March 29, 2011

do we create what we need?

the hunter by hidenseek – click image for more info

I’m in the early stages of developing a workshop to offer through my coaching practice.

It’s something that I think will be a great benefit to others and is needed by the community that’s gathering around my business.

As I go along I keep having the thought, “I wish I could have taken this course a few years ago!” And so I’ve been wondering about the things we create. Our blog posts, products, services, artwork…

Do we ultimately create what we ourselves need?

I know, I know. We create what there is a demand for and what our audience wants to consume or experience. (Hopefully.)

But…Are the things we make for others serving a dual purpose?  Do they teach and heal us where we need or have needed teaching and healing? Or perhaps we just use our unique perspective to identify a void and then create to fill it.

What about you? As you decide what to create for others, are you also creating something you need?

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, creativity, finding passion Tagged With: , 17 Comments
March 24, 2011

valuing your creativity

This is a guest post by Michelle Nickolaisen of Wicked Whimsy

"Oil Painting Workspace" by nimbu

We all have so many different things to do in our daily lives – our work, being a good friend and mom and significant other, trying to stay organized, and so on. (You know the drill, I’m sure.) In the midst of all this hustle and bustle, spending time on creative pursuits can seem like an afterthought - but it’s absolutely necessary to do so.

You and I both know that if you have that deep-down craving for creativity, pushing it aside doesn’t do any good – being creative isn’t optional, it’s a must have for a healthy and happy life. If you’re ignoring your creativity, you’re ignoring a part of yourself, leaving it to wither. But if you’ve spent a while doing just that, the very idea of making your creativity a bigger part of your life can seem overwhelming and leave you with no idea where to start. That’s all right! I’ve got some ideas for you – check out the list below.

Replace something in your current schedule. This would ideally be something that you don’t get much out of anyways. If you find yourself watching depressing Lifetime movies every other night, despite the fact that you don’t enjoy it at all, think about replacing that time with a sketching or sewing hour. For this to work, you’ll need to have a good idea of where your time is currently going – try keeping an activity log for a week or so to figure that out.

Write down your ideas. It seems like such a tiny step, but believe me when I say that if you pay attention to your current ideas, more will come.  Writing them down or otherwise keeping track of your ideas seems to send a message to your subconscious that says “Hey, I’m here, I’m paying attention, give me your best stuff.” To start this process, you can use Evernote, Google Docs, or even a plain ol’ notebook. (Personally, I use a combination of all three.)

Keep track of your inspiration. This is in the same vein as the above tip about ideas. If you’re actively looking for inspiration, you’ll spot it everywhere when you might have missed it before. And having a “file” of sorts where you’ve got a list of things that inspired you previously can be invaluable when you come across a creative block. My inspiration file includes watching Coraline (or Mirrormask, or Moulin Rouge), looking at old illustrations for fairy tales, and reading graphic novels (currently reading the Fables series – it’s amazing!).

Remember why you love being creative. Write it down, keep ahold of it, and save it for those days when you tell yourself that you don’t have time. The list could include things like “Being creative makes me feel whole”, “I love interpreting the beauty of the world around me”, or “I get a special thrill from making something that’s both gorgeous & functional.” In fact, write the list after one of your creative sessions (whether that’s writing, drawing, sewing, knitting, etc.) when you’re still on the enthusiasm high and the reasons you create are vivid in your mind. Next time you start feeling like it’s too much work to cultivate this part of your life – look at the list and remember why you love it.

In general: make it a priority. Spend time or money (or both!) on your creative pursuits. Go on artist’s dates. Write morning pages. Take a class at a local creative center, community college, or art store – they’re usually fairly inexpensive at all of those places, and by taking a class you’re not only showing yourself that you care enough about this to spend money on it, but giving yourself a regular time and place to show up and be creative. Any time you feel tempted to put your creativity on the back burner, take a deep breath, look at your list, and remind yourself that this is a priority in your life and you’re going to treat it as such.

How do you value your creativity?

Michelle is a rainbow haired writer based in Austin, TX. She writes at Wicked Whimsy about life creation for thoughtful renegades, and just launched Take Back Your Creativity – an ebook + audio kit designed to help you integrate your creative life & your daily life, increase your creative output, and overcome burnout & creative blocks.

Filed Under: creativity, guest posts Tagged With: , 16 Comments
March 24, 2011

When is “good” good enough?


it’s not who you are that holds you back…by valentinadesign – click image for more info

Play big! Set lofty goals! Never compromise!

The Twitterverse is ablaze with voices encouraging us to do what we do bigger and better. Sometimes I’m one of those voices. Other times I appreciate, and even need, to be pushed to think and act beyond what I perceive I am capable of.

But there is a flipside.

There’s an implication that what you’re doing is not enough; that you, your ideas, and their execution are small. Lacking. The fix? You must think/do bigger! Go big or go home.

Well, the trouble is, some people go home. Paralyzed by the two options, Big or Home, they choose Home.

What if I can’t make it to Big? If I don’t, then I’ll fail.

Here’s the thing: Big doesn’t stand a chance if you’re not willing to start with Good. The thing you’re passionate about? Do it Well, and expand to Big. But do it.

I don’t champion mediocrity, but sometimes Good is good enough. Or at  least a good start.

Sometimes it’s ok buy the table at IKEA instead of making it out of an old door.
Sometimes it’s ok to buy the cookies instead of baking them from scratch.
Sometimes it’s ok to put in a day of good work instead of exceptional work.

When is “good” good enough for you, and when do you strive for excellence?

Filed Under: creativity, finding passion, Plot Notes Tagged With: , 38 Comments
March 23, 2011

creativity from chaos: are you afraid of being ‘organized’?

A guest post by Chantelle Brightbill of Clothscape.

organized chaos by colorandpassion

"Organized Chaos" by ColorAndPassion

I spent a large piece of February getting my studio organized. With the help of a professional.

When I tell other artistic types about this, the general response is a wince, and comments like “some people need help like that I’m sure” or “I have everything exactly where I want it, if someone came and organized it all I would never be able to find anything,” and “my mess is part of my creative process.” The idea seems quite disturbing to so many artists.

I used to feel the same way myself. So what changed things? It was many small things, but overall I realized I was avoiding working in my studio, because the space had a negative impact on me creatively.

Chaos does not encourage creativity, it impairs it.

When I thought about it, it made sense. Why would someone who spends her time making things beautiful want to spend time in an ugly space? The mess made the room ugly to me, and I finally had to admit it.

Let’s be clear here, I was not a candidate for a reality show, so why call in a pro, instead of doing it myself? After all, I do almost everything myself, from painting walls to building furniture.

Because if I could make this happen on my own, it would have already happened.

Working with an organizer was nothing like on TV. It was really more like hiring a business consultant. Claudia looked over my space, asked a lot of questions about my processes and work habits, identified my key problem areas and helped me brainstorm solutions. She engaged me creatively by coming up with things for me to sew and build as a part of the process.

The one thing she didn’t do was actually organize my stuff.

She pointed out that I had my own way of doing things, and I needed to be the one to put each item in the most logical place for me. She was there to help me look at things from a different angle, advice and support, not to do it for me.

Most of the work was accomplished alone. Claudia kept me encouraged, and at one point I got stuck, and she came back and did some hand holding while I pushed through a tough spot. But just like working with any consultant, I had to take her advice and suggestions and implement them myself.

In the end I gained much more than a tidy work space. The experience was quite an emotional journey. I gained insight into why I had created this chaos in the first place, and I learned that I had the ability to stop that from happening again. I increased my efficiency and optimized the use of materials, saving me money.

Most of all I achieved my ultimate goal. Now when I tie on my new work belt and step into my visually appealing studio, I feel enthusiastic and ready to create.

Chantelle Brightbill is a quilter and textile artist creating under her label Clothscape.

Filed Under: creativity, guest posts Tagged With: , 11 Comments
March 16, 2011

copycat creativity

A guest post by Mallory Whitfield.

copycat clips

Copy Cat snap clips by jackandjane

The idea of copycat creativity is one that pops up a lot in the DIY and handmade community.

Artists accuse other artists of stealing their ideas and remaking or selling them. Or worse yet, big companies with lots of money and big legal teams rip off the little guys, who find themselves in a position hard to defend from.

There are plenty of instances where artists legitimately HAVE copied from other artists, but sometimes I think accusations get thrown around when they really shouldn’t.

Here’s the thing: we’re all human, so our brains pretty much work in a similar fashion. (You know, unless you’re Charlie Sheen and happen to possess tiger blood and Adonis DNA.) Some people are naturally going to come up with similar ideas to what someone else has already done. Sometimes they might knowingly take inspiration from someone else, and yes, sometimes they might even purposefully rip off another artist or designer.

But unless you grew up in a cave and were never exposed to history or popular culture, I’d be hard pressed to believe that you’ve never come up with an idea that you thought was totally original, but that was actually subconsciously inspired by someone else’s idea first.

It happens all of the time in fashion – there are direct knockoffs of luxury items sold on street corners all over the world, but there are also trends that come back again and again, every few decade or so.

One of my favorite examples that I like to point out whenever this discussion comes up is one that was brought to my attention during my summers in theatre internships. Almost nothing Shakespeare ever wrote was totally original, plot-wise. But yet he is still possibly the most revered writer in all of history. His plot devices are not what we remember him for, and they are not what made a huge impact on the English language.

What was remarkable about Shakespeare is the WAY he crafted words.

The same can also be said for one of the most influential musical groups in history – The Beatles drew inspiration from all sorts of sources, but we remember them for the way they wove those inspirations together into new music.

About a month or so ago, inspiration came to me almost literally in a dream. Waking up one morning, I was struck with an idea for what I wanted my Mardi Gras costume to be. (Here in New Orleans, it’s just not Mardi Gras without a good costume!) I woke up thinking about a dress covered in stuffed animals. I went to the computer that morning, and tried searching for costumes and clothing made from stuffed animal parts. I was thinking, surely people have done this before, why can’t I find it? Maybe it’s just because I couldn’t think of a more specific way to type it into Google, and the thousands of results that came up were all irrelevant, but I really did have trouble finding anything like what I had in mind. So I decided to go for it, because even if someone HAD done it before, I knew it would be a fun costume to make and wear.

Later, as I started dropping hints about what I was doing on my Facebook page and to people I knew, others thought they knew the inspiration behind my costume, even though none were my intention. Someone referenced Lady Gaga and the episode of Glee where Rachel’s two dads make her a dress out of Beanie Babies to wear for their Lady Gaga rendition. On Mardi Gras day, multiple people thought my costume was a tribute to artist Mike Kelley, who is known for his work with stuffed animals. None of this was on my mind when I started, but to me it just goes to show that there are only so many possibilities for what we as humans are going to dream up.

Even if you THINK you have something truly original, chances are, someone, somewhere, sometime has already done or thought of it.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t still plenty of intentional copycats out there, because there are. But next time you’re ready to call someone out as a copycat, just remember:

you may be a unique and special snowflake, but all snowflakes are made from the same ingredients, so chances are you might not be quite as special as you think.

Mallory Whitfield is a proud resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, where she runs a blog and online shop, both called Miss Malaprop and both dedicated to the very best in handmade and eco-friendly goods. She also designs recycled clothing, accessories, and costumes, including the now infamous FEMA blue tarp dress.

Filed Under: creativity, Featured, guest posts Tagged With: , 43 Comments