My Favorite Creativity Blogs

June 22, 2009 by 4 Comments

People always ask what creativity blogs I read on a regular basis. So I’ve put together a brief list to answer that question.

Creative Perch
Dee Wilcox is the author of this blog that has the simple goal to inspire creativity and encourage innovation. I love Dee’s ability to balance practical creativity tips with real life examples of public art, especially guerrilla art.

The Fertile Unknown
This blog written by creativity consultant extraordinaire Michelle James explores the process of creative emergence and what that looks like in life and work, especially business.

Applied Imagination
This is the blog I go to when I want to know what’s new in creativity. Steve Dahlberg does a wonderful job of sorting through the latest news on creativity and posting some of the most interesting ideas out there.

Creativity at Work
Looking at the intersection, or interplay, as author Linda Naiman refers to it, between art, science and business is the focus of this informative blog.

Life Unfolds
Jennifer Lee is a self-described Certified Coach, Writer, Leader, Artist, Yogini and Musepreneur. Her colorful and always creative blog chronicles her personal journey of creative expression.

  • Check out my bookshop for more of my favorite creative reads.
Filed Under: Books, Creativity, Innovation, Inspiration

Cleveland is Creative

June 11, 2009 by 2 Comments

Although, I have known this for awhile, the rest of the world is just catching up and realizing that Cleveland is creative. Featured as one of Fast Company’s most creative cities, Cleveland joins other national cities like San Francisco and New York and international cities Taipei and Vancouver.

While the article focuses on the creative reuse of land in the city, there are so many other things here that make Cleveland creative and just a cool place to live.

  • Check out Cleveland.

Image Courtesy of Fast Company

Filed Under: Creative Economy, Design

Art Bar: Part II

June 1, 2009 by 2 Comments

In a previous post I gushed about Art Bars never even having tasted one. Their concept of combining fair-trade chocolate bars and fine art seemed to be the perfect pairing.

Well, while I was in Los Angeles and visiting the gift shop at the Huntington Library I bought one: dark chocolate with coconut. Not only was the chocolate yummy, but the artwork inside was captivating: a miniature reproduction of an original sepia-toned silver gelatin print by Meg Birnbaum. The tiny little artwork also included a brief and well-appreciated interpretation.

Finally, a portion of the proceeds from Art Bars goes toward art education, including the International Child Art Foundation.

  • Interested in submitting your art work?

Image Ithaca Fine Chocolates

Filed Under: Art Education, Artists, Creative Economy

Creative LA

May 18, 2009 by 2 Comments

I’m no Richard Florida, but I think LA is one of the most creative cities. After my latest trip there, I am now further convinced by this. Why?

1. Location: Not only does LA have inspiring warm weather and beautiful light, but the ever-changing landscape of this metropolis is simply breathtaking. Whether you travel to the beach and become mesmerized by the ocean, drive through the awe-inspiring mountains or simply admire all of the colorful flora, LA is a feast for the eyes and imagination.

2. Attitude: The vibe in LA changes from community to community, but for the most part there is an underlying casual attitude that encompasses the entire area. Such a vibe can only foster the creative spirit and encourage you to take creative risks.

3. Diversity: Not only is the landscape diverse, but so are the 10 million+ residents that inhabit Southern California. Everywhere you travel, you see evidence of cultural diversity and often hear another language or two spoken nearby. There is such an assortment of inspiration around every corner.

  • What’s your favorite creative city?
Filed Under: Creativity, Imagination, Inspiration

The Creative Power of Kids

May 4, 2009 by 1 Comment

Last week I taught about seven art classes in a row for kids in kindergarten through third grade. It was part of a Cultural Arts Day at an elementary school. I’ve participated in this program for the last three years as an artist.

This year, I noticed something interesting about the students. Normally, I have a mix of grades, but this year I started with the kindergartners and finished with the third graders. This progression gave me the opportunity to observe creative expression from the youngest kids in the school to the oldest.

And what did I notice?

The youngest students were done with the project the quickest, while the older students finished just in time or not at all. I wondered why this was. Then I realized it was because the kindergartners had less inhibitions than the second and third graders. The older kids spent so much time analyzing the colors they chose and filling in all the details. Yet the younger kids went with their intuition and just had fun coloring.

Filed Under: Art Education, Artists, Imagination

World Creativity and Innovation Week

April 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

Have you heard about World Creativity and Innovation Week? It runs from April 15 – 21 and is a worldwide celebration of you guessed it, creativity.

The ability to imagine and create is something we are all born with but sometimes forget to use. This week is dedicated to fostering that spirit of ingenuity.

 

Filed Under: Creativity, Innovation

Creative Patterns

March 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment

In my last post, I encouraged readers to increase their observation skills by looking closely as a tool to enhance creative thinking. I even described my own experience with this new way of looking at the world. I continued that exercise on my recent trip to Washington, DC – a city in which I lived for many years.

So you might assume that I had already seen everything there. But with my camera in hand, I learned there was a lot that I had missed. Mainly they were small details that I had overlooked in the past.

For example, above, I captured textiles at the National Museum of African Art. The textiles have similar colors and patterns and blend together to create a new pattern in my cropped image of them.

It made me stop and think how patterns can inspire creativity. Creativity is really about connecting existing patterns or objects and creating something new much like the textiles above.

  • What can you combine to create something new?
Filed Under: Creativity, Creativity Techniques, Imagination, Museums

Waking Up Your Inner Artist

March 12, 2009 by 1 Comment

Spring is a great time to wake up your inner artist after a long winter. This year, I pulled out my Everyday Creative Cards for 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Inner Artist by Eric Maisel, a tool I have never used, despite them sitting on my bookshelf for years.

Since each card has a different inspiring message and activity, I decided to start by randomly selecting one from the deck. The card I chose happened to be one on growing creative by creating today. A quote at the top declared:

“Today is the best day to create. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow isn’t here.”

I had a little difficulty with the first task, which was to do some creative work. I thought about creating a mini collage, but then realized I didn’t have enough time to pull out all of my images and supplies to complete one, so why start it in the first place?

Instead, I decided to focus on the second activity: respond creatively to life. It seemed like something I could fit into my busy schedule. So that day, I focused on observing as a creative tool. I really paid attention to even the smallest details throughout my day. I noticed the colors of houses and looked at the clouds in the sky comparing patterns. It made me appreciate my surroundings in a creative way. It turned out to be even more fulfilling than creating an actual piece of art.

  • Look for artistic connections as you respond creatively to life.
Filed Under: Artists, Creativity Techniques, Inspiration

Twitter Tips for Creatives

March 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I am a recent convert to Twitter. I resisted the temptation to join, because like most people, I didn’t understand the benefits of tweets.

Last month, I finally took the plunge and joined Twitter. Once on the site, I immediately got hooked on finding other creatives to follow and reading their tweets and checking out their links.

I also found this article on Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists. Some of the suggestions like linking to works in progress and your blog are pretty standard social media marketing, but I really like the idea of starting a collector’s club by setting your account to private and offering discounts to those who follow you. Don’t miss the comments section where there are even more tips.

Filed Under: Artists, Business Creativity, Creativity

World Community Arts Day 2009

February 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Celebrated on February 17, the third annual World Community Arts Day is a festival of art and activism. This year’s celebration will be the largest so far. All event organizers ask is that you create an artwork, any media is fine, that highlights how the arts promote caring and sharing.

Last year, I contributed by creating a green collaged circle, the symbol that represents the day and submitting it to the festival’s green circle flickr page. This year, I’ve joined their facebook group.

Filed Under: Creativity, Imagination, Public Art
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