Glitter

I love finding new things that inspire me. In marketing it helps keep my mind fresh so I can always give my clients a new twist on an old idea. But inspiration can be hard to find. You can look at pictures, listen to the newest music, and watch people interpret different mediums through exciting forms of expression like dance, but even with all this it can be hard to reinvigorate the mind!

Last May I was invited to the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation breakfast. These people work with young minds that are filled with limitless potential! New ideas and that youthful imagination are a staple with kids, as long as they have an environment that they can really excel in.

The program, run by Sandra Woitas and Alva Shewchuk, currently supports two initiatives: Early Learning and Full-Day Kindergarten. These programs provide support to schools with students considered Edmonton's most socially vulnerable citizens.

The children's stories were inspiring enough, but we wanted to find a way to really get involved. So, The Incite design team decided they would gather up their refined artistic skills and match them up with the unbridled creativity of youth. We gathered up our glitter and glue and visited McDougall school for an afternoon of holiday crafts.

The results were incredible. Our team was able to tap into some unhindered, totally inspired, incredibly fun students who pushed our own ideas on how to make crafts. In turn, our team was able to help the kids with some of the tried and true tricks of the artist's trade.

It was a fantastic afternoon. We met students from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Croatia, and Somalia – and that was only one Gr.4 class!

Biggest Lesson learned:

Inspiration comes from everywhere, and sometimes you have to go as far away as you can from the everyday processes and techniques that help make what you do efficient and effective. While process is great, sometimes you have to step back and think like a kid. What if you had absolutely NO restrictions on what a craft (or your project) should be.

Oh, and one other thing... When making pop-up cards one can never have enough glitter!