Tag Archives: chalk

Nudged: Create a chalk message

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Background: This Nudge is one of my favorites. I did it during my first round, and it was so much fun, I’m doing it again. (Also, I need to keep nudging myself until I just do it without prompting.)

The actual backstory is this is one of those activities that came out of my explorations of “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” What made you smile when you had no limitations (as in, “you can’t draw…you’re not artisitic…”)? What tickled your creative muse? What did you get lost in? What activity simply filled you with joy?

This is the week to do it. 🙂

What Happened: Took a couple of days to think about what I wanted to write/draw. Finally, Wednesday morning, I grabbed my basket of colored chalks and wrote a love letter of sorts on my driveway.

I am no great artist, and I have no aspirations of painting/drawing anything legit. This, for me, is just fun. (And we all need need more fun in our lives.)

The Ah-Hahs: I know, this is all so silly, but it isn’t. Every time I came home and left, or just looked out the window, I smiled.

Mission accomplished.

P.S. After I post this, I’m heading out to join friends in greeting trick-or-treaters. I love love LOVE Halloween! It’s always been my favorite holiday (yes, more than Christmas), because it’s the one day when slightly weird creative kids (like me) shine. Can’t wait to see what this generation of ghouls has come up with.

Tonight also marks a tender milestone. Today was the last day at work for several of my long-time colleagues. At 5:30, I will be pouring some bubbly and toasting them, us, the great work we did together over the past 20 years. A big door is closing tonight, and I trust portals to fabulous new adventures will be opening for all of us soon. Cheers, my friends!

Nudging: Create a chalk message

Background: This Nudge is one of my favorites. I did it during my first round, and it was so much fun, I’m doing it again. (Also, I need to keep nudging myself until I just do it without prompting.)

The actual backstory is this is one of those activities that came out of my explorations of “Things I loved doing when I was a kid.” What made you smile when you had no limitations (as in, “you can’t draw…you’re not artisitic…”)? What tickled your creative muse? What did you get lost in? What activity simply filled you with joy?

This is the week to do it. 🙂

Nudged: Create a chalk message on front sidewalk

Backstory: What are some of the things you loved doing as a child? Off the top of my head:

Seeing how high I could swing on the swings at the playground.
Creating baked goods. (Some experiments didn’t qualify as “good,” but they were still creative and fun).
Dancing, both in ballet class and freestyle with my friends.
Pretending to be Nancy Drew/Barbie/one of Charlie’s Angels.
Getting lost in a good book (Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie).
Decorating the sidewalk with colored chalk.

Whenever we host a special event, I love to greet our guests with a message. Happy Birthday! Merry Christmas! Welcome! I typically include their names with some simple drawings (hearts, flowers), and when I open my door, I am gifted with big smiles.

There’s no special occasion this week, but I think it will be fun to greet my neighbors with a bit of joy.

I keep a basket of chalks, both the small and big sizes, in a table by the front door. They’re cheap! Find colored chalks at toy stores, crafting stores, and some grocery or drug stores.

Chalk not your thing? Then maybe pull out a sheet of printer paper and draw a sign of greeting to hang in your window or on your front door. Have fun with this!

What Happened: Early Monday morning, feeling a bit goofy, I went outside and wrote my message. I used a light-colored chalk, so it’s a little hard to see in the photo. It reads:

It’s going to be a GREAT day! (smiley face)

I smiled the whole time I was writing it…until I looked up and was face-to-face with a neighbor I’ve seen around but don’t know. He was dressed for work (of course); I was in animal print flannel PJs, blotchy pillow-imprinted face, and bed-head hair. Lovely! I imagined him thinking, “Crazy woman”, but you know what? I didn’t care. I wished him “Good morning!”, gave him my friendliest smile, and finished the last touch on my message.

As my day progressed, I found myself sneaking peeks outside the front window. Had anyone noticed my message? Was anyone lifted out of Monday Morning Gloom?

It didn’t take long for me to realize the message was for me as much as anyone. I was wishing myself a great day, setting the stage for a great day with a great attitude. And I found myself smiling frequently.

The next morning, although my original message was intact, I wanted more. Now I am not an artist. I don’t kid myself about that, especially since I work with amazing artists and know what they are capable of. But I can do simple drawings, so I went with this:

Wednesday, rains gifted me with a fresh canvas of sorts, so on Thursday it felt appropriate to create this:

Again, no one stopped by to comment. I don’t know if it made anyone smile or think how much they used to love chalk drawings. It didn’t matter, because…

The Ah-Hah: …doing this made me happy. That’s right, just a few minutes in the morning instilled a lightness and joy in me that lasted all day long.

There were a few moments of “I should take a class! I should learn more art!” I really think that’s beyond me, but I can appreciate the delight that comes from things like the International Chalk Festival. If you are looking for inspiration for your own creations—or just want to be delighted—check out some of the artists and their amazing work here.

P.S. We’re having some friends over for dinner tonight. Guess what I’m going outside to do right now? 😉

Nudging: Create a chalk message on front sidewalk

Backstory: What are some of the things you loved doing as a child? Off the top of my head:

Seeing how high I could swing on the swings at the playground.
Creating baked goods. (Some experiments didn’t qualify as “good,” but they were still creative and fun).
Dancing, both in ballet class and freestyle with my friends.
Pretending to be Nancy Drew/Barbie/one of Charlie’s Angels.
Getting lost in a good book (Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie).
Decorating the sidewalk with colored chalk.

Whenever we host a special event, I love to greet our guests with a message. Happy Birthday! Merry Christmas! Welcome! I typically include their names with some simple drawings (hearts, flowers), and when I open my door, I am gifted with big smiles.

There’s no special occasion this week, but I think it will be fun to greet my neighbors with a bit of joy. (And fingers crossed there is no rain!)

I keep a basket of chalks, both the small and big sizes, in a table by the front door. They’re cheap! Find colored chalks at toy stores, crafting stores, and some grocery or drug stores.

Chalk not your thing? Then maybe pull out a sheet of printer paper and draw a sign of greeting to hang in your window or on your front door. Have fun with this!

Medium Crossroads11