Before we left on our summer road trip to NH, we stopped by a Red Box to rent some movies for the boys to watch during our 12 hour drive. But I also grabbed another red box for the trip…our trusty etch-a-sketch!

Talk about low-tech screen time. We passed it around taking turns drawing things at each other’s requests. These are a few of the things I drew on the ride…

It’s not easy, twisting the up-down knob and the right-left knob in synchronicity.  It really takes coordination, concentration and planning. Do I think these are masterpieces? No, but I loved the challenge of working “inside the box” to get my head outside of the box. I do find that having certain limitations can really jump start your creativity. Back to that creative problem solving I’m always talking about. And isn’t that how life really is? Noodling around, taking what you have and working it until it resembles what you want it to be, at least in part?