inspiration – Journey to Imagination

Tag: inspiration

Writer, Blogger, & Educator Elizabeth Daghfal—Nothing Beats a Great Story, Part 2

Posted on June 22, 2020June 30, 2020 by Laura

Give Elizabeth Daghfal an idea, and she’ll run with it. But get out of the way so you don’t get blown over in the wake. It only takes a suggestion---an image, a song, a place---for the idea to grow into a full-blown play script, a musical production, an article, or...Read More

People Watching #8

Posted on May 13, 2019May 20, 2019 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. After that, we speculated about the dynamics of two girls and a guy at the dinner table. Then we viewed the bicyclist in a race and...Read More

People Watching #7

Posted on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 by Laura

Educator Mollie Gruennert: Creating School Environment with Joy, Beauty, and Shalom– Part 2

Posted on March 4, 2019February 21, 2019 by Laura

Last time I introduced you to my former student, Mollie Gruennert. When my daughter Kaia was born, Mollie gave her a cute cloth doll. Much later, when I told Kaia that the doll was from Mollie, Kaia promptly named the doll after her. So over the years, we’ve had a sweet...Read More

Educator Mollie Gruennert: Creating School Environment with Joy, Beauty, and Shalom– Part 1

Posted on February 25, 2019February 25, 2019 by Laura

Mollie Gruennert is passionate. She has always desired to make a difference, exemplifying this outlook: "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." ― Mother Teresa This desire has taken many routes, primarily in education. She received a B.S. in Education...Read More

People Watching #6

Posted on February 18, 2019February 22, 2019 by Laura

Monday Metaphor Musings #5

Posted on February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 by Laura

We are surrounded daily by comparisons stated as similes and metaphors. Here's one from TV's Cheers: Woody: "How's it going, Mr. Peterson?" Norm: "It's a dog eat dog world, Woody, and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear." Manny on Modern Family says, "I've always felt out of place in public school,...Read More

People Watching #5

Posted on January 21, 2019November 20, 2018 by Laura

Welcome back to my blog! Time to resume our Journey To Imagination after taking a break. I hope the past few weeks offered plenty of highlights, holiday fun, and creative outlets. Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined...Read More

Engineer Dan Dotson: Creating innovative Solutions

Posted on November 5, 2018October 26, 2018 by Laura

Engineer Dan Dotson once did a high school book report on Thomas Edison. “He might have inspired me more than I know,” Dan says. "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." --Thomas Edison Edison knew all about that. He barreled through obstacles and never gave up. Regarding his work...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 4: The Man Behind the Curtain, continued

Posted on October 22, 2018February 20, 2019 by Laura

Do you recall the resume in my last post? We left off with L. Frank Baum leaving Aberdeen--broke, disappointed, and disillusioned---with a wife and four kids to feed. Chicago---The Lean Years and New Beginnings (1890s) The Baums arrived in Chicago in time for the 1893 Columbian Exposition, a time of...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 2: The Road to All Things Oz

Posted on October 8, 2018October 5, 2018 by Laura

The small town of Chittenango, New York is proud to embrace their hometown boy, L. Frank Baum. He spent his first five years in Chittenango, his birthplace. Later, he grew accustomed to seeing the yellowed hemlock plank road that carried salt barrels to Salina, possibly the inspiration for Oz’s Yellow...Read More

We’re off to See the Wizard, Part 1: The Wizard of Chittenango & the Magic of Oz

Posted on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 by Laura

Recognize any of these phrases? • “Some people without brains do any awful lot of talking.” • “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” • “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” • “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” • “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” •...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #4: Life

Posted on September 24, 2018January 28, 2019 by Laura

"Life is like a doughnut. It can be sweet and tasty, but there’s always a hole in the middle.” That’s just one of many ways people have tried to capture the essence of human life on planet Earth, with all its many facets. The challenges of life have been compared...Read More

People Watching #4

Posted on September 17, 2018September 13, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? The first time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Then we examined a 1930s Charles Walton photograph. After that, we speculated about the dynamics of two girls and a guy at the dinner table. I loved reading your comments---the ideas evoked by those...Read More

Artist Rita Trickel: Beyond Here There Be Dragons

Posted on September 10, 2018August 27, 2018 by Laura

Ahoy mateys! Ever see an old sea map where dragons marked dangerous or uncharted waters? Pictures of dragons, sea monsters, or mythological creatures warned sailors to stay away. No telling what’s beyond. Shiver me timbers! If sailors got too close to these areas, trouble abounded. Danger was at hand. All...Read More

Story Worlds: Places I’ve Been, Part 2

Posted on September 6, 2018October 23, 2021 by Laura

What settings have inspired you? What stories do you associate with them? Which stories will you never forget? Earlier, I shared how authors thrust us into their story worlds, by mixing words together in such a way that we’re living and breathing alongside the characters. I’ve discussed where story ideas come...Read More

Elmer Sparks, Part 1: Spreading Happiness through Photography

Posted on August 27, 2018August 23, 2018 by Laura

Only one photographer ever got my husband to smile for a portrait. Just one. And a genuine smile, not a fake smile-through-your-teeth “can we get this over with?” kind of smile. That man is Elmer Sparks. That was the year he took portraits of every family in our church for...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #3

Posted on August 20, 2018August 20, 2018 by Laura

What do you think of when you hear the word door? Or when you see a picture of a door? Does it make a difference which kind of door? Time for another word-association exercise. You did this before by brainstorming the word web and by finding the right metaphor to describe...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings, #2: Are you a Tiger or a Turtle? A Hammer or a Nail? A Piano or a Piccolo?

Posted on July 23, 2018June 21, 2018 by Laura

Have you ever found yourself describing people with these cliches? Do you know individuals like this? “That kid’s a tornado. He leaves a mess in every room he passes through.” “She’s as busy as a beaver.” “She’s the queen bee.” “He’s as relentless as a jackhammer.” “He works like a...Read More

Artist Marie Scott: Painting Glimmers of Hope for this Broken World

Posted on July 9, 2018June 26, 2018 by Laura

******************** “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” --Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1887 ******************** Two weeks ago, I discussed how the starving artist is not so hungry. I referenced impassioned honeysuckles and tulips. Here’s Mirriam-Webster’s definition of...Read More

People Watching, #2

Posted on June 25, 2018June 18, 2018 by Laura

Have you done any people watching lately? Last time we looked at Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. [caption id="attachment_745" align="aligncenter" width="456"] Via State Library of New South Wales[/caption] Aside from knowing that a picture is worth 1000 words, a picture evokes 1000 stories. If I showed a picture to a dozen students...Read More

Are you Celebrating or Lamenting?

Posted on June 18, 2018July 26, 2021 by Laura

Did you ever read a book and wish you’d written it? Have you walked through a gallery and wished you had a better eye and camera for your own photography exploits? Have you found yourself envying the singer with the beautiful voice or the musician with such mastery of his...Read More

Barbara Britton: Perfume Pics, Coloring Pencils, and Records: An Author’s Unconventional Tool Box

Posted on June 11, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Have you wondered what it would be like living in Biblical Old Testament times? So has author Barbara Britton. In fact, she digs into O.T. history to create story worlds from 1000s of years ago. Her wanderings start with map-making and music. Last year I read the first book from...Read More

The Compulsion to Tell A Story: The Dog Ate My Glasses

Posted on June 7, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

My husband Tim tells the story of when he was in 4th grade playing baseball with the neighbors. He had brand new glasses and was afraid of breaking them. He set them in a “safe place” in the grass nearby. A dog was snooping around. After he got up to...Read More

Interior Designer Kaysie Strickland: Home as a Haven of Healing, Part 2

Posted on May 24, 2018May 24, 2018 by Laura

How has your home or your art been a healing place for you? Kaysie Strickland, founder and president of Homes & Havens, is an interior designer who has mastered the art of creating healing home environments for wounded women. Last time, she shared her philosophy of home as a healing...Read More

Monday Metaphor Musings #1: Web

Posted on May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 by Laura

What comes to mind when you think of the word web? I teach writing students how to brainstorm ideas on paper, using a webbing technique that some call clustering. Many teachers use this. The rules are simple: start with a word, phrase, or concept in the middle of the page,...Read More

Artist Laura Fesser, Part 1: Inspired by Polymer, Playable Guitars, & Portraits

Posted on May 7, 2018July 12, 2018 by Laura

Laura Fesser wears two creative hats: artist and teacher. Her lively artwork brightens our community at the local hospital, library, and gallery, as well as numerous homes. Laura teaches elementary art at Heritage Christian School where I started the secondary art program years earlier. Later, she taught my four children,...Read More

Alison Sherwood, Part 1: Memory Maker, Memory Finder, & Memory Keeper

Posted on April 16, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Need inspiration? Need ideas for a party or craft? Look no further. This woman is overflowing with them! Non-stop. Alison Sherwood is a journalist turned stay-at-home-mom to three kids (Corban, 6, Mara, 4, and Haddon, 3). For nine years, she was a writer, videographer, blogger, and digital jack-of-all-trades for the...Read More

Author Liz Tolsma: Story Worlds steeped in WWII history

Posted on April 5, 2018April 23, 2018 by Laura

Unlike my friend Cathy, I cannot read and cook at the same time without drastic consequences. Spaghetti boiling over. Overcooked Chicken Divan. Burned biscuits. Have you ever been so engrossed in a novel that you forgot you were reading? Or didn’t hear the oven timer? And your smoke alarm went...Read More