|
|
Monday February 20, 2012  Do I really have to tell you to go out and play? It boggles my mind. Play is so crucial to creativity and generating new ideas, and yet so many creative professionals don’t give themselves any time for play. I hope you’re not one of them. Please don’t be one of them. But if you are, there’s always time to change. All you need to do is to take a time out, and go PLAY. Take a pen, and write it into your calendar. Right now. Yup, right now. I’ll wait… Done? Have a self play-date on your calendar? You better! So now you might be asking, “Play what? What am I scheduling here?”. Anything really. You can go out and play basketball for all I care. Just go out and be a kid again. Free yourself and your mind from all of the constraints you have put yourself into. Do something without rules, or worries. How about some finger painting? If you’re a painter, and you allow yourself to just play with your paint once in a while instead of worrying if your peers will like it or if your customers will want to buy it, it will set you free. It will explode your mind with inspiration. If you’re always focused on what your customers want from you, then you are stifling yourself to come up with original ideas. And that hurts business, doesn’t it? If you want to be the one always surprising your clients with amazing products or services, you need to keep that creativity flowing. The number one thing on my list to do that? Yup, you guessed it. PLAY! After you make a date with yourself on the calendar, click that comment button below and tell us, what do you plan to do on your play date?
Friday February 17, 2012 We all have. Some larger than others. Some LOUDER than others. Some sneakier than others. And we call him the Inner Critic.
It’s true. We have created this inner critic, we weren’t born with it. Your mind creates a voice that mocks all of the people whom knowingly and unknowingly put you down and criticized you over the years. Believe it or not, your mind created this voice originally to try and help you. It thinks that if you can know what your family, friends, and peers want from you, you can avoid their disapproval and ultimately win their love and approval. But is this really helping you? Obviously not, as its based on the untrue fact that you believe what other people think of you is correct. It inhibits you. It holds you back from doing what you want to do, what you were MEANT to do.
So, come to the realization that the voice inside your head is not YOU. It is a voice manifested from all of the hurt feelings you’ve had over the years. Ignore it. I know its hard, but you must learn to just ignore it. Follow your heart and intuition instead. They’re much more in tune to what you really want and need in life.
Wednesday February 15, 2012 I (well, I should say “we”) had so much fun over the weekend making notebooks! I’ve been wanting to make art journals and notebooks for my shop for quite some time now, and I guess my good friend Marla got tired of me telling her this; so she bought me a binding machine for my birthday! I spent the weekend with the kids figuring out how to use it and having a blast making cool little notebooks. The first one I made, was for a gift to Marla to say thank you for such an awesome gift. I made it in her style, and I just love how it came out!
I also made another one for myself, which I plan to use as a journal to keep quotes in for inspiration. I had a little mishap with the black india ink, so its a bit more grey than I wanted, but I still love it! 
The best part, is all the cool papers I used! Anything from ledger paper, maps, patterned paper, and whatever else I could find. It makes it so much more interesting to write in. 
As I mentioned, the kids were in on the fun too. They each did their own design for the cover, I’m so proud at how creative they were! They love their new notebooks and went right to work doodling on the inside when we were finished. :) 
I wanted to give you a sneak peek at what I’ve been up to, because I plan to make some really neat notebooks and art journals for the shop! I got so many bursts of inspiration while playing with the machine, I already have quite a few ideas in mind. One of which I am super excited about that I cannot wait to share with you! I’ll save that secret for another day though. ;0) Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to be notified when I finish my first line of notebooks!
Monday February 13, 2012 Love is in the air! I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Here are some interesting and fun hearts I found on flickr today. I hope they spark some inspiration for you this week!
 1. Light Painted Hearts, 2. Hard Heart, 3. trashy heart…, 4. heart on music, 5. Painted hearts, 6. Traded ATC- My heart belongs to you, 7. Heart Artwork, 8. Light Painting Heart, 9. heart rainbow
Friday February 10, 2012 Whether you are new to being creative, or you just want more creativity in your life, you may be wondering just how to start. While there is no one right answer, I can offer a few tips on how to get your gears moving. Here are my top 5 tips to starting a creative journey…
 Start by making the choice. You need to actively choose to be creative, and tell yourself “I am creative”. Your mind will want to contradict you here, but ignore that inner critic and keep telling yourself “I am creative”. Tell it to yourself, doodle it, write it, and say it… over and over. Eventually your mind will give up the fight and start acting like it.
- I know I may sound like a broken record here… but start a journal! Use it to write + clear your mind, to sketch, doodle, scribble, and experiment with different art mediums. You can read my top 5 tips for Journaling HERE. Be sure to carry it with you everywhere and use it when you’re bored waiting in line, sitting at the Dr’s office, on your break at work, etc.
- Along with your journal, you should also carry around a digital camera. Even if your true passion isn’t photography, taking photos really helps you see the world in a creative light. You may already carry it to family events and outings to take quick shots of the family, but now you should also think about the scenery around you. Start noticing the beauty in everyday life, and photograph it.
Did you notice all the beautiful colors, textures, and shapes of all the fruits + veggis at the market? Have you ever noticed how warm the sun shines through your window in the morning? Take note of these simple beauties and document it. Try using the macro setting (this setting is usually a flower icon) on your camera with the flash off, and get up close to what you’re photographing. Its amazing how different things look up close through the lens of a camera!
- Keep your mind in creative mode all day long. At first, you will have to consciously make an effort to do this, but using your right brain more throughout the day makes it easier to transition from daily activities to creating something in the “studio”. Following my first three tips above will help you do this. Some other ideas to inject creativity in your everyday life is to experiment with your cooking, seek different answers to the challenges in front of you, make up stories about the people around you when you’re waiting in line, or doodle around your “to do” list. Also, be sure to subscribe to my blog and try out my creative exercises that I post!
- Search for + pursue your passions. If you’re not sure what your passion is, start exploring. Try different crafts and mediums, watch videos on youtube of other artists at work, browse photos, or talk with other artists. What do you enjoy looking at? What draws you in? If you think you’re interested in a craft that is expensive to start, see if you can find a class that provides the materials, or go to a demonstration and speak with the artist. Just get yourself out there and expose yourself to a variety of creative outlets to see what you may be interested in.
If you already know what you wish you could do, then just do it! Experiment, learn from failure, then experiment again. Have you always wanted to draw, but think you can’t? Then grab a journal and start drawing – EVERYDAY. Do you think other artists always knew how to draw like that? No – they just enjoyed it, so they did it for years until they got good at it. Same thing applies to painting, writing, sculpting, sewing, baking, gardening or anything else in life. It all takes practice to get good at it! Art + creativity is not an exception.
I hope these tips will help you get on the path of a new creative journey, and to pursue your passions. There’s nothing stopping you but yourself!
Do you have any other tips for starting a new creative journey? What have you always wished you could do? Leave a comment below!
Wednesday February 08, 2012 Why creativity? Why would you want to be creative? What is the big deal?
Every creative has their own answers to these questions. If you don’t have your own answers yet, know that in time you will. My answer is simple. Its because I believe that creativity is an essential ingredient to living a happy life. Creativity is known to relieve stress, relax you, and to help you discover your true self + inner feelings. If that doesn’t help you to be more happy in life, then I don’t know what will.
What drives you to be creative? Why do you want to be a creative person? Leave a comment below!
Monday February 06, 2012  Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and CEO, once described creativity as “just connecting things”. Speaking of how creatives came up with an idea, he said “…they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
So, if this is true, if creativity is all about making connections in your brain to come up with new ideas, then how do you expect to be creative when you’re always watching tv, or browsing the internet, or playing on your smartphone? All of these new technologies are distracting us from what is right in front of us… they’re distracting us from being present in our lives, “recording” new experiences, and connecting those dots.
You need to give yourself time to allow your mind to let things sink in, to fill in the gaps, and to connect your thoughts + experiences. So your creative exercise this week is to turn off all of your electronics for one full day. It will be hard, but you can do it! Take in everything around you, “stop and smell the roses”, pay attention and be present. Let your mind wander and connect those dots. At the end of the day you will feel refreshed, alive, and may even have a few new ideas jotted down in your journal!
I dare you to actually DO this exercise! And when you do, please come back to share your experience by leaving a comment below. :)
Wednesday February 01, 2012 
What is standing in your way of being creative today? Is it time? Is it those nasty voices in your head telling you you aren’t good enough? Is it procrastination? Is it fear?
If its anything at all… what it really is, is an EXCUSE. If you suddenly had something important to do, you could find time for it, couldn’t you? If you had a deadline, your work would get done, wouldn’t it? If you were forced to face a fear, you would eventually get over it, wouldn’t you? So why is it so different with creativity? If you really wanted to be creative, you would find time for it. Get over your fears, push through what is blocking your path and just CREATE. Realize that excuses are just that… excuses!
What type of excuses have you found yourself making? Leave a comment below!
Monday January 30, 2012 My husband and I recently took the plunge and bought a house closer to the ocean. Our search went on for months, and by the time we found a home and moved in, winter was settling in. So, I’ve been dreaming of sticking my toes in the sand ever since. Here is a collection of my favorite beach images from flickr. I hope they spark some inspiration for you this week!
 1. Ocean, 2. Purple Jellyfish 2, 3. Seaglass finds, 4. Starfish, Red Sea, Hurghada (Egypt), 5. Ocean Bouquet, 6. Ocean Abstraction, 7. crab, 8. Shells #18, 9. Seaweed – Alderney
Friday January 27, 2012 Have you started journaling yet? Well, why not? I already told you how valuable it is! ;0) Whether you are new to journaling, or perhaps you’ve fallen out of the habit, maybe these tips will help you get started. - Don’t let the “hunt” for the perfect book stop you from starting your journal today. Just pick a blank book… any type, any style. You could even make your own by stapling or sewing a few pages together with a magazine page or cardstock for the cover. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you plan on painting in it, you may want something with thicker pages.
- Carry it with you everywhere. Yes, EVERYWHERE! Bring it to work and try sketching something you see on your break. Keep it by your bed at night and write your dreams in it. Frustrated at the mall? Open up your book and start scribbling!
- Remember that this journal is just for you. Journaling should be about practice, growth, and exploration. Don’t make it a big deal, don’t stress about it, and don’t try too hard. Use it to record notes, colors, ideas, or dreams. Use it to experiment new techniques, try out new mediums, and to just play. Don’t try to make your pages perfect, and don’t ever compare it to someone else’s journal.
- Make it a habit. Don’t wait for a large chunk of time to do a page. Don’t think, “oh I’ll do a page when I have more time”. Make time. Even if its just 10 minutes. If you wait, it will only seem like a chore and you will be less likely to open it again. If you’re just starting out, make a point to open it everyday, even if its just to make a small doodle. It will be hard to get in the habit of using it at first, but if you keep at it, it will soon become natural to you.
- Don’t give up. Not ever. At first, journaling may seem like a chore. But the more you do it, and the more of a habit it becomes; the more you will come to love it and the more it will come to help you with your creativity. Your first few pages (or maybe even first few hundred) will not be “picture perfect”. You may even feel some frustration that you cannot produce what you are envisioning. But this is normal, and in time you will get better and better, and come to love your journals.
What makes it difficult for you to journal daily? Do you have any tips for overcoming these obstacles? Leave a comment below!
|
