Invitation to Summerscapes

Summertime is your indulgence time:

Relax, Reflect, Renew Your Life!

Plan a special summerscape-

a mini-cation.

Allow your mind, body, and spirit 

to connect with your inner self.

Be inspired to capture 

the joyous moments of summer

and share them digitally with the world.

During the summer when the heat reaches a high, I travel to one of the south shore beaches of Long Island. There the roar of the waves and the breathing in of the salt air, allow my mind to drift. The sand tickles my toes. I feel the call to relax and the to do moments drift away as the breeze lulls me to a dozing state. At these times, I find my "summerscape" moments. At other times, I can plan a mini-cation to a new site close by and capture the beauty of nature in summertime settings. 

Join me this summer to find special mini-cation places to recharge. It does not have to be a vacation spot far away. You know the places where you can go so your mind drifts and you relax. Be inspired to find your summerscape. Capture it with your camera, create a digital expression, and add your inspired creation to my newest global gallery of artistic expressions, Summerscapes.

Please peruse last summer's invitation and the gallery, Summer Splashings, for a sampling of the digital gallery concept before creating your summerscape moment.

What Do You Need to Do?

• Be creative. Capture your favorite summerscape moment through an original photo or drawing. You can also choose a free image from morguefile.com, pixabay.com, or photosforclass.com. 
• Write an accompanying poem for an image poem/digipoetry or a poetic expression for a digital inspiration.
• Superimpose your words on the image using a photo editing tool, like PicMonkey or Canva.
• Sign the digital composition with your name and location.
• Post your digital expression in jpeg form (450 pixels is the best size) using the following hashtags on Twitter: #Summerscapes and @cvarsalona.
• Send your jpeg offering to @cvarsalona at gmail with the subject heading, Summerscapes. 

Other Creative Options You Can Submit: 

• A short video with a poem using iMovie or Animoto
• An audio reading of your poem
• A collage of your favorite summerscape sites
• An original inspirational quote or one from a poet or philosopher about summertime or summer relaxation
• Original photo or artwork (any format) of summer

NOTE: All submissions must have your name and locale at the bottom.

Deadline for Submission: August 31, 2016

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WANTED: Student Voice (#stuvoice) for Summerscapes Gallery

Please encourage your summer program class or children to engage in this 

creative writing/artistic project to showcase their talents and amplify their voices.

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This invitation integrates the arts, technology and literacy to allow voice to be amplified across the globe and bring awareness of the beauty of the earth. 

Enjoy the experience of finding your summerscape adventure and be inspired to share it with a global audience.

Today is Poetry Friday so please stroll over to Books 4 Learning 

to read posts by my writing colleagues.