Tips and books!
Three tips to enhance your creativity
*Play! Remember when you first played with your creativity? It was before you knew the artform, entered contests, shows, etc. Remember? One of the best ways to unleash your creativity is to have fun and play. Instead of being serious and trying to get everything perfect, pretend you’re a kid again and just have fun and play. This applies to life as well as to art!
*Keep an idea notebook. Ideas are like butterflies or hummingbirds. They visit a flower a short period of time. If you don’t capture inspirations quickly, soon they are gone. Whether digital or analog, always be able to write down an idea or record it on your phone.
*Are you afraid of making mistakes? Good. Make some deliberately. Some people are afraid to start a new project like a sketchbook because they don’t want to “mess it up.” Try taking your new sketchbook and deliberately make a messy page. Once that’s over, then you can give yourself permission to move on and not worry about mistakes.
Here are a couple of books to consider
Most of us want to feel inspired when we approach our art as well as when we’re simply living our lives. A book I’m reading is providing some answers as to what creativity is. Matt Richtel’s book is called Inspired, Understanding Creativity – a Journey Through Art, Science and the Soul (Mariner). Through research and study of the works of all types of creative people, Richtel lays out some fascinating concepts we can use with our art and lives.
Much of this book talks about research and more left-brained concepts that are quite fascinating. Interspersed with the facts are some great ideas we can use. One of the most expansive ones presented is that creativity begins with each one of us. We can think we are inspired by other artists, teachers, classes, etc…, but the truth is we are our own best creativity coach.
Richtel helps us learn about the traits of successful creatives, under what conditions creativity thrives, and how we can move past creative blocks. If you want to know more about what creativity is and how you or those in your orbit can be more creative, Inspired could prove to be very helpful.
The World of Urban Sketching, Celebrating the Evolution of Drawing and Painting on Location Around the Globe (Quarto Books) by Stephanie Bowers is a real treat. Believe it or not, most people will enjoy this book even if they don’t sketch or draw. Travelers, especially, will love seeing more than 700 images from 150 urban sketchers from 39 countries. Each page shares pictures from the actual sketchbooks of the artists who describe what they drew and why, what paper and pens or coloring tools they used, how long it took them to create the piece, and tips for those who enjoy sketching. Many techniques are shared making this a true gold mine for sketchers and artists of all types.
It's like being on a world tour to simply page through the book, enjoying the art and the descriptions, while also learning ways to enhance your own artistic visions and skills. There’s even a section on what people did during the Covid 19 lockdowns. With drawings in both color and black and white, this is a book you’ll visit many times.
Create with joy, grace, and ease…and have fun!
Krysta