Making Space for BIG Ideas...

These short prompts are invitations to create within real life as it is. Limited time, limited space, imperfect materials and all. Think of them as small creative stretches. Five minutes is enough. Curiosity is the only requirement.

1. Use What’s There
Gather whatever is within arm’s reach. Paper scraps, packaging, notes, photos, old drawings, or materials you usually overlook. Make something small without leaving your seat.

Consider letting everyday objects become the material itself. Arrange them, stack them, overlap them, or shift them slightly. Take a photo or a few, noticing how a change in perspective can transform the image and even your original idea.

Materials to try: scrap paper, receipts, found objects, photos, scissors, tape, your phone camera.

2. Go Bigger Than Planned
Start with a small idea, mark, or shape. Then let it grow. Add more space, more marks, more color, or another layer. Free associate as you work, allowing ideas to connect and overlap. Think about how landscapes meet, like mountains reaching a river, creating a soft, shifting border rather than a hard edge.

Follow the urge to expand rather than contain. See what happens when you don’t stop where you originally planned.
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Materials to try: markers, pencils, collage scraps, paint, a larger sheet of paper than you usually use.