February 3, 2010 tip

Talk to someone you have never taken the time to talk to before. Maybe there is someone you mostly ignored because they did not seem interesting at first or maybe you pass by a guy everyday on the way to work and never stopped to talk to them. don't you ever wonder what their story is or who they are. I pass by this guy on the way to work sometimes who wears a cowboy outfit and practices lasso'in saw horses. Being a city gal to the core at first I go ugh to cowboy culture, but I love that this guy gets out there without caring who is watching and just does what he loves and it makes me want to stop to talk to him and find out more or just to say hi and thanks for breaking up the monotony of my drive to work. Maybe you don't think talking to these strangers will interest you or help your creativity but it is one of those " you never know until you take the time to try" moments. Talking to people outside your own little circle or world is just another simple way to open your mind to new things.

feb 2, 2010

By some traditions who follow the earth's calender, today is the beginning of Spring planting season and what we actually consider the first day of Spring in March is actually the middle of Spring. As part of it they believed in celebrating and reflecting on a new season and new beginnings.
I think that in sort of keeping with this we should reflect on bringing something new into our lives, maybe learn a new skill, discover a new author, try food you have never tried, or take a new class.Better yet maybe you could even share and introduce something new to someone else and then they could share something new with you.

February 1, 2010

Legacy...
What do you think folks will say when your gone? It doesn't have to be so deep as what would they say on your epitaph when you die, but more what sort of impact to you have on a daily basis. If you were to leave your job what do you think they would say? when you take a class what do you think the instructor would say about you as a student? Or even if you moved away what footprint would you feel you left? It doesn't have to be big, sometimes the small impacts we make in people's lives are just as important.And if you really feel like you have done nothing, then now is the time to turn that around and get creative and make that legacy.

NEw month...

So we have reached the end of the first month of the year. I first am going to apologoze for getting behind several times and not having the days tip up on that day. I do hope that folks are still able to get something out of the tips even when they are delayed though. As I said before, doing this every day has proven to be more of a challenge than I thought since sometimes I go a few days without even looking at the computer. I am still working in getting better on having them up ahead of time at least though so hopefully that will help.While I try to do most of the tips out of my own head or from books I have read in the past, I find that I still have to do a bit more research to find a better variety as I get worried that too many of the tips will seem repetitive and as I discover new places for my own inspiration I will make sure to add the link with the rest.Okay so here we go February, let's Get Creative!

january 31, 2010

Okay so to end the month I think we will go back to a tip from the beginning using color. Before I had you pick 3 colors and only use those in something. This time we are going to pick one color and use it the whole day. Try to document the color in some way noticing all the places you saw that color but also challenge yourself to think about where that color wasn't and why it might have been good for that space that it did not exist in. Would trees or dirt be fun in that color if they aren't already. Get Creative!

january 30, 2010

Yesterday's prompt was deeper I will keep it light and basic for today. If you were a creature other than a human what would you be? Maybe you would be a mouse, a moose, or a dragon, or maybe even a jackelope. It doesn't have to be a real creature. you can get as creative as your brain takes you, just enjoy thinking about it and deciding.

January 29th tip

What would you do if money were no longer what we used to pay for things. No more credit cards, no more cash/checks but we could go back to trade.What would you have to trade.No matter what your creative dreams and aspirations are , think about this becuase it is the time when your creativity would be needed most. If you were a cook could you trade meals and what would you trade for, how would you get your food?Would you grow it yourself or trade for it. If you are a writer what would you do? Could you tell your stories to entertain or self publish? Artists can make things to trade, what would you make? Just take this time and maybe even journal your thoughts about what you would do in a society that no longer used money.

January 28, 2010

For today I am going to get you thinking a bit linear which for some of you probably consider more logical brain then creative brain, but surprisingly can actually stimulate the more abstract creative side.
This exercise may seem silly or simple but it also might make you think about various thought if you don't already.
Draw a line from one side of the page to the other and then flip the page and continue the line at the same level of page as other line which should cause it to be even with the end of line on other side too.
Now this line is obviously flat, yet you have technically just made a circle from two straight lines.
The relation to your creation and this is to make you open your mind to possibilities and to remember that your logical brain will try to tell you that a straight line is just a straight line that follows the same path but in fact it is a circle which connects to it's beginnings and continually evolves and recreates itself.
I know you are thinking ooh "deep thoughts" but it can be a helpful exercise and if you play with circles and lines and testing your mind to see how many times you think they cross each other and can stimulate the mind.
This exercise can be helpful and comparable to writing too because classic writing rules have you bring a story literally "full circle" by connecting the end of a story to the beginning.
okie have fun and get creative

January 27, 2010

"Conformity is inevitable when folks huddle together in rebellion"
-Herbert Gold
This is from a book he wrote on the history of Bohemia(not the country but the lifestyle that has always been around in someway and he believes you can find a community or at least cafe associated with it in just about every country and every large town or city in the U.S.
Think about what you consider to be Bohemian in the past and the present.In his book his considers the old beat writers and poets to have been Bohemian and before them the Dadaist.Do you find yourself influenced by some of the old writers and artists that were a part of creating Bohemia in the US in places like New York and San Francisco and all the little colleg towns.
If not then who does influence you.....

January 26, 2010

Today's tip is pretty basic but still always a good help. If your having one of those days where you just can't get anything done, your mind won't quite focus and your feeling completely unproductive and have decided to just sit or your butt and just watch TV. Well, even though I smashed my own TV up with a hammer, I do except that those are just those days where you can't work.So use it to your advantage and at least document what you are watching.Grab a piece of paper and write or draw what you see on the TV or maybe even just document your own reactions to the people you see. Now if you are way ahead of the creative game and have also gotten rid of your TV then you could just veg out and look out the window or even just people watch somewhere. I can't avoid over hearing loud talkers conversations and sometimes hear myself reacting to them in my head. Sometimes I write it in my journal in case it can be useful for some type of character later. I have even overheard a conversation one time where a girl was talking about something she wanted to make and it lead me to come up with a new idea in my head for something to make( no I did not steal her idea, it inspired a totally new one).So get out there and observe- oh yeah I mean sit on your butt, don't do anything but chill and observe.

January 25, 2010

Write a letter or create some mail art and send it to someone. Everyone loves mail and we get way to caught up in electronic communications. My fav is a pal's musings stuffed in some creatively decorated envelope or maybe they challenges themselves to write on something other than a plain piece of paper. I also still love a good postcard(especially the one's who someone really thought about what you would like or show off their personality)
Did you know that as long as it's flat and not harmful and can hold the right amount of postage that it can be mailed. You would really be surprised at what people have turned into postcards. If those furry postcards and even the astroturf ones can be mailed then surely your creation can make it.
Okay so get creative and mail something!

January 24, 2010

Storytelling- I know some people might think sitting around listening to someone tell stories might be a time-waster but it actually can be quite helpful, not matter what your medium. If you don't have access to public storytelling or a friend or family member , or even the old guy who hangs out on the corner telling “stories” , you could always rent a documentary video or check one out from library. I love documentaries about old blues musicians because there are always good stories that go along with their music. Heck you could even catch some good story telling on cooking shows sometimes. Whatever stories you find will hopefully inspire your mind. While they may not directly inspire some specific creation, they do quite often stimulate that part of your brain and can get your imagination going. remember some of these tips and exercises are just to help stimulate the creative portion of the brain and to entice it to want more.

January 23, 2010

sorry i got behind again, as I mentioned before I don't get to get to my compuetr quite daily but still work to get these up for you even if they are delayed.Okie here goes:

Collaborate! Finding someone to share creative brainstorming can be very stimulating. You can bounce ideas off each other, share input on each other's projects or even work together on a collaborative project. A fresh outlook is always helpful.

Creative Reuse Center

I spent the last few years working on getting a proper creative reuse center and was never able to get it going other then little small material swaps and workshops here and there. I am excited to say that it looks like their is another group out there who will hopefully soon be bringing a creative reuse center to the Oklahoma City area and I can't wait. If this is something you are interested in also you should check out their site and get in touch with them to help.
So go check out www.saveitforart.org

January 22, 2010

Unfinished projects...
I am sure many of us are prone to starting projects and then putting them aside. Maybe we just get bored with them or maybe put them aside thinking we will get back to them later, yet that later never quite comes around. In the last year I have however found myself picking up a few of those projects and actually working on them and even sometimes finishing. The tip on how this is happening isn't especially prolific either. All  I did was reorganize my workspace and look at the project again and go back and read old notes. I always thought talking about projects to friends and fellow creators would help me , and while on occasion it does help work things out in your brain talking them out to others, most of the time I just felt like I was one of those folks that always talked about projects but then never followed through and finished them. So, if you don't want to become that person either, you HAVE to remember to pull those old notes or half started projects out and look at them. There is a good chance some ideas might start flowing in and you can finally finish it.

January 21, 2010 tip o' the day

Every once in awhile I find it helpful to immerse oneself in the creations of another culture. Look at the art, read the literature, watch the movies, and eat the food. A few months ago I was on an Indian kick and watched a weeks worth of suspenseful Bollywood style films, cooked some Indian food and glanced through some books on Hindu art. One week it is Asian, another Mexican, and even occasional different cultures within the United States like deep south Outsider Art , literature, and food sometimes influences me. I just find that this really opens the mind and if you already immerse yourself in one or two of these cultures then just remember to switch it up a bit for variety. Your mind and tastebuds are hungry for it.

January 20, 2010 tip o' the day

Dream a little dream...
  Everyone dreams, just like everyone is creative. Even if you are just a daydreamer thinking about what you wish you could do or thinking about what kind of meal you want to cook, these are still types of dreaming. The big ones at sleepytime are the best though and these are often the ones you need to document the most, but really you should document all your dreamin even the kind you get riding in the car looking out the window. Tapping into this part of your mind that sends the dreamin message is the same part you are trying to exercise to activate the creativity so write them down, draw them, speak them into a recorder or even share them with a pal. Some of the best movies, novels, art work , and even fashion have stemmed from someones dreams

January 19, 2010

One of the biggest reasons many of us find ourselves creatively blocked is self censorship.This often comes from a fear of revealing too much . You might be nervous someone will find out something or see a part of you that you didn't want to share. We have to get over this though and choose to open up. It isn't good to keep things locked up inside you and you can't move on from them without releasing them. If it is something you totally don't want to share  then burn it afterwards! (obviously as long as it is safe) I often write things out or draw things that I need to get out but don't really want to share and then I put them in a fire pit or fire safe bowl and burn them. It really feels like a good purging.
Now sometimes our fears are irrational and may be something we should share with others like for example I was scared to do this blog becuase I didn't want to come across like a goober and actually didn't tell people I knew that I was doing it at first. I had to get over that and remember that even though I may not be a great writer, if these tips helped me then hopefully they can help someone else.And there ya go, just do it.
(heck you may luck out like me and no one will read or look at your art anyway, but that doesn't matter becuase you are doing this for your self first, not others)Okay no I have babbled, but you get it, FEAR NOT and do not censor yourself! it causes creative constipation.

January 18, 2010

Let's take pictures. It is always fun to take pictures. So grab a camera(any kind) and go take some random picture without worrying about how they come out.Take a walk and do it or set up scenes in your home or go out and take photos of people. Now once you have taken some you need to develop them or load them on computer or if digital go back and look at on screen. How do these make you feel, what colors are in them, can you make up stories about what is going on in them or maybe do and alternative universe interpretation of what is going on. Or maybe you can make a collage with them or draw a sketch of two pics merged together.
Get creative!

January 17, 2010

So I got a little behind on posting but my goal is to still have 365 days of tips so I am going to back post the last few days.I certainly have discovered that is is harder to keep up with a commitment so my tip for today comes from this experience. DON'T give up just becuase you get set back a little. Sure it would be easy to go " ah man this is alot harder to come up with everyday and I can't always get it posted on the day so what is the point." But I am not going to do that becuase it would be too easy and then I would feel crappy knowing I did not follow through. So again Don't give up. If you made a resolution and fell back on it a bit, just keep at it. It may be later or may not be exactly what you wanted to be but as long as you keep at it no matter the outcome it is still progressive. And learn from mistakes and move on, try not to dwell. So there ya go a tip from the heart.