KERI SMITH
{please visit Keri Smith here}
Oh, my. It appears today’s feature was tailored made especially for me, Miss K. Well, I guess for you, too, if you are a rule following perfectionist who gasps at the sight of messy handwriting, torn books, and unwashed hair. (Tsk tsk, Robert Pattinson.) Award winning illustrator Keri Smith is here to break out those of us who live in the box. She promises it won’t hurt, and might actually be–wait for it– fun.
Keri Smith has been inspiring people for years with her blog, Wish Jar, a seven-year compilation of daily inspiration for her and her tens of thousands of readers. In that time, Smith has also proven what limitless, out of the box thinking can produce. The freelance illustrator has worked most recently for Random House, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ford Motor Co., the Boston Globe, Galison/Mudpuppy Press, and Hallmark all on her own terms. When she isn’t illustrating for top tier publications, she is penning best selling books, including How to be an Explorer of the World, and Wreck This Journal, one of the inspiring books Smith is offering today to our readers. (For a complete collection of her books, click here.) Although each book has its own purpose and message, consistent throughout Smith’s work is the challenge to tear down, deconstruct, and down right destroy preconceived notions of art and process all in the name of creativity. Consider me sold–but not on the dirty hair. That’s nonnegotiable for me, Robert.
Keri Smith is giving away three books to one winner. The books are: Wreck This Journal, The Non-Planner Date Book, and This is Not a Book. In order to win, here is the question you need to answer by Wednesday, January 20, 2010:
Look around you right where you are sitting. What do you see that you did not notice when you sat down?
Please start checking the winner’s box on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 to see if you won. Good Luck!
I saw a reflection of myself, all sweaty from the gym and dressed in pink, in the screen of my iMac. Man, that thing is just like a mirror!
uh oh… cobwebs!
I noticed a penny laying face down on the television set. Too bad it was face down. You know how the saying goes – “Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck!” I don’t think it counts when it’s not right-side-up. Also, I didn’t notice they changed the back of the coin in 2009! It’s pretty! Haha.
that my cup of coffee has gone cold
My hair elastic! I’m growing my hair out & I end up leaving my hair elastics all over the place, but can never find one when I want one (like this morning).
I left my soda on the other side of the room – oh no!
The wet and muddy footprints in front of our shop’s front counter–a happy reminder that it has warmed up enough in Iowa for our lovely customers to come out of their holes and visit us after a bit of a hibernation hiatus!
I still have the itty bitty pumpkin I bought in October on my desk. Time to clean up.
I’m almost out of tissues! The tan one has popped up as a reminder for me to go buy more tissues…
Other than the mess I didn’t notice when my groggy self plopped down on my seat, I didn’t notice the list of suggestions that my fellow club board members gave me. We all wrote each other suggestions at what we should implement as board members. We always try to keep each other in check and provide some suggestions/support since we’re all college students sometimes feeling lost in the fuss of academics and extracurriculars. I should be looking at that list again hehe.
The Doctor Who action figures are really dusty from neglect. Oh noes!
I hadn’t noticed that the desk drawer is half open.
I sit in front of my computer at work and notice a small circular peice of paper. It has two small eyes and a giant smile on it. Made me smile just looking at it. A student of mine (Ezra – age 5) told me this morning that he left me a surprise somewhere in my classroom to make me happy. I am guessing this is it and that is just what he did.
OH MY GOSH! I’ve wanted these books! Can’t believe you’re featuring them! Ok, I must join in! I see the leaves on the tree next door blowing and waving in the wind. We have a long window that is very short that sits above our fireplace and our mantle. Sitting down you can only see a small portion of the window, and the wee peek I see right now of the tree and sky shows me that this windy gray day is really a beautiful day, the leaves and branches are in continual motion, showing me a moving picture of a teeny portion of the world outside! Love it and thanks for making me look!
Sheila
I just noticed a taped up reminder for an old appt….just took it down! Way to reduce clutter, right? ;)
I noticed a bill I need to pay. Groan. Thanks, BSP. ;) hehe.
There is a face of an old guy thinking emerging from the oak texture of my wardrobe and the shadow dropped by the handles of my walking sticks… Off to sketch it, now!
The controller’s at the edge of the bed, about to fall off… thanks for the heads up! (PS I have This is Not A Book, and I could not love it more)
That each item of clothing spilling out of 3 of my six drawers (uh, improperly & hastily shut, I suppose) is red. Unlikely that.
Great question! I notice 2 things, a) my mirror really needs a good cleaning and b) the setting sun is making pretty pink clouds outside my window right now.
A little unwrapped present from Christmas! Wow, I knew I was forgetful, but this is ridiculous. Thanks for prompting me to look around.
an enormous pile of boxes! we’re moving house in two weeks exactly & i’ve been packing boxes since the start of december (i’m excited!) so now i’m not even noticing them ;)
can’t wait to get to the new house & unpack them = a fresh, new start to the year!
x
When I sat down at the coffee shop two hours ago, I didn’t notice the nervous man being interviewed by a woman in sweats. I’m hoping he wasn’t here two hours ago, especially since she’s asking him such doozies as, “what is your worst trait,” and “describe yourself in three words,” and, undoubtedly, all he wants to ask her is, “Would it have killed you to change out of your pajamas?!”
The magical shadows of the spider plant next to the monitor on my new (shared with my partner) work desk. The shadows are curvy and delicate, and very beautiful.
a 50 cent silver coin on my computer desk!! :)
A worn out guitar pick.
I just noticed a red, blue and white airmail envelope on my desk. It’s probably been there for months. I never see those anymore – airmail envelopes. They wer such fun when I was a kid. They even feel different. Lighter and crispier. I had pen pals, did you? Loved pen pals. Mine were in England and Africa. Boy how I loved to get those letters. I was sure their adventures were better than mine. I mean, I just had the neighborhood kids with banana seated bikes. I’m sure their afternoons were much better than mine. Or maybe not, I was a lucky kid.
a ninja star lodged in my cubicle wall.
my lap.
oh my! an elephant statue on a shelf.
Dust bunnies… yuckie!!
that the shadow cast by the chair next to me in this coffee shop looks vaguely like a crescent moon!
I see that I need to clean off my computer desk……gross dust bunnies everywhere……YUCK! I need a housekeeper!
an unopened note from my mom! I moved my computer and saw it underneath… I just love getting snail mail, and my mom likes to send me some every once in a while. better open it and see what it says!
In all honesty, i didn’t notice anything different. I pay attention to much to everything that is around me. I even know when someone moves something a inch or two:-)
All the little fingerprints my 18 month old son has left on the edge of the desk. It’s dirty but somewhat endearing.
Sitting down I can stare directly into my daughter’s eyes, and I just noticed that in the current light they look more gray than blue.
I left my plastic lemonade bottle out all day. empty, and waiting for recycling.
a penny – tails up. next to a big black clump of dog hair. Ew.
I love Wish Jar, which I’ve been reading for about 2 years. I’m sitting in bed, and I noticed several hairs (mine) strew across across the other side of the bed.
The 2 packs of strawberry Ice Cubes gum I’d been looking for earlier. hooray.
Looking around, I just noticed a can of cranberry sauce sitting on my coffee table! What is it doing there? What does it want?
My daughter’s dirty sock!
I noticed, on the eclectically populated shelf that sits above the computer desk in my parents’ old holiday house, one note of the Malaysian currency. I had to hop on Wikipedia to discover what that currency is called, and it’s the Ringgit. So there you are, I noticed one Malaysian ringgit (which has a picture of the king on it), alongside a pewter drinking stein from Ireland, a box of fly-fishing tackle and an ancient tin of mints. How tasty.
A beautiful gecko sitting on the wall watching me watching him. He’s so cute!
a small ring on my mirrored desk where ice cream had dripped on the bottom of the bowl (like a coffee ring). last nite my husband brought ice cream to me at 11:00pm. i guess our philosphy is that it’s never too late for a sweet treat….
oh lookie there! i’m also noticing the rest of the items on my desk reflected – a piece of paper with a collage of potential haircuts, a vase full of pom pom balls and felt flowers and my chic green lamp shade.
A patch for the NYPD Street Crimes Unit.
Ah! A letter that I *still* haven’t sent to my dear friend Mara. Clearly, I am a poor correspondent.
My homework. Thanks for the reminder, I’m sure I would have forgot :)
Anderson Cooper….raar.