I get real inspiration from color. Sometimes something as simple as passing out crayons to my special kiddos can be enough to get the little jolt I need. One of the apps my students like is called Gravitarium 2. For kids who enjoy a sensory experience this is a very satisfying app. One finger sends the colors doing one thing. Add a second finger and the design changes. And so on, until you are using all five fingers. We use my iPad and my ceiling-mounted projector to have a bigger experience on the pull down screen at the front of the classroom. Here are some screen shots.
I have also been picking out paint colors for a remodel my husband and I are doing in the kitchen and dining room. In the kitchen we are tearing out all of the upper cabinets and using only the large bank of cabinets that act as a pantry for all food, and the one across from it (think kind of galley kitchen) for almost all non-food items. We are obviously keeping the drawers for flatware, dish towels, and a few other things. In the spirit of our great purge we have been trying to complete, we are getting rid of many kitchen items that are old and worn out or that we simply have not used enough to warrant keeping. Man, it feels good to get rid of things. Here are some colors we are using in the kitchen (ice blue walls, white cabinets, and charcoal countertops), along with some destruction shots.
I have learned a few things this week that work from this remodel metaphor. First, that some good hard physical work is good for what ails you. Second, that sometimes husbands who are not engineers may not know what is holding up what when cabinets are being removed. And third, that renewal of our surroundings may be helpful in our renewal of ourselves.
