This week I will be posting at least once a day with information & links to all kinds of inspring books, sites and people who have been inspiring me as of late, beginning with the extraordinary Keri Smith…

There are certain artists whose work as a creative being extends far beyond just a canvas or an instrument or a piece of film, but whose every act as a human being resonates with their unique perspective and desire to bring forth a new variation on all they see, do, even eat.  Keri Smith is one of these artists, and I am so proud to call her a friend.  Keri is one of those rare souls whose life as an artist is just that – ARTIST in capital letters, bold, stark, made with rusted metal, bits of wood, old postage stamps and orange peels.  Keri’s creative energy is fueled and expended through all manner of materials, inspirations and ideas, and her work encourages me to not just step delicately outside of my own creative comfort zones and boxes, but to take a sledgehammer and smash whatever walls are before me. 

Her new book, Wreck This Journal, is a testament to her belief a creative act often times has nothing to do with paint, clay or even crayons, that it can be, in fact, about destruction and messiness, about ripping paper and throwing a book against a wall.  Congratulations to my dear friend, and congratulations to all of us who get to enjoy the light she has shone upon all of us, reminding us that as human beings we are fundamentally creative creatures, that we all have this ability, this drive and this opportunity to shatter any blocks, fears or nasty voices that make us feel otherwise.