The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.

Pablo Picasso

While I’m getting better at storing and classifying the piles of ephemera that I collect “for art’s sake”, I still manage to annoy my husband at least once a week with my bits and pieces of paper, labels, tickets and packaging.  The latest “incident” was over a pink paper bag from an art gallery purchase.  {A hand-thrown dragonfly platter and a Southern cookbook – in case you’re wondering what was INside the bag.}  The paper bag in question was rescued from the trash bin on several occasions and eventually got used for beautiful paper hearts.  When the paper hearts ended up spending a couple of days on the kitchen counter, I again had to answer the question:

What are you going to do with those/this/it?

Usually, the answer is one of the following:

* Uh, I don’t know…YET.

* Something.

or his  favorite

* It/they haven’t told me… you know the art talks, right?

It’s really not that bad.  As a creative himself, R is extremely understanding and supportive of my “collections” and process.  Except that as a sound designer and super-stream-lined dude, he wishes our world was paperless.  {Which is tough when my main art form involves lots of paper.}  I thought I’d share the list that I started for him.  I said a couple of them out loud and then got so excited that I kept adding to the list.  The list currently contains 15 items – all from a quick brainstorm, but I suspect I’ll be expanding it {and creating matching images} will be ongoing.

15 things to do  with a paper heart

1.  Have a photoshoot.  {This was 1st on my list.  I went out with The Girl & the fabulous Katie Holley.}

2.  Write a note on it and tuck it into someone’s pocket.

3.  Glue it in your journal.

4.  Leave it {at a bookstore, in a coffee shop, on a swing} for someone to find.

5.  Write your Self an encouraging note.

6.  Fill it with doodles.

7.  Tear it in half and make a list of all the things that have broken your heart.

8.  Write a list of all the people and things you love around the edge of the heart. {You may need more than one paper heart.}

9.  Write down your three “safe people” in the very middle of the heart. {You probably only need one paper heart for this as the number should stay small.}

9.  Hang it in a window with a beautiful piece of ribbon.

10.  Add sticks and make a heart bouquet

11.  Decorate it with lace and glitter.

12.  Frame it and hang it on the wall.

13.  Tape it to the outside of your next letter. {Even if it’s a bill.}

14.  Use it as a bookmark.

15.  Don’t be afraid; give your heart away.