Dump Journaling and Creativity - The Art of Making Art

I have mixed feelings about releasing oneself through dump journaling when it comes to encouraging creativity.  Many artists swear by this technique and write their morning pages and empty themselves of negativity.  The reason I have such a difficult time with this concept is that by "dump journaling" you begin your day with negativity which, to me, can cause a flow of negativity to begin and not end.  You begin your day by filling pages with all that is wrong instead of all that is right.  Journaling can be a double edged sword.  Yes, we do need to face our demons.  Yes, we need to rid ourselves of what is negative, but to begin our day with our fears, our sorrows, and our dashed dreams seems counter productive to me. 

I often journal about my problems.  I begin with the phrase:  What I know.  At this point I state what I know about my worries and concerns.  As I write, I begin to realize that what I had feared most, simply can't or won't happen.  What I know or what I fear are two different things.  At this point, I add another column to my writing:  What I fear.  Many of the things I listed in my what I know column are moved over there.  Usually there is not much left under what I know. 

Fear is our greatest impediment.  We fear the unknown.  We fear what might happen in twenty or thirty years, if things keep going the same way.  Fear causes anxiety and stress.  The problems we face are often extraordinary and difficult, and I do use journaling to help me through each day, however, to me, timing and structure are everything.

Let's recap:
What I know

What I fear

Now, let's add another category.  What can I do?

Many times there is absolutely nothing we can do except to wait and hope.  Hope is a powerful emotion that helps us through times of stress and anxiety.  Sometimes hope feels so tiny that we wonder if there is any at all, but always, there is hope.  Problems will resolve themselves, eventually, maybe not in the way we had hoped they would resolve, but they will resolve.  We can use the resolution to learn and grow, or we can allow ourselves to become bitter and resentful.  That's a choice we need to make.  We can dump journal all day long, and if we are full of anger, that's all that we will find.  Emotions are the last part of the problem to resolve.  Those emotions can stick with us for a long time, but the hope is that each day brings new  beginning and more healing to us.  Sometimes, the healing is small, but it is there. 

When we wake up each day, we don't need to dump journal we need to sit and list, for ten minutes or so, all of the good we have in our lives.  Ask yourself, did you get a good night's sleep?  If you did, begin with that on your list.  Do I have shoes to wear?  If the answer is yes, add that to your list.  Do I make a good cup of coffee?  If the answer is yes, add that to your list.  Soon you will come to recognize, that in spite of your problems, your fears, and your worries, you have so much that is good in your life.  Begin your day with what is good.  This gives you strength to walk through a troubled day.  Cling to goodness.  Later, when you need to, and I can almost assure you that you will need to do this, take 5-10 minutes and dump journal.  When your time is finished,  rip those pages up or delete that from your computer.  You've said it.  You've written it.  You might or might not have found a solution, then let that solution come later.  Let it go.  Do not dwell on your problem.  Store it in the trash or delete it.  Let it go.  You can battle the demons later, when you have to do battle them.  By limiting your time spent in negativity, you can those demons with a calm mind and heart. 

The final step to clearing the air is to quickly write down 2-3 things that are good in your life and might make you smile.  Give yourself that gift.  Remember, it is a gift.

Life is not for sissies. There are so many days that I  want to go back to bed, but I know that if I
do, fear has won.  By surrounding myself with the positive, I make myself ready for my day.  So, World, look out, I'm here! I might be afraid, but I'm not going to give up.  I have hope, and  no matter what life throws at me, I have hope.  From hope springs peace of mind and body.  When I am at peace, creativity has a path to flow. 

When you hit that Proverbial Creative Wall with a Hard Smack, Here's What To Do...

When You're Stuck

1) Don't just stare, do something.  It doesn't matter what, but DO SOMETHING!

2) Change your routine. Do you normally feel more creative in the morning hours?  Change your work time to the afternoon.  The light is different.  The shadows are different.  You will see a world with new ideas.  If you work in the living room, move to the kitchen.  If you work in the kitchen, move to the bedroom.  If you can't move your creative space, choose a color palette that is new, and work with that.  Use your imagination, and change something about your work habits.

3) Change focus of creativity.  Do you work with polymer clay?  Draw or paint for a few days, instead.  Work with glass, make polymer clay figurines.  If you haven't got the supplies to change what you do, limit what you can use of your supplies.  For example, work only with black and white or red and purple.  Make yourself work outside of your normal box.

4) Make a list of 5 things you need to do and 5 things you want to do.  For every "need" accomplished, reward yourself with the uniterrupted time to do 2 things you "want" to do, or reward yourself with an hour of free time.  After that, go back to your need to do list.

5) Take a walk and take pictures as you walk.   When you edit your photos, randomly chose an "aspect" and change that a little more.  Post your photos in a "notebook" for color or texture or shape.  Refer to these when you need inspiration.

6)  Sit in a quiet room with a notebook and pen or pencil.  Do not use technology for this.  Begin to write random words.  Turn these words into drawings.  Use random fonts to write.  Develop one or more drawings from every word you make.

7) If your dominant hand is your right hand, use your left hand for a half an hour whether you are cleaning your house or working on your projects.  This will awaken the opposite side of your brain.

8) Pull out those UFO's.  Combine two or more to make a new UFO or finished project!You might develop an amazing mixed media piece, and this will force your brain into a new phase of creativity. 

9) Do this exercise:  Walk two steps forward, turn around, walk 3 steps backwards, (Yes, walk backwards but be careful!) Hop two hops to the right.  Turn in a circle.  Walk 4 steps forward. Stop.  Made you think, didn't I?  You've also figured it out, you're dancing!  Continue.  Use your own steps and have fun!  Smile!  That helps, too!

10) Read a magazine or newspaper backwards.  You want to wake up your brain, right?  This is brain work!

After all this, if you are still stuck:

See #1

Thinking Outside the Box or Letting the Creativity Flow

 I'd like to demonstrate the concept of thinking creatively using this box.  The only problems were that this box was too small for me to sit in and contemplate creative thinking.  The box was too big to fit on my head so it sort of floated around when I tried to use it to think.  The box was too fragile to hold my weight if I sat on it.  So, it was time to think outside of the box, literally. I put the box down on the floor, an I sat next to it.  Creative solution?  Yes, because I realized I could put in some of the smaller items I was taking to  the thrift store.  They were more fragile and needed some protection.  Creativity in action.

I define creativity as the flow of ideas and actions that happens when trying to solve problems or develop new concepts.  Usually in the arts, these two ideas are one in the same.  Innovation comes from creativity.  Creativity flows outside of the box.  Sometimes it bounces inside the box and out again.  Sometimes the flow of new ideas or ways of doing things circles the box and never goes inside that box. Sometimes the creative flow takes the old ideas and meshes them together to see the problem in a new way.  Wouldn't it have been fun if I could have developed a way to sit on the box and have it on top of my head at the same time?

Creative ideas lead to action.  Actions lead to innovation.  Then the cycle begins again, and it doesn't matter what you do.  You might not make glass beads, but you love to cook.  Do you always follow the recipe or do you add your own touches to your family's favorite dish?  Do you play golf?  You have to develop certain skills in this game, but creativity flows when you have to decide where and how hard to hit that ball so that you can  get that ball in the hole with the fewest strokes.    Getting dressed each day can be a creative challenge for a 4 year old.  Look at some of the wonderful outfits a child can find in their closets and drawers.

See?  Creativity is everywhere.  The best thing is that everyone is creative.  Most of the time, we just don't recognize our gift.  Every time you solve a problem.  Every time you make a change in what you do or how you see life.  This is creativity.  Now go sit next to that box.  Let the creativity flow. 
 

Getting Stuck

Well, it happened today.

I got stuck.

I'm getting ready for a show,

and

I got stuck!

I had the wire and tools out.

I looked and nothing happened.

My tool boxes were opened and ready for work.

The box of wire was ready to go.

The heavy duty tools were ready for work.

But I was stuck, so I started to doodle.

So, it's weird.  So I tried another one.

All right, I like this one better.

I'm not sure, but I still might be stuck, so we shall see

Hopefully,

tomorrow will be a better day!

This was fun, even if I'm not unstuck.

It was good to try my drawing again.

Nurturing Your Creative Soul

When Jenny underwent her stem cell transplant, I dried up creatively.  I tried to explain this to the social worker who had asked me what was the hardest thing to endure as Jenny's procedure was in progress.  I am assuming that she expected me to say something to the effect of "It's extremely difficult watching my daughter suffer," (which it was,) or "I'm totally exhausted," (which I was,), but she could not hide the surprise on her face when I tried to explain to her that I had not been able to "express myself creatively" all the while the stem cell transplant was progressing.  I tried to explain to her that without creativity in my life, I suffered a void that just could not be filled up by anything else.  I tried to explain to her that, not only was expressing myself creatively, a want, it was a physical, mental, and spiritual need.  I honestly think I stumped her with that response.  She just looked at me.  I am guessing that she must have thought that I was one of the most selfish mothers to ever exist on the face of the earth because I didn't mention my daughter in that reply. Oh, well, she did ask.

In truth, I knew what was happening with my daughter every step of the way.  I was drained, dried up, and empty.  If I had been able to express myself creatively, I might not have become so drained.  Sadly, there was never time, and my protective instincts to guard and take care of my child jumped ahead of my need to create.  At the end of 2.5 weeks, I could not think"out of the box."  Nothing inspired me.  Nothing propelled me to see life in unique and fulfilling ways.  Not only did Jenny need nurturing, I did, too. 

Since Jenny has come home from the hospital, and visits to the clinic are not everyday, I have begun to nurture my creative soul again.  I'm not able to make glass beads, so I've been "playing," and I do believe that play is an important part of the creative flow, with polymer clay and wire.  I had tried needle felting, but I just couldn't become enthusiastic about that form of creative expression.  I love fiber, and   I would, in the future, like to learn how to integrate more fiber into my creative voice, however, this does not seem to be the proper time.

Enter polymer clay.  Now, I am I learning something new and playing with some of the techniques that polymer clay artists use in their art.  (Trust me when I say this, it is a form of art!)  I have found that polymer clay is a very physical form of creative expression.  Working with clay gets those endorphins flowing.  I am not a polymer clay artist, however, I now have a tremendous respect for the people who are.  I find poly clay to be challenging.  It feeds my soul.

Next food:  photography.  I only have a point and shoot digital camera.  It's really been enough for me because through the eye of the camera, I can see things I've not seen before.  Note the photo at the top of this page.  I was "playing" with my camera as I waited for Jenny at the clinic.  From this side view, the painting reminds me of a huge eye!  It was something I had not seen before even though I've sat next to that painting many different times.  I love the combination of colors.  Oh, what beautiful beads they will make! 

My creative soul is finally being fed and nurtured.  Jenny is healing, even though she is tired.  In a few weeks, I'll be home again where I can melt glass and make beads to my heart's content.  Oh, the wonders creativity works on my soul.

Now, my questions for you are these:
How do you nurture your creative soul?  Do you need to be challenged by trying something new?  Do you like to play when you work?  I'd love to hear what you think!

Rejunvenation!

I'd be a big, fat  liar if I said that Jenny's stem cell transplant was not stressful for all of us.

One of the things I have missed, and missed terribly,

is the ability to work creatively.

Anything I took to the hospital had to be small and portable.

What I wanted to do, such as, work with metals and wire,

would require carrying and using, at least, one tool box, and, most likely, two of them.

Not only that,

the work would be noisy and not appropriate for a hospital setting,

much less a setting in which things should be sterile.

 My tools are not sterile or very portable.

So, tonight, since Jenny's counts are falling, as they should, and she is so tired,

Nick and I came home early.

All I did was cut out discs,

and that seemed to be enough.

Some creative juices flowed,

I have a couple of ideas now,

and

it was a wonderful feeling!

I think that I'll be able to face tomorrow more easily than I would have had I not cut out discs.

I feel better,

and

that's all that counts.

REVEAL! Lori Anderson's Blog Bead Soup Party!

This challenge all began with a blog post from Lori Anderson

asking if there were those who would like to participate in a variation
of her Bead Soup Blog Party.
As a follower of An Artist's Year Off and Pretty Things,
both of which are Lori's blogs,
and
I love them both,
I decided,
How fun!
I was partnered with
Stacey M. Curry.
Here is what I received from Stacey.

There was a bracelet
and
there was a necklace.
Nummy and fun.
I was tempted to leave things the same, but
the goal was to try to make something new
from the old.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo,
Here's what I made!
I made a necklace and bracelet.

I reluctantly took the necklace apart. I decided to keep the chain and many of the charms on the chain.
I added a felted wool cord that I made.
I also made 3 lampwork flowers.
I used the smaller charms as centers for the flowers.
I love it!
Thank you, Stacey!

For the bracelet, I used a Vintage bracelet wire, and I wrapped that bangle in a silk cord that I had dyed.
I added a focal from the bracelet and more charms.
How fun is that?
Stacey, thank you for the inspiration.
Lori, Thank you for the challenge!

I hope you'll visit the rest of the Bead Soup Jewelry Exchange participants -- their names and blogs are below! Just click their name to travel to their blog.

Erin Prais-Hintz

Jen Velasquez

Johanna Rhodes

Laurel Steven

Loretta Carstensen

Mallory Hoffman

Marianna Boylan

Norma Turvey

Sharon Misuraco

Stacey Curry

Tyne Bodenburg

Cheat Sheets

This is my homemade cheat sheet.
------------------------------>




One of the biggest challenges I face when I make beads is the challenge of combining colors. It's really a challenge at times, for me, to put together colors that blend and please the eye. I have been working on ways to do this. Yes, I do have a color wheel, and I use that a lot!!!!!

This cheat sheet came about one day as I was looking at earthen, organic colors in my glass. As it often happens, I opened a magazine advertising clothing in beautiful earth tones. Immediately I tore out the two pages and began to cut the sheets up. The colors blend well together. Graphic artists are much more experienced than I am in the area of combining colors. It was a no brainer. I made my first cheat sheet, and it has helped. Now, I do a little bit of planning, and soon, I am making beads with colors that coordinate and contrast as they should.






These beads were inspired by the the second tab on the left hand side of my cheat sheet. I think it's beginning to work. You can find Pathways here. They remind me of trails and paths in the sands of life.

Now, my goal is to develop a cheat sheet for the brighter colors that I love! I'll show that later!

Let me know if you use this idea! I'd be interested in the results. Until tomorrow, then....

Creativity Unleashed or A Look Into My Creative Journal

My creative journal had been getting a little bit dusty when I picked it up at the beginning of the week. I decided it was time to use both the crayons and my journal again. I also decided that it was time to try to preserve some of the gray matter that I have left in my brain, and, perhaps, even get some new synapses growing and connecting. It was time to use my journal, my crayons, and my left hand. (I am right handed.)

The assignments I gave myself were to draw a picture of an item and color it in STAYING IN THE LINES! Oh, my! The photos you are about to see are very graphic. You may choose to turn your head. I'm just kidding. The pictures I drew were not complicated. They were simple with very little detail. I think a first grader would have done better than me.

Here's what I learned: 1) Drawing with my left hand was hard. 2) Writing with my left hand was hard. 3) Staying in the lines was even harder. Take a look.

My first assignment was to draw and color a flower. I think the words are readable, but see if you can tell.
My next assignment was to draw a fish.
My last assignment was to draw a sunset. I do like this one the best.
I could feel my brain warm up, and I could hear the crackle of those synapses connecting. No, not really, but this was an interesting assignment for me.

Do you ever do anything like this?

My Creative Journal has become my Art Journal

After reading Linda Lawrence's recent blog post about crayon therapy, and an intense discussion about creative development with Deb Batten, I have decided to incorporate parts of each discussion into my creative development. Linda talked about crayon therapy. I'm honestly not sure what that is, but today, I went to Walgreen's and bought some school supplies!









Oh, did these smell good! I bought the box of 64, and the colors in my box are amazing and very close to the colors of glass I now own. Hmmmm. Could this be coincidence?






















I also bought some colored markers and colored pencils! Cool! This is my favorite time of year. I love school supplies!





















I had a notebook at home, so I decided to use that one! Fun!

I already used my journal today, and I used my crayons. I decided to explore shape and decoration of those shapes.





















As with glass, the colors took over, and the shapes became designs. This is page 1.























This is page 2, and I already feel better!

Thanks, Deb! Thanks, Linda. New directions for me! More updates on my art journal to follow. I need a rainy day!

An Exercise in Creative Journaling

Again, you get to see a photo of my creative journal. What you see on this page is the result of an exercise I developed to help me think out of the box. You can try this yourself, or develop your own creative exercise to help your creative juices flow.

What do you see?
Round 1: Answer these questions using only 1 word.

What do you see
1. When you look at a cloud?
2. When you look at a pattern in a fabric?
3. When you look at a pair of shoes?
4. When you open a closed door?
5. When you look at a blade of grass?

Round 2: Answer the same questions using 2 words.

Here are my answers.
1. white
shapeless mass
2. red
blue paisley
3. pointed
black toes
4. clothes
on hangars
5. green
soft point

Round 3. Draw an image using one of your answers. I chose question one for this.
See #1 in the drawing.

Round 4. Change 3 things in the image.
See #2

Round 5. Change 3 more things in the image.
See #3.

Look at that possibilities for that bead! I plan to make a bead based on the changes in the drawing. I will post that later.

See what fun you can have? Try it and share some of your results. I'd love to see them!

The Joys of Inspiration

I'm trying to be more creative. That is a challenge for me, so I need tools to help. When I was out shopping the other day, I found a small kaleidoscope. I can understand why children have such fun looking through the eye of this toy. The distortions caused by the lense of this toy gave me a new vision of things I see everyday.

This is Spike's blanket. It has been a great source of inspiration to me. Look at the flower. Wouldn't those colors make a great murrini?

I love the way the artist blended the colors. I was amazed to see colors together that I don't normally use together. All right, I am digressing, but these are interesting ways to
combine different colors.

I thought it might be interesting to take pictures of what I would see through the eye of the lense. Look at this one. I used a flash with the photograph.

















You won't see the aura in the next photos. I didn't use a flash. What kind of a pattern could you make on a bead? Look at the trail of flowers and leaves. This could be a flower with a bumble bee in the center.


















This is the same section of Spike's blanket with no flash. I can see a murrini in the center with dots around it. Use a twistie of similar colors, and you have a new bead!
















Do you know what this is? You're right. It's Spike sleeping--again! Now, look at Spike through the kaleidoscope. What do you see now?















I see a twistie made from red purple and white that is spreading out on a base of black. I see shards in purple red mixed with blue and white. I see a lentil shape. I'd sure like to know what you see and how you'd make a bead from these photos.

There's one last thing. Sometimes, you can see something new by looking a different way.
















Here we are looking into the kaleidoscope from the bottom instead of the top. Here's what I see. I see a base of transparent clear with a twistie made from clear and white encased in opaque cobalr blue. What do you see? I'd sure like to know. Even if you don't melt glass, I'd love to hear how you interpret these images in the medium in which you work.