CREATIVITY
Posted by administrator on Monday, March 29th, 2010
There is a fine line in maintaining a balance in life whether we're talking personal, emotional, or career and our creative endeavors. Many times I find that I can get so caught up in the finished product I can easily loose sight of the process. How easy it is to go for quantity and miss all the little creative joys along the way.
When the quilts are piled high on the shelf waiting for me to getting to the loading and then marked off the to-do list and into the "done pile," there is a unbelievable pressure to complete rather than create. Granted, there is a degree of responsibility on the customer's part to participate in the finishing steps with their quilt by indicating design preferences and style, but it is also part of my job to facilitate this process by coming up with fresh new ideas and innovation in the quilting designs. It is my job to bring the quilt top to life by melding all of the components into a unified finished treasure.
And that brings us to the QUESTION OF THE DAY ...
How do you keep your creative juices flowing?
I can easily be accused of operating most of the time in what I call my "right brain scattered chaos." This can be good and bad. Traditionally, right brained operators have no difficulty in coming up with tons of creative ideas. But when it comes to the execution of those ideas the left brain needs to take the upper hand to reign in all those ideas, to sort and organize them, and to get them shaped into beautiful end results. A good balance between right brain and left brain activities helps me to increase my creative endeavors and see them all the way through to fuition. Here's how I see it:
I started with piano lessons when I was five and continued until I was twelve. Sometimes practicing was easy and natural and sometimes I needed a little motivation. Bribery and threats seemed to be the order of the day ... candy on the piano ledge ... or threats of swats on the bum. Eventually I practiced for the pure joy of growing in my skills in creating beautiful music. The point being, to develop a habit of creativity you need to make a commitment to daily practice recognizing your motivation.
My motivations today come from much of the same sources as when I was five: bribery and threats ...
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deadlines and due dates
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award ribbons
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a growing line of products
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positive reinforcement from friends and fellow creative entrepenures
I have embarked on a path during this year to search for inspiration from a variety of sources and to find personal expression through exploration of many different creative activities. As I follow my path of creativity through different modes of expression ... through music, through writing, through cooking, through the visual arts both digitally and with a variety of art supplies and photography, I find myself coming back to complete the full circle ... coming back to the question:
How would I communicate that concept/idea in thread and fabric?
I find myself willing to think about fabric and thread and creating with them in new and different ways. When I look at my collage art I shared today, I wonder how I would create a three-dimensional stairway in changing the art form from paper to fabric. (Hmmm ... any and all ideas and suggestions welcome. Would love to hear your thoughts.)
As I continue to learn and grow as an artist, my motivators have changed. Personal joy becomes more satisfying and affirming, my confidence grows as I'm more willing to "call myself an artist," and my primary motivation to continue on my creative path becomes an internal habit and very real daily need.
I encourage you to get your support systems in place; find people who will hold you accountable to the daily exercises and practice; explore the idea of expressing yourself in other art forms to help your creative spirit grow in your chosen favorite form of expression; and ...
PRACTICE EVERY DAY!!!
collage art supplies from Scrapbook Graphics
