creative leaps

Happy Leap Year! There's just something super fun about a year with an extra day in it. I was born in a leap year, so I think it's extra special. ;o)

To celebrate, here's a list of leaps you can take to create fearlessly:
~Try a new technique.
~Try a new product.
~Dye your own fabric.
~Take a class to learn something you've said, "I could never do that."
~Teach a friend a technique that's new to him/her.
~Pick a project from a book you bought but haven't used yet and MAKE IT! Extra points if it's one that scares you. ;o)
~Make art using a color you don't like.
~Don't use your favorite color for a month. Pretend it doesn't exist.
~Sketch one item from each room in your home. Write a silly story that uses all of them as illustrations. Post it on your blog or Facebook page.
~Start a blog!
~Sign up for a challenge of some sort. Here's a really good one! http://www.quiltingdaily.com/content/Reader_Challenges.aspx
~Make your own web page, showcasing your art. Ask for feedback.
~Take a favorite drawing from your sketchbook and paint it on a wall in your home.
~Pick fabrics for a new project - blindfolded. Make the project using those fabrics. No cheating!
~Sign up for a Mystery Quilt project.
~Show your art to strangers. Ask them for feedback.
~Grab a friend, agree on a project. Shop for fabrics separately - then switch. His/her choices are now your fabrics.
~Shop someone else's stash for your next small project. Better if you choose someone with taste completely different than your own.
~Use a style/era of fabric that doesn't appeal to you.
~Buy a pair of boots that you LOVE. Wear them when you try something scary and use them to kick fear out of the way!

Some of these ideas might seem easy-peasy to you. Don't do those. Do the ones that scare you. That is the whole point of the exercise - pushing fear out of the way to free our creativity.

My list was inspired by Cynthia Morris at Original Impulse. I wish I had thought of it, but that's okay . Embrace inspiration where you find it!

What is your leap? Is it big? Small? I'd love to hear your story!