I sometimes lose track of time when creating. I love when I have time to create and just leave everything else behind, out of mind. But those times are fewer and further between than I’d like.
I also sometimes have a hard time creating if I can’t really spend some time on it, coming up with ideas, executing them, having a finished product in mind.
In my last post, I shared well over 150 prompts with you, to help you get started—whether you’ve lost your mojo or are just looking for some inspiration. Whether you want to complete a “Full Deck” of altered playing cards, or Dex cards—Faith or not, mixed media, junk journaling, art journaling, or whatever. (Get the Free Download.)
A Layer a Day is a great way to keep creating, even when we don’t have time. And those prompts can really help!
Far more often than I like, I have to greatly limit my creating time. I’ve done the 100 Day Challenge a few times, working on creating for a short period of time for 100 days. I also discovered A Layer a Day, (as a specific term through France Papillon,) as a great solution for those limited-time times. I realized how it fits so perfect with my love of mixed media, and often lack of much time all at once.
In 1-5 minutes a day, I can put down one layer, using any medium and technique I choose that day. I don’t have to have any finished project or even next step in mind. I don’t have to have time to pull out a lot of supplies—and then have to put them all away. I just grab one thing, that is calling to me, that sounds fun that day. I only have to think about today’s layer. Not where I’m going to go next.
If you know your products, or as you get to know them, you’ll find if some techniques work best in certain layer orders. But, one of the beauties of mixed media is that almost any layer that you really do hate, can be covered by the next layer. And if not, the piece can become fodder for a future make.
My Week 1 2025 Faith Mixed Media Full Dex Card! (See last post.) Well, that’s kind of a mouthful. But it was created one, 1-5 minutes, Layer a Day at a time.
Layer One:
Swipe Distress Paint with a scrap of cloth. Edge with paint all around.
Layer Two:
Collage an image of an antique playing card, a couple scraps of sheet music, and a bit of Tim Holtz Collage (printed tissue) Paper.
Layer 3:
Stamp and heat emboss a steampunk heart.
Day Four:
Apply Texture Paste through a Tim Holtz “Nordic” stencil.
Layer 5:
Stamp a few small hearts with Distress Oxide Ink.
Layer 6:
Splatter some red Distress Oxide Ink.
Layer 7:
Add a focus Word, printed on my P-Touch label maker.
With all the red and hearts, and Valentine’s Day coming up, you may think I should have titled this one “Love”. But I felt like calling it “Joy”.
So many verses from God’s Word came to mind after I chose this word. “The fruit of the Spirit is… Joy!” “The Joy of the Lord is my strength.” And others. I read through all of the Joy verses.
The one I chose for this Faith Dex card is Romans 15:13. I love the connection of joy and peace and hope, of the Spirit of God filling his people with these through His power! Not through my works. Not through my striving. But through His power at work in me.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I don’t plan to complete a “Full Dex”, 52 cards, this year. I have plenty of other projects I’ll be working on. A Layer a Day will be for those days when I’m not working on other projects, and “don’t have time to create”. I will take 1-5 minutes to just add one Layer of Creativity to something.
Perhaps a Layer a Day can help you keep creating, when you “don’t have time” also.
Living Coram Deo & freely whole
SDG!
~ Liberty—Life Restoration & Therapeutic Creativity Coach
Providing Soul-healing, beauty from ashes, content through Creativity & Coaching—to empower you to live a life that is Freely Whole—spirit, soul, and body—in Jesus!
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