Keri Smith The Illustrator and author of How To be An Explorer of The World

Illustration by Keri Smith

Keri Smith is an illustrator and graphic designer with an impressive and long list of clients that include: Forbes, Chronicle Books, Random House, Bank of Montreal, Toronto Stock Exchange, Ladies Home Journal, Men's Journal, New York Times, The Body Shop, Washington Post, People and others.

However she is most well know for her phenomenal work on creativity through the authorship of books that help the everyday day person tap into what I like to refer to the 'prana' (life force) of things, places, people and experience.

So here is a book, How To Be An Explorer of the World; Portable Art Life Museum, that I bought quite a while ago, as I maintain this creativity blog and am a HUGE fan of Keri Smith and her work.

the next book you should buy

This is Keri’s fourth book after so many other inspiring creativity-inducing books such as Living Out Loud, and my all time fave - The Guerilla Art Kit, and a book entitled Wreck This Journal. For creatives these kinds of books offer a treasure trove of prompts and inspiration, in order to help you see everyday things with new fresh eyes. I think they also offer some wonderful blogging prompts.

An Excerpt from How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith

Here is a prompt I think we should all try our hand at: a magical invented story inspired by an everyday simple object. For example,

I came across a light turquoise strand of thread that magically smelled of succulent cherries, airy cream, gold-dusted oranges and chocolate mousse. As I inspected it more carefully I knew it looked antiquated, weathered, and very fragile. So I placed it within an envelope and sent it to an expert. I eagerly awaited a response. After weeks of despondent mail-box-checking it finally came! It seems the thread belonged to a dress belonging to Marie Antoinette! It seems the thread was pulled from the actual dress that she disrobed of the day she had to change into simple white frock for her up and coming beheading. How the thread came to arrive on my house carpet is a whole other story...Now I keep this thread in a very special place, I've stitched into the lining of my coat so that I remember to 'Let them Eat Cake!'

If you still can't tell just how amazing this book is just read the back cover!

The back cover of Keri's Smith's book How to be An Explorer of teh world

Ms. Smith also maintains a blog entitled, Wish Jar Explorations of the Familiar that is laden with excerpts from her book, outstanding and well researched quotes by fascinating artists.

Comments

[Lindsay]

that is amazing! try to find other missalanieous stuff in ur house... u never know!!!!

[isabellawhitney]

inspiring for the sketchbook assignment that we're working on.

( i should be studying for APs now..)

[stainboy]

I love the Joseph Beuys quote...It is something I have really grown to believe, that everyone is an artist,...maybe they don't know it or deny it or simply have a narrow definition of what art is. My parents always say they don't know where I get my art talents from because neither one is an artist. My Dad can plan a house, allocating materials, cost etc...in his head and go buy materials, build the project or in his younger days house and have a handful of materials left over. He more recently taught himself how to rebuild antique clocks. My mother plays the organ and continues taking lessons with a college instructor from Crane School of Music. She is amazing and is also able to craft a heartfelt, witty and insightful weekly column in the local newspaper. I think I know where my talent came from, I just hope I live up to their...