch presented and wanted to further that notion”:

Cedar Crest College had its “Welcome Back Festival” for students today and the art therapy studio was a designated stop on their “tour” of the campus. In the studio students were provided with scraps of fabric, markers, wire, and adornments including, art bits from the pouch.  They were encouraged to create a “hope or wish” for their coming academic year and then attach their piece to a wire mandala that eventually was identified as a “dream catcher.

The final piece represents for me the many layers of a college community (the fabric pieces) and the structure of the academic body and faculty (the wire mandala that is not seen) that can transform fears and uncertainties into life-affirming experiences.

Here are some wishes and hopes:

“To grow as a person”
“To find myself”
“To remain present”
“To make friends”
“To find and pursue my true purpose”

I will be keeping this structure in the art therapy studio space as a reminder to students who were involved of their intentions.  In an attempt to pull the campus community together in a different way (through art making), I will be using the experience from this work to begin a program for the students that includes open studio experiences in the art therapy studio.  This will allow nursing, education, social work, math, art, and all majors on campus to benefit from a community space and connection across disciplines. ~Rebecca Arnold, Cedar Crest College

Thank you Rebecca for sharing this experience and the art created by students, infused with some creative goodness from the pouch! Wonderful!  I look forward to seeing more of the art inspired by and created with the pouch’s artsy stuff & good vibes…  🙂

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About the project: A 8 x 6 inch canvas pouch filled with various artsy stuff, is mailed amound participants to make some creative goodness with…then the created art is given away in a random act of art to someone else!  The pouch gets filled back up with more creative stuff & then mailed again to the next participant to continue the creative cycle!  This project will have 60 stops over the next 17 months (more or less!) to destinations in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, India, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

Creative Bon Voyage: Embarking on Acts of Art

July 1 begins 6 Degrees of Creativity’s Random Acts of Art Adventure— our pouch of creative goodness finally embarks on its travels– Yippee!!!!   The pouch will have 60 stops over the next 17 months (more or less!) to destinations in the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, India, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia…Wow!  Here we go!

I’ve also created a fun creative passport book to accompany the pouch for all the participants to sign in with reflections and to document its travels.

Want to follow the project’s creative goodness?  Photos from different stops along the way will be posted on the 6 Degrees of Creativity Facebook page throughout the adventure, as well as updated on this blog.  I’m super excited for this experience to begin!

Sock Monkey Special Delivery Ready for Hoboken’s Boys and Girls Club

Wow– After a month and a half of more than 50 art therapists, art therapy students, and sock monkey making friends creating their delegates, the 6 Degrees of Creativity & Operation Monkey Service Project is ready to ship its special delivery of sock monkey joy.  With the incredible response received, we now have a huge delegation ready to go for our special mission!  WOO HOO!

Over 100 delegates traveled from 18 states across the US from Indiana, Rhode Island, Michigan, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Missouri, Maryland, Washington DC, Illinois, Florida and 4 countries: New Zealand, Canada, UK, and Italy (in route!) to come together before their final destination: The Boys and Girls Club in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Stitched with lots of love, hope, and creative goodness, we send sincere wishes that these sock monkey friends will bring many smiles, hugs, and comfort to the youth in the Hoboken community as the Boys and Girls Club site continues to cope with the aftermath of Sandy and their on-going recovery efforts.

A huge THANK YOU of gratitude to everyone who contributed!!!! And THANK YOU to Chief Operative Lindsey & Operation Sock Monkey!

Those sock monkeys that may have missed delegation travel for the Boys and Girls Club Hoboken mission still will have important OSM work to do at another site for children affected by Hurricane Sandy with the New Jersey Public Schools.

Job well done Operatives- excellent work!

Sock Monkey Swap & Operation Sock Monkey Service Project!

It’s time for another 6 Degrees of Creativity Sock Monkey Swap!

Earlier this year, the 6 Degrees of Creativity community was inspired by Art Therapist Kat Thorsen’s Sock Monkey Therapy Workshop and we organized an exchange to swap sock monkeys with one another.

Now, the sock monkey fun continues for not only another swap, but also an opportunity to create a sock monkey to be donated to Operation Sock Monkey for someone in need.

Read below for more details about how to participate:

• Sock Monkey Swap:  Make a sock monkey, Receive a sock monkey! Everyone who signs up for the sock monkey swap will be randomly paired with another sock monkey maker.  You’ll be making one sock monkey for someone, and someone will be making one for you. To sign up for the swap, e-mail your name and a mailing address to Gretchen at 6degreesofcreativity@arttherapyalliance.org by November 12, 2012. During the week of November 12, you will receive mailing info on where to mail your sock monkey to. Please note you are responsible for postage, which may be to an international destination. Don’t sign up for the exchange unless you are committed to the swap and following through. All sock monkeys should be mailed out by December 10, 2012. to their new home.

• Sock Monkey Service Project– You can also create another sock monkey to be donated to Operation Sock Monkey (OSM). OSM is a volunteer-run initiative in support of humanitarian organizations that provide laughter, hope and healing to communities around the world affected by disease, disaster and social/political turmoil through sending handmade sock monkeys to children in need. Currently, we are working on trying to donate some of the sock monkeys to individuals who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. If you’re interested in creating and donating a sock monkey for this effort, send a message to the above e-mail by November 12 to receive more details. Thanks to OSM for their excitement & willingness to collaborate with this project!

Not sure what’s all involved or needed to make a handmade sock monkey? Check out this awesome and easy how-to video below featuring Kat walking you through step by step! Much thanks to Kat for her inspiration and on-going sock monkey mojo. You can learn more about Kat’s work here.

This swap and service project is open to anyone who wants to participate and help spread some sock monkey love!  It would be great to not only gift one another with our sock monkey creations, but to also make another sock monkey friend for a community in need.

Join us!