If you want to stay fit and strong, you need regular exercise for your body…to get up and move about to keep muscles in shape and joints feeling limber.
The creative muscle is no different…it needs to be used everyday so it stays sharp and you can easily call it into action when inspiration strikes.
one of my favorite quotes illustrated with several of my photographic images layered together.
I do something creative everyday…its not always big and involved…but there’s always something.
Sometimes I’m working on a large mixed media collage which requires intense focus in its composition and construction. Sometimes I’m editing a photo to post on Instagram. Sometimes its deciding what to cook for dinner and planning out the menu. Sometimes its picking a few flowers out of the garden and arranging a bouquet.
Every creative act does not have to be a complicated production…the simplest of ideas, put into practice, is sometimes enough to keep your creativity flexible and flowing.
Two weeks ago I was in Portland to lead two creative workshops. I love leading workshops…seeing how the same common items are transformed differently by each of the participants. Each workshop used everyday items in new ways…a collage paperweight made from a glass coaster and a junk journal created from a well-worn hardback book. My workshops don’t teach you anything earth-shattering…there is no involved technique nor a slew of expensive art materials. There’s nothing extremely complicated nor intricate. What I do provide is an opportunity to sit down for a couple of hours, cut and paste, laugh and share and leave with a completed project that sparked your creative spirit.
keeping your creative muscle in shape means an inspiring idea can spark at any time.
At home, I am often inspired by daily junk mail or random garbage…I try out ideas, have a bit of fun, amuse myself. None of this is great art…all of this keeps my creative muscle strong.
These random circles are punched from an empty tissue box…I loved the graphic images…I’ll probably string these together as a garland to festoon my office or decorate a present.
I’m becoming more and more interested in surface design…wine corks, toilet paper rolls and dead batteries are easy and inexpensive elements to experiment with…It can spur some new ideas while playing.
I’m in the process of reviewing my summer/fall calendar in hopes of offering some workshops here at my studio in Everett. They won’t be complicated projects but fun, recycled activities…I provide all of the materials and tools and the opportunity to connect with other creatives. Make sure you sign up below to receive these announcements when dates are finalized.
In the meantime…make time each day to play and keep that creative muscle strong!
