| |
| |
|
Creativity Information |
|
|
|
Find the Artist Within
Can anyone be an artist? People admiring my work often say, "I could never do that!" I say, "Yes, you can!" Eight years ago, during a very difficult time in my career in finance (Downsizings, layoffs - let's not talk about it, OK?), my company sent me to a development workshop for female executives. I came out of a particularly thought-provoking discussion group and penned the following very prophetic free verse. Threads They Said Mimi said, "Why don't you paint again?" Carole said, "You can do it!" Cheryl said, "You have an artist within. Reach down. Bring it out." Martha said, "There's a strength within you." Bob said, "Reach for the sky. Be your mother's daughter. The threads came together.
I believe anyone with a creative eye can be an artist. If you know what you like when you see it, you can be an artist. If you know what someone else will like, you can be a commercial artist. You only need to find your medium or craft. To find the artistic spirit within you: 1. Think about your abilities, not your dis-abilities; what you can do, not what you can't. Maybe you're good with the computer. Think graphic arts. Maybe you wield a mean needle. Think of practical sewn items to which you can add artistic touches. Today with the endless supply of craft materials and kits to get you started, there's something for everyone - or I should say - something for every artist. 2. Determine your bliss. I once read that if a woman thinks back to what she most enjoyed when she was between 8 and 11, she can identify her bliss. For men, it's between 10 and 14. They mature later, you know - some women would say never. If, at that age, you were always making "stuff" (doesn't matter what) and loved having your own crayons (that no one else was allowed - under penalty of death - to touch) and maybe your own set of colored pencils, art and crafting could be your bliss. If you took particular joy in actually producing something - an end product - rather than just messing with all those neat (or should I say, messy) paints, you almost certainly have an artist within. 3. Browse a local crafts superstore or Internet crafting sites (please start by browsing around TheArtfulCrafter.com!). Go up and down the aisles, whether virtual or real, and see what appeals to you. Purchase a few kits. [Aside: If you intend to sell what you make from the get-go, be sure to consider what will also appeal to your future customers.] 4. Don't be afraid to try something new. To me, a sub-definition of artist is "someone who is always trying something new" - new techniques, new media. You have ittle to lose - the cost of a kit or a few tubes of paint - and very much to gain!
You have permission to publish this article electronically by Eileen Bergen
MORE RESOURCES:
creativity - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creativity Isnt Just About Art It Is About Healing Go on, pick up a pen, hold it in your hand and ask, " What can you do for me?" What do you hear? If you listen with your heart you may hear " I can show you a world within that only you and I can explore! Let's start writing and see what we can find."As you travel deeper within you will start to find a world of emotion and thoughts that you never imagined you had, whether you are delving into those dark corners of pain or dancing into the lightness of your being. What is Creativity? Here in England September represents the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn as well as the start of the new school year and the start of many new initiatives in business, life and lots more besides.When anyone is looking to make any kind of change in their life, often the approach they take needs to become attractive or appealing in order for them to maintain it and often it may not remain attractive or appealing for as long as we like. Breathing Out Stage Fright You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and last minute stage directions. In the audience are the director you'd like to work with, the reviewer everyone listens to, and your first acting coach. Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us, do talking mice and a multigizillion dollar company come to mind? Actually, those are only the products of his prodigious and rich creativity - dig deeper and you start to realize one of the most intriguing heritages Disney left was his processes.Disney was a creative and problem-solving genius. Get Creativity? Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives, but in modern times few people are able to access this as a resource. Alan Watts writes in The Wisdom of Insecurity:"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy. 10 Ways to Thrive as a Creative Artist 1. Connect with your DREAM - Indulge yourself in a vision of the bigger picture and get out of the mire of self-doubt, details and challenges of today. How To Increase Creativity... Set Deadlines! Deadlines are something all of us face from time to time. We face deadlines whenever we set even a small goal and commit to accomplish it. Creativity Stereotypes - Are They Holding You Back? Here's a quick quiz:1) When I see a see a sunrise, I'm moved to:A. Compose a poem. We Tend To Make Up Our Own Truths: What Stories Are You Making Up? Someone once said that man keeps looking for truth that fits his reality. Oddly, more often than looking for truth, we tend to make up our own truths. Re-Energize Your Brain We all use tools in our work, and all of these tools need to be re-energized in some way over time. They need to be polished, sharpened, refurbished. Creative Drought For the past several hours, I've struggled with this week's message, the words, "what will I write?" screaming in my ears. I've felt like the princess who promises her first born child to the little man named "Rumplestiltskin" if only he will spin straw into gold. The Secret of Intuitive Intelligence The word intuition comes from the Latin word intueri, meaning "to look within." Webster defines it as "the power or facility of attaining direct knowledge without evident rational thought. Creativity, Innovation, and Science - Separate and Distinct or Not? There is a pervasive belief that creativity and innovation are separate and distinct from the concept of science. That creativity and innovation cannot be scientific. Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back in shape time!' For me, that means strapping on the sneakers and going for a run (well, at this stage it's more of a slow loping jog.. Creating and Living Your Ideal Legacy A legacy is more than a gift that lives on after you. Certainly, a legacy is a contribution to humanity. Our Limitless Quantum Reality Modern science tells us that on a sub-atomic level -- nothing is solid. That the entire universe is really one big web of vibrating "energy stew. Creativity Management - Collaboration NOT Competition Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Produce Creativity: 4 Ways To Motivate Your Melon It was 8:00 PM and I'd hit a creative wall - hard. But there was so much work to be done! And I just had to get out of the office or else my article would never get finished. Connect With Your Creative Dream We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all the doing and actions and daily chores, that we can quickly lose sight of the BIG PICTURE. What's it all for? What are you working towards?If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there?Taking the time to connect with your creative dream allows you to visit (and then revisit) the big picture. The Elements of Creativity: What-ifs? What if there is no toilet paper and I am halfway through doing the "do"?What if one of my team members decides to leave the project halfway and he happens to be the most knowledgeable guy there?What if I turn colour blind, how should I adapt to the environment?What-if, what-if and more what-ifs?The technique of asking What-ifs provokes an individual to think and to produce something new. At times, in order to find original solutions to old problems, one must take the leap of faith and ask 'crazy' and imaginative questions to get us out of the rut of stale, conformist routine.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
