Book Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope: Ideas And Projects to Spark Your Creativity
by Suzanne Simanaitis



"Indulge your creative cravings! Explore dozens of stories, exercises and instructive projects, all designed to feed, encourage and sometimes flex your creative muscle. You'll tap into the joy of drawing, be encouraged to create art in bed, create your own folded-paper shrine, discover the liberation of stream-writing, practice idea brainstorming, make your own duct-tape purse, learn to quiet the negative voice in your head, dream up your own creative studio space and much, much more. Inspiring art and eye-candy on every page–a Kaleidoscope of creative energy awaits you today!"

The title is not misleading. I consider this to be a book that should be in EVERY crafter's library, regardless of the crafts you pursue.

It is NOT "just another project" book, like so many out there, but a book that instead inspires you to create and work on your own pieces and letting the process lead where it may. This is going to be a book I read again and again.

I know what I'll be buying my crafty chicas for presents this year now, that's for sure. The author (who is a wonderful lady, and another Suzanne) put together a craft book that can be read over and over, and isn't just filled with projects. It is, without a doubt, the best crafty book I've bought in a long time. Not only that, but there's so FEW books like this, that are inspirational and make you think and give you ideas, and new ways to see things.

When I get a major brain fart and I WANT to create something, but just can't figure out what, having something to look through to help give me ideas, and better yet, not just for art, but writing as well, is a complete sanity-saver.

There are WORDS in this book. Not just a lot of pretty pictures and instructions, but stories and inspirational exercises to work you through the creative process. The book is a journey of self-exploration, helping you to reinvent the creative you and find your own true style. It's all about finding yourself.

While there are projects included within the pages, they aren't your average crafting projects, with a definite focus on collage and mixed-media work. Ribbon flowers, crafting with metal, reflection decks, postcard books, portable shrines, beeswax art, even a tape purse! However, these are really a minor part of the book, the main focus is on finding your own creative side, and learning how to best apply it to your art.

I honestly can't find enough words to describe just how wonderful this book is. Buy it, read it, buy more and share with others.

A+

Suzanne Simanaitis is also the editor and founder of ARTitude Zine, a quarterly, independent magazine about art, craft, and creativity. (ARTitude can be found at:http://www.artitudezine.com)

Waiter, there's Pr0n in my book!

You know, if I want porn, if I want to be stimulated in that way, I'll watch porn, or read erotica intended to be erotica.

Where do I NOT want to find gratuitous and graphic sex? In the middle of: action novels, sci-fi books, historical novels (the current source of my malfunction being Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver"), or any other book that isn't intended to be SEXY.

It's disconcerting at best to be wading through something filled with detailed explanations of mathematics and alchemy and astronomy, and suddenly stumble into a relatively graphic scene involving someone's hand up another's ass. EXCUSE ME?

I think it's a "suspension of disbelief" thing for me. You're cruising along in your book, secure in how the story is going, your disbelief is appropriately suspended to enjoy the story unfolding before you, only to turn a corner and be smacked upside the head with a force relative to having the Mythbusters team dropping Buster out of an airplane from 2000 feet. Terminal velocity, and it's the sudden STOP at the end of the fall that kills you. WHAM. Suddenly, the spell of the book is broken.

Most of the time, I just roll my eyes and skip through the book until the scene is over and try to ease back into the story. It just didn't happen with Quicksilver. After that point, I had trouble enjoying it. I had trouble reading and paying attention, because little things kept creeping on back and throwing the whole pacing off yet again.

Don't get me wrong. Sex, porn, graphic, what have you, it doesn't bother me for the most part. However, as far as I'm concerned, there's a time and place for it, and if I want graphic sex, I know where to find it. Hell, I probably have over a full gig worth of erotic manga on my computer. But I know where I don't want to be finding it.

Look, authors, it's pretty simple. If you want to write erotica, write erotica. Don't hide it, flaunt it, be proud of it. And for cryin out loud, stop hiding it where I least expect to find that sort of thing. Give me porn, or give me literature. Just stop combining the two already!

Guilty Pleasures

I have a confession to make: I really adore David and Leigh Eddings. I know a lot can be a bit trite and formulaic, but their writing is charming and easy to read entertainment while still making the old brain cells work. But still, the Belgariad and Mallorean were fun reads, and then I discovered the Elenium and the Tamuli, and life was good (though the Belgariad and Mallorean were definitely more 'solid' reads, and there was a bit too much of the Deus Ex Machina in Elenium and Tamuli for my tastes. Mary Sues, anyone?)

I've just been charmed all over again.

Picked up The Redemption of Althalus at the library. I'm probably enjoying it far too much.

Well, come on, I needed something new to occupy my brain cells for a little while, especially a bit of fluff, after reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I was absolutely thrilled with it, and King hasn't held my attention that well since The Stand.

(Note: Anyone wanting to make a Pooka really really happy, her birthday is coming up fast and her "now pushing 40 with a stick" self would -really- like to own a copy of the entire Dark Tower series.)

Also in the Excellent Reads category: John Shirley's Eclipse "A Song Called Youth" series. Dark gritty cyberpunk with some post (and mid) apocalyptic flares.