JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 9: Hope


What are our deepest and most sincere hopes? How can we pursue those hopes and follow our dreams?

Hope can keep us going even through the darkest of times. Hope gives us a glimmer of light during times of struggle and stress, and when we feel defeated and overwhelmed, hope can lift us up and carry us forward. Our hopes are our brightest aspirations for the future and our brightest wishes for a better tomorrow.

Spend some time reflecting on your hopes and dreams. You might list all of your hopes, or you might focus on your deepest and most specific wish for your future. You might even consider the actions you need to take in order to fulfill these hopes. Just let the idea of hope guide you as you work.


Make sure to use those hashtags if you're posting online or on social media! #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 8: Connection



How do we connect to ourselves? How do we connect to others? How do we connect to the places that we inhabit?


Everything is connected. Nothing is separate or completely isolated, though at times it might feel that way. If we look closely, we will find that we are connected to so many things in so many different ways. We have family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. We are connected to our homes, our jobs, and the places that we move through on a daily basis or visit occasionally. We feel drawn to certain people, specific ideas, and special places.

Take time today to explore the connections that you have in your life. You might want to focus on a very special connection, or you might want to think about the vast number of connections that you have in your life. Draw, paint, photograph, or write about those connections in any way that you feel is appropriate.

If you share via those social media outlets, don’t forget the hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 7: Growth


How have we grown over the past year, over the past ten, or over our lifetime? How does the world around us grow?

Growth is the process of life. We are born, and we grow. We are children, and then we grow into adults. Plants and animals all grow. They live and they die. Even communities can grow as people and businesses move to an area. But growth isn't just a physical phenomenon. We can grow emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We mature and hopefully gain insight and wisdom into our lives.

Take time today to ponder how you, your children, your pets, or your community have grown. Focus on growth as a general process, or delve into the personal ways you have grown. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to respond. Just allow the idea of growth be the spark for exploration.


Don’t forget those hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16 if your sharing online.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 6: Change


How do we handle change? How have we changed over time? How can we affect positive change?

Everything changes. It’s a fact of life. We grow older, and our physical appearance changes. The seasons change. What was once new becomes old. People change. Change is all around us, so how do we respond to it.

Use the notion of change as the starting point for the art today, and see where it takes you. You might think about the idea of change in a broader, more philosophical way, or you might want to explore how you have changed.


Keep those posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and personal blogs coming, and use the hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16 so that you can share with others.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 5: Time


Where does the time go? Why does there never seem to be enough time?

The older we get the quicker time seems to go, and despite all of our modern conveniences we never seem to have enough time. Time is an ever present concept in our lives with our schedules, deadlines, and calendars, and life can speed by in a blink of an eye. How does time impact your life?

Spend some time today whether it’s 15 minutes or 3 hours, and reflect on the role that time has in your life. You might want to focus on the idea of time in general, or you might want to respond to a very specific and personal story about time.


However you respond, remember to use those hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16 if you want to share so that others can see what you're doing.

Art Unraveled


Are you looking for some creative fun this summer? We will be in Phoenix in one month along with our good friend Sam Peck, teaching at Art Unraveled. Please join us for some artistic fun in the desert!

August 2-3, 2016 - Art Unraveled, Phoenix, AZ
  • Wednesday, August 3 - Life of Lines - 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Sam's Class)

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 4: Solitude


How do we feel when we are alone? Do we seek solitude or do we seek the company of others?

For some solitude is a positive experience, something needed and desired at certain times. We might seek the quiet of the studio or the refreshing scenes of a mountain hike. For others it is a dreadful experience, filled with negativity and loneliness. We might feel lonely and forgotten, and we might want to always be surrounded by people and activity. How do you react to being alone? How do you feel about solitude?

Find time today to purposefully seek a little solitude and see how it sits with you. Respond in some creative way to the thoughts and the feelings that come up.


Remember those hashtags if your sharing on social media #jfjbigideas or #jfj16.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 3: Memory


What are the moments in our lives that we want to remember? How can we preserve them?

Art and journaling are ideal ways to hold onto our memories, and we can document the people, places, and events in our lives in a variety of ways. We can use actual photos, we can write about a cherished moment, or we can draw the scene in front of us as a way to capture the moment.

Take a little time today to reflect on your memories, and respond in any way. You might want to document the things that are happening right now as a way to preserve these moments for the future. Or you might want to reflect on the past, and document your reactions to those memories now. Allow the idea of a memory or memories to guide you in your making.


If you share your endeavors make certain to use the hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 2: Place


How do the places we inhabit affect us?

The places we live, work, and play have a profound influence on who we are and the things that we do. Throughout each day we move through and inhabit a lot of places and spaces from our homes to our workplaces, from the corner bar to the local gym. What impact do these places have on us?

Spend a little bit of time reflecting on how you are impacted by place. Focus on a specific place, or explore a variety of places. Perhaps respond to the place you are right now.


Make sure to use those hashtags if you're posting online or on social media! #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 1: Identity


 Who am I?

This is one of the most basic questions that we ponder as we try to figure out our place in the world, and it is a question where the answer changes over time as we gain insight, knowledge, and experience. Who we are today is not who we were a year ago or who we will be in ten years, but maybe there is something about us that in some way transcends time.

Spend some time pondering identity and reflect on what makes us who we are. Draw, paint, write, or do whatever feels appropriate for you.

If you share your endeavors make certain to use the hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16.