For those readers who know me, you probably also know that I hate February. It's gray. It's cold. It seems to last forever despite it's short calendar days. This February I say "no" to gloom and doom. This month I will go forward and make it a celebration of learning and inspiration. The days will pass quickly and February will be glorious.
Having said that, there are a few things I plan to institute at ArtLOOK. The first of which is "Inspiration Friday." Each Friday I will post an idea or suggestion that might hopefully plunge us into inspirational bliss. I'm not saying that the things I find inspirational will work for you, but maybe together we can throw some seeds into the universe. I also hope that you, as readers, might contribute your tried and true methods or thoughts on what inspires you.
I have also (on a personal note) deemed Tuesday as "Learning Tuesday." Every Tuesday is my day for exploring tools and resources for increasing my skill set and knowledge base. I believe that even as we consider ourselves creatives, we still need to be well rounded, educated and efficient.... in fact, learning and education is not something we should do in spite of the fact we are creatives; being creative demands continued education.
5 Ways to Increase Creativity:
- Sharpen Your Skill Set. You really have to pick your battles. Technology has created so many wonderful tools for production that we might want to "know them all." While that kind of motivation is great, until we do know them all, concentrate on learning just the top two tools of your trade remarkably well. Make yourself a certified authority on a unique painting application or on a software program. Knowledge of process serves as the foundation of creativity.
- Spend some time in quiet contemplation. I'm not saying you should become a recluse, but spending time alone and away from the noise is key to creative thought. Be absolute and ruthless when it comes to your own private time. My suggestion is that this time needs to be more than an hour or two on random days. Make a day of it! Also something I LOVE... create your own creative place. A comfortable reading spot with great lighting. A good pillow. Your favorite pen. A brand new moleskine. Surround yourself with things you love.
- Start and stay on a routine. I'll admit, I've never been one for routines...being a more spontaneous kind of gal. BUT, routines can be a good thing and I've come to appreciate the benefits of a routine. Much like my neighbor, who does his yard work every single Thursday, establishing a routine provides a specific point in time to do the stuff you need to do. It's like having an appointment with yourself and wow... you might actually start looking forward to it.
- Use your eyes, Look around you. I think one of the things that make artists remarkable is their ability to see things the rest of us don't... or maybe the rest of us don't take the time to see? Part of the inspiration for this post was the result of a WikiHow "How to of the Day" (from my Google homepage...isn't Google great?) While that article advises not to follow trends "Ignore trends...Block them out--pay zero attention to them" I can't say I agree completely. I think it's important to look at trends, study the work of others and then... Ok, ignore them and find your own path. Find something in anything that will inspire you even if it's just the color of the background on an advertisement.
- Let go of expectations. When my kids were little they would, of course, color and draw. Sometimes they would ask my advice on what color they should make a lady's hair or what color to make the house. My answer would always be the same "It's your picture you can do whatever you like." Children are amazing artists and I think one of the things that make them so is that they are free from judgments. When kids create they just go for IT. It's not until we get older that we start to limit ourselves by preconceived notions of what is right/wrong/proper and standardized. So when you decide to make something new... just go for it.
Resources for creativity:
Wiki How - How to be creative
Wiki How - How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci (Wow!)
LifeHack - How to Become a Creative Genius
ProBlogger - 9 Attitudes of Highly Creative People
Guy Kawasaki - How to Change The World
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