Cities to Explore
The best cities in the world to explore.
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Portland Art Party: Design a Portland Food Truck
For my new Wanderlust Portland – A Creative Guide to the City book launch I had the best time getting together online with many of you for an art lesson/art party and coming up with an imaginative food cart celebrating Portland’s food truck scene! My favorite part was working together to brainstorm a food truck theme, and then designing it as we went along! For those who could not make it, we decided to go with a Japanese/French themed food truck that specialized in Japanese teas and French patisseries! We named it Pa-TEA-sserie, and decorated it with sakura flowers, fleur de lis, tea cups and of course treats. I just…
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What Summertime Means to Me
Creative Photo Prompt: Create a photo collage of what summer means to you…. Water, beach, strong shadows, the sound you hear in the distance of fun at an amusement park, long sun burnt days and warm nights. I took these photos in Santa Monica, CA when I was there last year. They truly say summer to me. What about you?
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Portland, Oregon – Beautiful, Historic & Creative
For anyone who has been watching the news this past year or two, Portland, Oregon has had a rough go, image wise… but I’m here to dispel any myths or thoughts you may have. This beautiful Pacific Northwest city is amazing for countless reasons but my number one reason is for the sheer CREATIVE ENERGY and fodder it can provide. “Portland is a town of rugged individualists sprinkled with weirdness. It commends uniqueness and praise all types of entrepreneurs and creators, yet also has a strong commitment to community. The city embraces its industrial past, while also promoting progressive environmental ideas and sustainable practices. Portland exudes a strong sense of…
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Wanderlust Portland – New Creative Travel Book!
I am so proud to announce the 4th book in my Wanderlust Creative Travel Guide series is here – Wanderlust Portland!!! Welcome to the club. This book will not only teach you a little history of one of the many vibrant neighborhoods of Portland but also provide a creative lens in which to explore! Each chapter has an interactive activity associated with it to really get you engaged with your surroundings in a whole new way! There is also a journal section for you to record the details of your own experiences, places you visited, quotes you hear, doodles from your day. With summer almost upon us, it’s time to…
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Creative Wanderlust Prompt: Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon is the epitome of creativity! In celebration of my new book, Wanderlust Portland, let’s dive into some fun PDX inspired creative prompts!!! From bridges to roses, there is no shortage of artsy adventures. I can’t wait to share with you loads of details about PDX (in my book) as well as inspire you with ideas on how to explore this city creatively. So, let’s get exploring with some creative prompts below! Daily Creative Wanderlust Prompts: Portland Monday – Celebrate the bridges of Portland and draw one near you, or draw an imaginary one! Tuesday – Portlanders love their bikes. Photograph bikes around your town and make a photo collage with your…
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Viva Mexico – A Colorful Collage
There is so much of Mexico I have yet to explore, but from the tiny taste I have experienced, I find it to be one of the most colorful and exciting countries to visit. Color is such a vibrant part of every community, from the festive papel picado flags draping a street to the hand embroidered floral dresses. I created this collage above and tried to represent the energy Mexico exudes. Have you been to Mexico? What was your impression?
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Creative Wanderlust Prompt: Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan. It’s definitely one of my favorite places in all of New York City, and the area I frequently stay when I visit. When I lived in New York City many moons ago, I rarely went to midtown. I was a student (in graduate school) and midtown catered to the working world. I did go to Grand Central Station frequently as I’d take the train out to Connecticut to visit my sister, but in general, I roamed all the other neighborhoods for my NYC energy, not midtown. Fast forward to today, and I can’t get enough of midtown Manhattan. It fuels me with energy. I’m convinced it’s because of…
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Creative Community: Art Bias Open Studios
I’m super excited to announce I have recently joined the Board of Directors at a local arts organization called Art Bias. This non-profit organization is true to my heart. Their mission is to not only provide affordable studio space for artists (in the San Francisco Bay Area this is HUGE), yet also their goals is to promote community by providing resources and opportunities for artists to grow and thrive! The Art Bias mission is to be a community where artists have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. We provide affordable artist studios, professional development events and resources, exhibition opportunities, and a thriving community of artists interested…
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Seeing Green in Ireland and Northern Ireland
It only takes a few moments upon arrival in Ireland to realize why the country is nicknamed the Emerald Isle. Green is everywhere – vibrant, refreshing, rich greens, in every hue. One of my favorite creativity prompts while traveling is color. It’s such a simple idea, yet can truly open your eyes to seeing so much more than you expect when you explore a location! The goal is to choose a color in the morning before you head out, then when touring, be on the look out for it. When you see it, take a quick picture on your phone. At the end of the day, you can create a…
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Creative Wanderlust Prompt: Inspired by Maui, Hawaii
Maui, the second largest island in the Hawaiian island chain behind the Big Island of Hawaii, is nicknamed the Valley Isle. This name derives from the fact that the island is made up of two volcanoes (a volcanic doublet), where the lava flowed between the two to create an isthmus or valley connecting them. The older volcano to the west rises 5,777 feet above sea level and the younger volcano, Haleakala is more than 10,000 feet above sea level! Like most islands, Maui is filled with microclimates, from extremely wet areas to drier regions; warm regions to surprisingly cold ones (10,000’ elevation on Haleakala will do that, even if on…
