The Nine Modern Day Muses
By Jill Badonsky, MEd
I would like to acquaint you with a creative concept in the persona of a Muse. The concept is paying attention and the Muse is Aha-phrodite. What does paying attention mean to you in the creative process? If you are so inclined to engage your brain actively in this moment (always a good exercise for strengthening creative muscles), make a list of all the ways your creative process could benefit from paying attention. Go.
Creative Process
By Chris Dunmire
What is creativity? You may get a different response depending on who you ask, but studying the concept reveals creativity permeates all aspects of life from personal creation and artistic expression to collaborative business innovation, relationships, and problem solving in every realm possible. When we consider standard definitions of creativity, we see it involves both an innate ability and a process repeatedly engaged in as we move through our days to meet challenges and find solutions, not just as artists or inventors, but as every kind of person in every profession in every aspect of life.
Artist Spotlight
By Chris Dunmire
Joy Sikorski was the best-selling author of How to Draw a Radish: And Other Fun Things to Do at Work along with a series of 'how to draw books' featured in art museum bookshops across the nation including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Guggenheim Museum.
Enjoy a sampling of Joy's whimsical style in this fun collection of art lessons from her books Squeaky Chalk and How to Draw a Clam that includes a rolling vacation car, flapping Pterodactyl, long-tailed flying kite, dogs galore, cute piglet, and original twitter bird, along with insights from her interview about creativity, being an artist, publishing a book, and the legacy she desired to leave behind through her work.
By Molly Childers & Chris Dunmire
Guided Imagery intertwines words and imagery in a contemplative container to evoke positive scenarios and possibilities to stimulate your imagination and inspire your creativity.
Try one of these guided meditations to open the portal to possibilities. Themes include: Discovery, Expansion, Surrender, Nurture, Trust, Courage, Play, Freedom, and Comfort.
Juicy Journal & Wild Words
By Molly J. Anderson-Childers
I just started my own blog a few months ago to promote my writing and artwork. So far, it's been interesting. I find that my voice online is much different than the raw wild voice in my own journals, and with good reason. While no one may ever read my handwritten journals kept in stacks all over the house, anyone, anytime could read my blog. Family members, future employers, business associates, even my husband. So I wanted to touch on some issues specific to keeping a blog, or online journal, and general use of social media for creative expression.
Visual Journaling
By Violette
Who doesn't love to doodle? How many times have you sat at your desk or kitchen table during a long phone call, pen in hand, and wound up with some pretty phantasmagorical doodles? Now don't tell me you can't draw or doodle — of course you can! Your doodles can be windows to your soul. When you doodle absentmindedly, you relinquish control of your left brain and allow your right brain to take over. That's when the magic happens. Doodling while you are sitting in a classroom or meeting, talking on the telephone or waiting in a waiting room is a good start.
Author Interviews
By Molly Childers
I am often asked a very specific question related to writing: "What am I supposed to do after I fill a notebook, after I practice writing?" I wrote Thunder and Lightning to answer this specific question. In the book I share how I developed Writing Down the Bones, which I think helps people understand structure, an important and little talked of element to writing. I hope it helps writers turn their flashes of inspiration into polished final pieces.
Creativity Coaching
By Lisa Agaran
After the creative person has been in an immersed state of creative flow, at some point he or she must exit this space. Whether it's the result of having to tend to other responsibilities or ideas have run out, departing from this creative bliss can feel terrifying to the artist. As one steps back and reviews the work that's been created, this leaves the artist susceptible to self-doubt and self-criticism. During this pause, anxiety and panic can resurface. What felt like an intense and energized period of creating can suddenly shift to self-judgment and a lack of self-confidence.
Rock Painting Tutorial
By Ernestina Gallina
Imagine your favorite saying on a rock, a meaningful message for a friend, an expression of love or devotion written on the pages of an old book. This project will show you how to paint an old open book that you can personalize with your own text, for a very special gift that will last forever because it's "written in stone!" Choose smooth rocks that through the years have been gently smoothed and molded into the shape of a small ball.
Premiums and Printables
By Chris Dunmire
With fake fun printable 'Cashius monetarius' seed packet! As featured in Money: Everything You Never Knew About Your Favorite Thing to Find, Save, Spend, and Covet by Sandra and Harry Chonron, this unique origami money plant makes a delightful gift to create, but hard to give away! Learn how to make this truly memorable craft with my with easy-to-follow instructions in a fully-illustrated, step-by-step 23-page project book.
Fostering Creativity
By Abby Connors
I'm consistently reminded that my first impressions of a child's idea are often way off the mark. What looked to me like a dinosaur turned out to be a robot; what I thought was a puppy scampering was meant to be a unicorn. When I'm patient enough to really listen, and double-check when I'm not sure I get it, my students trust that their ideas will be heard and understood. This leads to more ideas, more raised hands, more confident sharing of imaginative suggestions.
Creativity & Inspiration
By Tom Evans
There are several states of being that stop light bulb moments in their tracks. I say 'states of being' as they are not limited to our state of mind. Light bulb moments are whole body phenomena. The very act of talking can suppress creativity, for the time we are actually speaking at least. This is especially if the thing we are talking about is of little consequence. Our aspirations flow on the out breath and inspirations come on the in breath or the still point between the in and the out. This flow is so subtle that is difficult to detect and tune into. Once you do though, the difference between external inspirational guidance and internal thought becomes clear.