Hi John,

Tonight our dorm dining hall was serving bread bowls filled with chowder.

Small round loaves of bread, tops sliced off with a hinge still attached, middles scooped out, filled with soup, and sprinkled with parsley.

This is basically the same thing as soup in a bowl, with a side of bread, so why go to all that trouble?

The bread bowl elevates the experience and eating the bowl is novel.

It's kind of like ice cream in a bowl or in a cone: which would you choose?

I'll take the cone every time.

The bread bowl or the cone can turn regular eating experiences into something immersive, memorable, and fun.

Whenever I visit San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, the chowder-in-a-bowl lines are wildly long.

Why?

They're unique and not something you'd eat everyday.

There's an art lesson in this:

Like these novel food containers, when it comes to making art, how can we think differently about our materials to create art that's more fun for us?

In other words...

What other "containers" could we use?

Here are some ideas:

• Use new tools or materials to alter the project, page, photo, or sculpture
• Instead of painting on paper, try a paper towel roll, cereal box, or the sidewalk
• Think outside the traditional confines of what you might currently consider art: make art with junk mail, grass cuttings, dead leaves, or discarded clothes
• Include an element of surprise, maybe a hidden detail like an Easter egg
• Make something that's both practical (like the bread bowl) and aesthetic. Maybe it's art that doubles as an everyday item like clothing or a dish towel, or something that addresses real-world issues

Dishing out Art Ideas,

P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are 4 creative ways TinkerLab can inspire and support your creativity journey:

1. Engage your creative child with art in TinkerLab Schoolhouse ($10/mo)
2. Bring creativity to your classroom with Art Around the Year ($99)
3. Explore your creative potential by downloading the May Sketchbook Challenge(free)
4. Break through artist blocks with Art Prompt Cards that spark creativity and inspiration (free)