It's Inktober Time!

What’s not to like in October?

Our oppressive summer with no rain has finally come to a much welcomed end. There is candy corn, Halloween and then there is Inktober.

I have to admit that I’d never heard of Inktober until I saw sketch books showing up on Facebook.  I decided to join in and try my hand at inking. 

Jake Parker, a talented illustrator, started Inktober. http://mrjakeparker.com/inktober

This is from his website:

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31 Days 31 Drawings

Every October, artists all over the world take on the InkTober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. I created InkTober in 2009 as a challenge to improve my inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year.
Anyone can do InkTober, just pick up a pen and start drawing.

InkTober rules:

1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).

2) Post it on your blog (or tumblr, instagram, twitter, facebook, flickr, Pinterest or just pin it on your wall.)

3) Hashtag it with #inktober

4) Repeat

Note: you can do it daily, or go the half-marathon route and post every other day, or just do the 5K and post once a week. What ever you decide, just be consistent with it. INKtober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more you’re consistent the better.

That's it! Now go make something beautiful.

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Ok Jake, Thanks for the inspiration.  Here is my start. 

The first two were done when I wasn't sure I was going to participate.  The bird in the cup is a copy of a pin from Pinterest from the blog: Little Monarch.  I believe that it is a tattoo called Bird Bath.  The last one is a sketch of my cute little kitten, Bailey, who was kind enough to pose form me.

I've never been much of a sketcher or sure with myself when it comes to pen and ink but I am going to practice what I preach and be willing to be a beginner.

I hope you will join me.  If you leave a link in the comments, I will come visit you on your blog or Facebook page.

Cheering you on!

Diana Meade

Labor Not on Labor Day

If I’m talking about the “wearing white” controversy, it must be Labor Day.  If I am wearing white, it must be to keep from going naked.  I started out this day looking like the cleaner, much more attractive, younger sister of the new creepy looking Mr. Clean who has recently shown up on Mr. Clean television commercials.  Evidently, Mr. Clean doesn’t believe in the wearing white rule.

For you poor uniformed innocents who take your fashion cues from Project Runway or Lady GaGa, there used to be a fashion rule going around that you COULDN’T, SHOULDN’T, DARE NOT wear white after Labor Day.  What Estee Lauder really said was that "it just isn’t done," to wear white shoes after Labor Day, but we make our own rules now, don’t we?

Since it is hot enough outside to cook your biscuits, wearing white has not only a psychological advantage but there is a claim that white helps you stay cooler.  There must be something to it because you see all those guys wearing white bed sheets in the Middle East.  I think they wear them so they can stand over the air conditioner vents in their mobile homes or hog all the cool air in the Range Rovers up close and personal.

When I wear white, I turn into a dirt and paint magnet.  I put on white in the morning and by the time I pull it off in the evening my white is so filthy even Mr. Clean would wash his hands of me.  I could change clothes but on Labor Day, I'm usually too lazy.

Speaking of lazy:

I am pretty sure Labor Not on Labor Day is one of the Missing Commandments that Moses neglected to bring down from the mountain top.  Moses was a control freak and considered his followers to be lazy; (after all they wondered around in the desert for forty years) therefore, he forgot to mention some of the other commandments like: 

• Thou shall daily enjoy the life I have given you.
• Rejoice when you have a good hair day.
• Paint every day if you can.
• Laughter is the best medicine; laugh at your mistakes.
• Don’t wear white shoes after Labor Day unless you really want to.

You know, ones like that.

Hope you have a great Labor Day and the air vents are all pointed your way.

Hugs, Diana

How to Upgrade Your Creativity in Three Easy Steps

I don’t know about you, but I am glad I don’t have to go back to school this month and wear hot scratchy new clothes and tight shoes on feet that haven’t worn more than a flip flop since April.  In the spirit learning something being good for you, here’s how to upgrade your creativity in three easy steps plus a bonus.

1. Recognize that your creativity needs an upgrade

Producers of software, cell phones, and other providers have made it a common practice to announce the newest version of their products, usually with fanfare and customer anticipation.  Can your creative projects/products/process use an overhaul or a tweaking?

Doing the same old thing the same old way can cause your creativity to fall into a rut even if it feels comfortable.  Boredom is a huge creativity killer and can lead to burnout.

If you recognize that your creativity needs an upgrade, now is the perfect time to do something about it.

2. Do your research

Recognize that you might not know every thing there is to know about your subject even if you are an expert.   Consider that you don't know what you don't know.  Become willing to be a beginner.  A Google or Amazon search can open your mind to all sorts of new possibilities that you might want to investigate. 

Try out a new skill, book, tool, mentor, class or process.  I love going to school on YouTube!

3. Follow through with the upgrade

You can’t learn anything from your upgrade if you don’t follow through with a plan.  Upgrades usually require an investment of time, money and energy, but aren't you and your creativity worth it?  Yes it is!  Whatever you decide needs upgrading, make the commitment to your plan and work your plan.  You'll be glad you did.

4. Plus a Bonus

Upgrading your creativity gets easier every time you do it if you allow yourself the bonus of a reward by celebrating your risk taking and your willingness to learn something new.  Enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Buy yourself the accompanying tools or supplies that go with the upgrade as a reward or maybe just allow your self a daily afternoon nap.

Whatever bonus you choose, reinforce that leaning something new and being a beginner is valuable so that you are willing to continue your own personal upgrades every time you need one.

Energize your creativity by giving it a sweet upgrade!

Hugs,

Diana

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards

Stressed Spelled Backward is Desserts

The creative process is stressful, in my humble opinion, as anyone who has ever daily faced a blank page will tell you.  Have you ever been paralyzed to do your art because the cost of replacement materials will be too dear to replace?

In another lifetime, I used to do decorative painting on walls, floors and celings in clients houses who could afford elegant carpets and expensive furniture. These treasures were exposed to my accidental faux pas instead of just my faux finishes.  Luckily I never kicked over a paint bucket or sat on precious furniture with paint on my pants, but it was stressful just the same.

I have read that some stress is good and I tend to agree.  If the urge of playing at my art table never occurs, art never happens.  Thankfully, I feel stressed if I don't have something bubbling in the creative kitchen.

Maybe that's when we receive our just desserts!

I had fun doing this mixed media piece.  I did it a long time ago and it still makes me happy.  It may be when I first discovered how much fun it was to rip up paper and to remember how much fun it was to cut and paste in the real world instead of on the computer.

I sure hope you are having a good week and your stress turns out to be the good tasty kind.

Hugs,

Diana

Don't Quit Your Daydream

Don't Quit Your Daydream

When I was a kid I did my daydreaming under a shade tree on an old quilt pallet complete with Tag and Panda, my grandpa's panting dogs, a jelly glass full of kool-aid and a platoon of annoying insects. 

Daydreams I had.  Big giant daydreams, I did not.  I believed as Alice in Wonderland did:

Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said. “One can’t believe impossible things.”

“I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

I didn't know what the Red Queen knew. I thought that I was in charge of my daydreams, that if daydreams were to come true, I had to make it so.  What can a little girl from the country with few resources do?  Somehow I believed that dreaming small meant not having to live with great disappointment because dreams came true in fairy tales not in real life.

What crap!

Now I know if I don't dream it, it sure won't become a reality.  

These days, my big giant daydreams take place in air conditioned luxury with a sleepy cat nearby and a journal to write it down in so I can remember them and be amazed that when they come true I often had little to do with the most perfect outcome.

What daydream do you have that needs a reminder that you can dream your way to a better reality? 

What ever you do, "Don't Quit Your Daydream." 

Hugs,

Diana

Owl Always Love You

Here is a piece I did for a friend of mine.  She gives a hoot for owls.

My mother used to collect owls.  Not the flying-screeching-in-nature owls; the kind that where ever you stumble upon one you feel the need to purchase it and bring it home with you kind.  And then everyone finds out and you become the "keeper of the owls."  My friend's mother collected pigs.  Her daughter collected hot air balloons. I can remember friends by what they collected.

I did have a friend who collected bad debts, but that was her job and I bet dialing up a deadbeat wasn't nearly as much fun as buying up a bunch of wise-looking ceramic salt shakers.

As I get older, I have less of a need to collect things with maybe the exception of art supplies.  My heart beats faster when I wander up and down the aisles of an art supply store dreaming of the possibilities. 

Sometimes, when I am not feeling very energetic, I can just drag out some arty gee gaws and fiddle around with them and lo and behold I'm good to go do something creative.  Is this true for you too?

So for now, I'd like to say, "Art supplies, Owl always love you."

Hugs,

Diana

Jam Up and Gelli Tight

How long has it been since you fell in love? 

I am up to my paint-crusted elbows in love with my Gelli plate. 

Last week I spent vacation time on the lake with my other love, Mister Man, who managed to read books, take naps, and eat delicious food while I compulsively rolled paint onto the plate before I fell face forward from exhaustion.  Thank goodness for that brayer that developed a squeak after about the second swipe.  It is all that kept me awake.

"This is my last print," I must have announced at least a thousand times.   That's what happens when you are in love.  You just can't get enough.

Now that we are back home and reality has set in, I am not making gelli prints like the obsessed fool that I was.  I am now trying to figure out what the heck I am going to do with this goregeous stack of paper.

This one I did a mixed media piece on canvas but naturally I forgot to photograph it before I started.  I cut the bird out of a index card that I printed and used some rub ons to complete the painting.

Well, there you are until next week when we find out if the spark still holds!  And I come up with some more finished products.

Hugs, Diana

Who hit Nellie in the Belly with a Gelli Plate?

Ok, my title may be a little ridiculous but my Gelli Plate isn't.  If you don't know, a Gelli plate is a mono printing plate that allows you to create works of art with blank paper, some cheap acrylic paint, a brayer and something to make marks in the wet paint like a stencil or a stamp. 

The secret that they don’t tell you in Gelli Plate Land is that once you go there you may not be able to do any work, feed your family or walk the dog until you make just a few more prints.  It’s that addicting.

I’m not going to explain about the process because there are tons of videos on YouTube and at the Gelli Plate blog http://gelliarts.blogspot.com/    I am writing this sleep deprived because I stayed up late playing way past my bedtime.  And since I am on a working vacation, I could have been outside enjoying this view:

But why enjoy nature when you can get paint on your hands?

Here is the already used and well-loved gelli plate, gifted to me from my friend who is vacationing with me.  We took turns fumbling our way through the process which was lots of fun when one of us got to be the consultant and the other one got to make the prints.  (What that really means is we took turns bossing each other around!)

A side benefit of making prints is that while you are doing that you can clean your brayer on some scrap paper, old book pages or in my case, rewrites of my novel.  You get to use this on future projects like art journaling or other mixed media adventures.

Here are a few 8 x 10 prints I made.

I have about a million index cards that were going to be thrown away at a business next door to where I used to work and I pack-ratted them.  They have writing on one side but that just adds another layer to the mixed media look of the print.  

Here are way too many samples of my binge printing.

Now my challenge is to figure out what to do with all this artistic loot! Hopefully I will have something to share next time.

Have a creative week!

Hugs, Diana

Happy MuseDay

Hello Creative Friends,

“When your mind is stretched by a big idea, it will never return to it’s original shape.””

— Thomas Carlye

Happy Museday,

A lot has been written about the muse – that ethereal bearer of inspiration that floats mysteriously around whispering sweet somethings into ear of a likely candidate who is awake or sober enough to pay attention.

I have to say my relationship with my muse has become a little contentious of late.

Me:  Hallo?  Anybody there?   I’m back to blogging and it’s time to write a post.  I could use a little help here.

Muse: You’re kidding, right?  I gave all the good ideas to the bloggers who actually sit down at their computers.

Me:  Where do you think I am, Walmart?

Muse: Look, I’ve been dropping hints and you’ve been in La La Land.  Is that anywhere near Walmart?

Me: You have no idea.

Muse: Well you won’t have any ideas either if you keep talking to me like that.

See what I mean.

What do you do when you and your muse are on the outs?

Close up of left side of journal page

Close up of right side

Altered Wine Bottle

We have these wine bottles.  Don't ask me how they got here.

TRUTH: (I know how they got here, but I was hoping to infer that they just appeared one day on their own.)

Anyway I would have thrown away the evidence but not so, my mother.

We saved them for a while because our neighbor makes homemade wine and we were going to take them to him, but like other well-intentioned ideas gone awry, they linger unfilled. 

We have had some bad weather here and my mother has been unable to engage in her passion for digging in the dirt in her yard so she was turning her attention to the dirt here on the inside of the house. (I'm talking dusting, vacuuming, chasing spider webs, etc.)  So in an effort to stop that before it got out of hand, I asked her to help me do a little crafting.

Now before you think I am clever or that she isn't aware of my bait and switch, think again.  She knows all my tricks and sometimes she allows me to think I am getting away with something.  But I digress.

Here is the bottle we created and a sort-of tutorial on what we did to get it to this point.

Finished wine bottle

  Here are some things you will need to get this party rolling.

Some of the supplies we used.

Wine bottle

Old book pages

Decoupage glue or acrylic matt medium and a brush to put it on with.  We used a 1" brush.

Foam plates as a pallet for matt medium and/or paint

Container of water to wash out brushes

Scissors

Images to glue on for decoration.  We used botanicals and butterflies from scrapbook paper

Gesso

Coloring tools of your choice:  acrylic paint, watercolor pencils or crayons, spray ink, rubber stamps and ink pad, etc.

Bling

Sacrificial wine bottle

Make sure it's empty. Go ahead, drain it. I'll wait.

Start with your empties. (I highly recommend they be empty because you know what would happen if there wasn't a drop of wine in the house and you knew that the lovely decorated bottle had wine in it and you were having a moment that required a smidgen of wine: Decorations be damned! Or maybe that's just me.)

Old dictionary pages

Since I have lots of old book paper, I tore out some sheets then tore them into narrow strips and mom started slathering on the matt medium and slapping on the strips around the diameter of the bottle.

Old paper decoupaged on bottle

When you are finished it looks sort of like this.  Be sure to put a coat of matt medium over the entire bottle so you have an even work surface to start adding colors, stamping or stencils and images.  Allow to dry fully.  Now the fun part begins. 

Put a little or a lot of gesso as you like

I did some spots of thinned gesso in places to make the writing fade into the background.  I added rubber stamp images in places.  

Add color.

I love using watercolor pencils or crayons.  I began to add color using watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils.  I was too lazy to go get the acrylic paint but that works as well.

Cut out images

When the background is finished and drying, cut out your images.  Mom is a whiz at this.

We cut out more than we needed for one bottle

Fiddle with placement

Decide where you want your images and apply to bottle with matt medium.

Add some doodle, jewels, sparklesAdd more color where needed. Doodle. Glue on gee gaws. Outline your images so they pop. Have fun. Pretend you just drank a glass of courage and have no fear of making mistakes. Have fun.  Then decide how you will display yours.

One side of upcycled wine bottle Altered wine bottle side twoI hope you are inspired to upcycle your old bottles.  We had fun and I didn't have to clean house.  Pretty good trade off.  Thanks Mom!

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday, Creative Friends,

How about a flower delivery to start your week off in the pink?

Take time to smell the roses!

Don't you hate for the weekend to end?  I sure did this weekend.  I had a longtime friend visit and we celebrated her birthday.  We ate and drank well and even managed to listen to some good music.  It was so good to see her.  One of our traditions when we get together is to have show and tell.  She makes some fabulous quilts and machine embroidery that you can see and purchase on her etsy shop.  Here is a handy link if you want to take a look. http://itsawlgood.etsy.com/

I gave her a few "happies" and so I thought I would share the presentation packages with you.

Handmade birthday cardI love to make cards for people who give cards.  They always seem to appreciate the effort.

Eiffel Tower image decorates this package.

Audrey is in love with all things Parisian.  I wish this gift could have been two tickets for a trip to France since she loves to travel over there.   We can dream anyway.

Paper mache box with insert in the lid makes it easy to decorate

One of my favorite things are these sweet little paper mache boxes.  I love to decorate them and find little treasures to go inside.  These have the insert in the lid which makes it easy-peasy.  Here is a hint though:  If you cover the sides of the bottom of the box with paper or fabric, the lid will no longer fit.  Trust me, I have learned this the hard way.  Several times.  The last time I did it, I thought wrapping paper would work because it is thinner than scrap book paper.  Alas no!!

Laughter is good medicine. Laughter with good friends is even better.

Mixed media tag with flowers serves just as well as a bow.I never know what to put on a tag.  Do you have that trouble?  So my default tag items are dictionary words, flowers and rubber stamps.  It think this one is cute with the floral paper.

My friend loved all her birthday happies and I enjoyed trying to make them special by making the presentation special too.  Do you decorate your packages?  I try to, but I am also a gift bag and tissue girl as well.

Have a creative week.

Hugs, Diana

With Hat in Hand or The Awkwardness of Returning to this Blog

my favorite hat with one of my favorite hands

Well this is awkward.   If I had a hat, I would have it in my hand. (Whatever that means: Hat in Hand.  note to self: Look it up.)  Ok, I looked it up.  It means showing up with respectful humility.

You've got a lot of nerve...showing back up here as if years haven't gone by.

Yes but I come with respectful humility.  Doesn't that count for something?

If you were respectfully humble, you would've visited a bit more often.  Why should we believe you when you say you're back for good.

Well, you might at least wait until I actually do say it.

Silence.

Ok, you win.  I'm back for good!  I was wrong to abandon you.    My creativity suffered for it.  My heart was in the right place, but life got in the way.  

Just admit it, you were spending time on another blog.

Well, yes but, I also moved to another part of the country (and I do mean country!).  And my precious kitty died.  And I got sick.  And I quit painting.  If you know anything about me you know it was all very traumatic.

Stop whining.  If you are going to write over here, write positive.

You don't understand.  I have a lot to complain about.

What about gratitude.  Do you have any reasons to be grateful?

Well, yes I do now that you mention it.

Then write about that and you can stay.

Ok. Ok.

I am grateful that this blog is still here.

Quit sucking up. You don't have any readership.  They got on with their lives.

But I am grateful for this blog.  I love being creative.  This blog will help me be accountable.

What else?

My friends and family.

My cat companions.

The great outdoors.

Art supplies.

The Internet.

Miracle Whip.

Miracle Whip?  You're grateful for Miracle Whip?

Yeah, ever tried to create a good sandwich without it?

You're hopeless!

I'm also grateful that I had a hat when I needed one.  And I never gave up HOPE!

Me either.  I always hoped you'd be back and here you are.  And I'm grateful for that.  Welcome home.

two of my coworkers, Schuester and Gabby

Oh Where have you gone Billy Boy, Billy Boy?

Hello Creative Friends,

I used to sing that song when I was kid on the school bus on the way to Ripley House in Houston.  I sang a lot as a child and I loved belting out songs.   I was even brave enough to sing in the choir and do some solos. These days, my memory can be iffy at best, but set something to music and I can remember the words to a thousand songs.  The very first thing I saved my money for was a transistor radio.  I was nine.  The really cool thing was that the radio came with an ear piece and I could take it to bed with me and listen to KNUZ and KILT Radio Stations late into the Houston night without my parents knowing about it.

Music was so important to me.  It was never very far away.  My parents had a record player and we had stacks of big band music to make us get up and move, but it was country music that could get us to sing along. 

Then I got older and I stopped taking the opportunity to sing.  You know the old cliche about using it or losing it?  Well that has happened to my singing ability.

My voice is no longer pleasant to my ears.  I stopped singing and now when I want to belt one out, it comes out scratchy and undiciplined. 

Probably, I could get back in voice with some training and I may do that.

The possibility exists that in all creative areas in my life can rust to dust if I do not give it proper attention.

I don't want to sing, "Oh where have you gone, Darling Creativity?" 

Hello Creative Friends,

I am not Catholic, but right now I see myself entering the blogging confessional, mumbling under my breath, "Forgive me readers, for I have sinned."

You, should you play out this little fantasy of the mind with me, say, "Oh, yeah, What's your lame-assed excuse this time?"

I have a bevy of them;  A plethora; A mountain; oh hell,  I gotta million of 'em.

It's the heat. 

My feet swell if I sit at my desk too long.

I am burned out, not just from the heat.

I am apathetic.

I'd rather be somewhere else.

I'm not feeling vey creative.

On and on.

So I am humbly asking for your forgiveness as I don't write my newsletter or belly up to this computer to make this blog/website better.

I'll be back as soon.  I just have a little swinging to do.

Hugs, Diana

Sitting On Your Genius

Not expressing creativity can cause all manner of havoc in a person’s life.  Creativity is a part of who we are, just like our spirit, our sexuality, our intellect and our intuition.  

Gay Hendricks, PHD, one of the leading theorists in the field of body mind integration and the author of over twenty books, including Conscious Living, The Corporate Mystic, The Centering Book and Learning to Love Yourself, was quoted in an interview:

“If you sit on your genius, if you sit on your creativity and don’t share it with the world, it will really eat you up. Having seen 20,000 people in my seminars and therapy sessions over the years, I can definitely attest to that because I think the greatest source of pain on our planet is not, for example, hunger, it is unexpressed creativity.  As I travel around the world, no matter what continent I’m on, it is that un-owned, unexpressed potential that is such a painful thing for so many people.”

Unexpressed creativity is the greatest source of pain?  This is a mighty and powerful declaration and yet I believe it to be true for myself.  I have experienced the pain of yearning to follow a creative inclination and not be able to do so, if only because I couldn’t name it well enough to follow through.  Perhaps many people don’t recognize that yearning or restlessness or disinterest or depression can be a symptom of unexpressed potential.

So what happens when we sit on our genius?  What happens when we don’t allow what is inside us to come forth?   My belief is that we create an internal conflict that we begin to act out.  We deny.  We justify.  We excuse.  We find conscious or unconscious ways to explain why we aren’t using and sharing our genius.  Ultimately our greatest creative endeavor is to create reasons why we tolerate not to sharing who we are through our creativity.  Time passes; opportunity passes; and yet we don’t act on our soul’s desire and we waste our potential.

When we sit on our genius we risk a powder keg of energy that must go somewhere.  If it is not used to create, what will this powerful energy be used for?  To forward someone else’s dream?  To create drama in our life? To adopt addictions to keep us busy so we don’t notice how painful it is to deny who we are?

Creativity is from spirit.  It is one of the animators of the soul.  It causes us to act.  It pulls at us.  It whispers to us, "do this, try this, have fun with this."  In the act of creating comes a mirror that allows us to recognize that yes, we are here, yes, what we think, feel and do matters, and yes our ideas are valid, that, in fact, we do have genius.

If you are sitting on your genius, try standing up and shaking your creative bootie.  It could be that’s all you need to begin to discover some unexpressed potential you didn’t know you had. 

Hugs,

Diana

Women in the Visual & Literary Arts Writing Group

Hey WiVLA Writers!  Come join your WiVLA Friends on Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. as we get together with our pointy pencils or our clack-ity keyboards to find out what amazing stuff is in our heads.  Sometimes you never know what is whirling around up there until you see it on the page.  This article is a prime example.

Beginning the first week in July continuing through the last week in August, we will meet in the air-conditioned comfort of the SOSA Community Center of Spring Branch at 1414 Wirt Road Houston, TX 77080 to come together to write. 

There will be no lessons or classes and alas, no internet wi-fi.  No one will look over your shoulder or try to copy your work and there will be no head-banging music playing in the background to annoy you.  

We will take breaks!  The community center is a pleasant space that has a refrigerator and microwave we can use.  They will allow food in the room if you want to bring your own snack or your morning coffee.  There are lots of electrical outlets in the room for computers but you might want to bring an extension cord.
 
Some Possible and Perhaps Dubious Benefits of Joining Us:

1.    Writing is lonely work.  Having a weekly place to go hang out and write with like minded women is priceless.  You will feel more writerly.   Besides, it’s too early to drink.

2.    You will be more disciplined and motivated to honor your writing commitment if you know your WiVLA friends are expecting you and will hunt you down if you are a no-show.

3.    Someone will probably start bringing snacks to share and then there will be talk of having a pot-luck until you are surrounded by food. Then if you can’t think of anything else to write, at least you can use the time to write down recipes.

4.    You will get to know your WiVLA Writer Friends better so you can more consciously avoid them or embrace them.  However, there are some very experienced writers in WiVLA who hopefully will show up so we can watch them squeeze blood out of a turnip just like the rest of us.

5.    Let’s face it; a lot of people don’t “get” writers.  A lot of these people are related to you.  They won’t be there.

6.    I give up.  Think up your own benefits for showing up, like owning that you are a By-God Writer and you write whenever there is an opportunity.  This is a great opportunity.

7.    Did I mention that it’s free?

Come kick a little writing butt.  This offer is only good from July 5th until August 30th.  Your results may vary.

Energize Your Creativity: Take Your Creativity Out and Play With It

Creativity is everywhere and often occurs in the most unexpected of places.  If you want to energize your creativity you need to take your creativity out of its hiding place and play with it.  Here is an example:

I recently attended a birthday party of a woman who turned eighty-six.  With the exception of a few youngsters, there wasn’t a soul there under the age of thirty.  Now my expectations of a good time were slim, that is until someone took out their creativity and got us to playing with it.

The theme for this birthday party was silly hats.  My eighty-six year old friend sported a silly hat and as a tribute to her, all her guests were required to wear one as well.  The night before the party a group of her relatives gathered together small stuffed animals, baseball caps, water toys, artificial flowers and balloons to create the funniest, amazing and creative silly hats.  Mine was a green beanie with a stuffed worm and a flower attached to it.

Energize Your Creativity by taking out your creativity and playing with it. Here are a bunch of oldsters playing and having fun

What an icebreaker and what a fun!  Who knew?  

I appreciated the creativity that went into making the hats but also the willingness of the participants to play along.  

How play energizes your creativity:

When you use your creativity to produce product with an eye on the outcome, you are using your creativity as a tool.  It can be the guiding force behind some wonderful projects, but it can feel like work—not such a bad thing.  However, when you depend on this creative force to help you with your work, it needs replenishing just as you do.

Too many times we fall in love with some form of creativity only to begin thinking how we can produce more.  One time I painted some flower pots and they were so fun to do that I thought I should paint some and sell them.  Instantly my “creative play” turned into something else that was a demand on my creative time.  My idea of selling the pots and getting them into stores ruined the simple joy of painting something just for fun.

Play is creativity on vacation.

"If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play." - John Cleese

Creativity needs a break from having to perform.  It needs light heartedness and frivolity.  It needs to just be with no expectations or demands.  It needs a day of wearing silly hats.

Play nurtures and soothes creativity.  It can energize your creativity where nothing else can.  Then when your creativity has been energized, it in turn can energize you, your work, your birthday party and your whole life.  

Have a creative week,

Hugs, Diana

The Creative Person’s Dilemma: Too Much Stuff

In a discussion last night with a bunch of creative women, I was fascinated to hear about the topic of “stuff”.  In our town we have a wonderful store called, The Art Asylum.  The Art Asylum is filled with hand-me-downs and make-me-ups for the visual artist.  People donate items that might appeal to artists and the Art Asylum kindly stocks it and resells it at a reasonable price.  (A dollar goes a long way here.)

The first time I went there, I could feel my heart beat faster.  The possibilities to make something out of something else were everywhere.  Each of the women in my group described a similar feeling.  One woman asked, “Ok, how many cigar boxes did you leave with?”  She raised her own hand and said with a big grin, “NINE!”

Creative dilemma: Good Stuff Vs. Too Much Good StuffArtists love stuff.  We have treasures we love to take out and pet.  I have silk fabrics I collected from the leftovers at the design firm where I worked and sometimes I can spend a pleasant afternoon looking at them and thinking of ways to use them.  Usually that is satisfying enough and they go back to their storage space. (A closet where the door closes with an effort)

Even though most of these women admit to a bit of hoarding the good stuff, they all voiced a desire to more easily let go of more of the stuff they did not love.  One woman told the story of selling many of her possessions so she could travel and live in another country.  We listened to her story with rapt attention.  I could see the hero worship around the table.

To accomplish her Herculean task of becoming mobile, she enlisted a Feng Shui expert who happened to be a close friend and together they painstakingly went through the decision making process of “do you love it?” or “can it go?”

I had a meeting with a woman earlier in the day and she expressed dismay about creating because she wants to leave less “stuff” in the world.  She has reached a point in her life where she enjoys the feeling of being cleansed. Bringing more stuff into the world is incongruent with that feeling of being weighed down with things.

I listened to a speaker mention that her daughter got a Kindle for Christmas.  She says she had 324 books in the device.  I was thinking as she said that that I have that many in my living room.  Later in our group, one woman described when she tried to get rid of her beloved books she stored the boxes in her car trunk for a long time before they could finally go to their new home.

The universe is undoubtedly speaking through these women to me.  

This is not my stuff. I don't have a big enough wide angle lens.

Here are three things I plan to do that may trigger you to do the same when it comes to cleaning out some of the “stuff” you no longer love.

Creativity Energizer Break:  

• Set a timer.   Commit to doing this only for 15 minutes if the job seems overwhelming.  If you feel inspired, set the timer for another 15 minutes, but don’t use this technique to badger yourself into doing more than you are able.  Your goal here is to build the muscle that helps you get rid of useless things you no longer love.  Success builds success.

• Pretend you are doing this for someone else.  This can help you be a bit more objective.  Studies show that we can more easily see the solutions to someone else’s problem than our own.   How would you help a friend out of this dilemma?  

• Begin small.  What about the pens stuck in the cup with the broken handle on your desk?  Throw away the ones that no longer write.  Get rid of the dried up paint.  If you have duplicates of things, donate the ones you won’t use.

Letting go of stuff can be emotional and the thought paralyzing.  Getting professional help or the help of a friend can help make the process less so.  

Have a Creative Day,

Hugs, Diana

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