For many summers, beginning when my son was just one year old, we went to family camp. One year, a camper brought a boomerang and in between our many scheduled activities it became the must-do activity for all of the campers throughout the week. It was fascinating to watch this wing-shaped piece swoop through the air in a broad arc before returning to its owner. For me, however, it was a source of intense frustration as no matter how hard I would fling the “boom”, I could not get it to “rang” back to me!

Then there was the summer of the hacky sack (I was able to hack the miniature beanbag few times before it sacked) and I will never forget the year someone brought a tightrope and for one afternoon we were transformed into a circus camp!

The first week of August brought a new fun-fad activity and as such, the “this is the most fun, and everyone needs to try it” activity from the year before was wiped clean from most of our memories.

There were a couple of activities that refused to fade away, like gigantic chess set and the ping-pong table that lived on the big deck of the main lodge; year after year children and adults alike spent hours on both. It only took about a day of hyper-focus with that summer’s fad before the classics made their way back to us, until by the end of the week, I would hear the plink, plinkity plink sound of the plastic ball bouncing back and forth as I slept.

I am learning that my creative interests are like the trendy boomerang and the classic ping-pong table. I am on a perpetual hunt for new ideas, techniques (and tools!) and as I discover the “newest” idea, or technique (which of course all require new tools!) those that were considered must-do and must-have only a year were shoved to the back of the supply cupboard.

There are some elements that refuse to be relegated to the the back shelf; I see them creeping into many of my projects. Incorporating words, rich colour and utilizing curved lines are my classics when it comes to creating art. They will stay with me and my creations long after I have finished #100 on the list of 100 creative projects you can make with kool aid packages.

Will Sharpies become a classic? I’ll let you know next summer!

What are your creativity classics?