10 Secrets to Creativity 1

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SECRETSOF CREATIVE THINKERS

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Think like an artist!

change of scenery

Some wayS to make it happen..

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01Its no secret that variety is the spice of life. Humans crave variety! If youve gone shop

ping in

the last decade, you can

attest to this fact. Buy bread

at the grocery store and

you are faced with about a

hundred different options.

Rye bread, wheat bread,

white bread, potato bread,

flatbread, and many many

others. The point is that we

expect variety!

As an artist, its important

that you change your scen-

ery from time to time. Artistic

inspiration comes from your

environmentthe things you

see, smell, hear, touch, and

feel everyday. When you

experience nothing but the

same old things day after

day your creative well can

run dry.

Get up and get out! Take a

walk down streets youve

never explored before. Ride

the bus across town and

check out that park every-

ones been talking about.

Get in the car and just drive!

Whatever it takes for you to

change your scenery. Youll

gain a broader understand-

ing of the world you live in

as well as some great new

material to draw from.`

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take a walk in the park

Find a trail youve never

walked before.Take a close

look at the new sights all

around you.

Sit in a new chair

Humans are creatures of

habit. Chances are you sit

in that same comfy chair

everyday and see the

same old angles. A simple

change in your point of

view may just reveal some

new possibilities.

Take a different

route to work

Get out a map or your

GPS and see if you can

find a different route

to take to work or your

daily appointments.

Buy a new house

Ok, maybe thats not very

realistic, but you could always

try rearranging the furniture

in your current home. Who

knows, it may feel like youre

living in a brand new house.

This simple act of change may

also inspire some creative

new art projects to tackle.

seek out inspiration


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02Sometimes inspiration strikes you where you are.

Most of the time, however,

youre going to have to go

looking for it. Museums are

a great place to start your

search. Museum curators

have assembled some of the

worlds greatest works of art

in one place for you to glean

from. Take the time to walk

slowly through a museum

and study its pieces,

paying special attention to

composition and technique.

Dont be afraid to borrow

from the masters; theyre

called masters for a reason!

Nature can be a great place

to find inspiration as well.

Anyone who has spent

time in nature can tell you

of its power to inspire.

Spending time at your local

park, nature center, zoo,

or aquarium can drastically

improve your creativity. With

so many sights and sounds

to draw from its no wonder

that many great artists have

created works inspired by

nature.

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2Check out a muse

um

Visit a local museum or, if you

can swing it, make a trip to

one of your countrys

national museums.

take pictures

Carry a camera with you,

and dont be afraid to

use it. When you see an

object, animal, or face that

you feel would be a great

subject for a drawing or

painting, snap a picture

and hold onto it for future

reference. Of course,

youll want to check with

the person, parent, or pet

owner firstit might save

you some trouble.

Spend time in nature

Even in the city you can

typically find a park or quiet

plot of nature where you

can just sit and observe the

beauty around you. Bring a

sketchbook with you and take

the opportunity to sketch

what you see.

change it upSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

03In baseball theres a pitch called the Change Up.

The change up is a highly

effective tool used by

pitchers to confuse the

batter. The pitcher will

throw what appears to be a

fastball, but he throws it from

further back in the hand. This

causes the ball to leave his

hand at a slower speed and,

though it looks to the batter

like a fastball, its actually

moving at a slower velocity.

The unwitting batter swings

too early and hits nothing

but air.

How could a change up

in your daily routine improve

your effectiveness as

an artist?

Doing the same thing day

after day is greatif youre

a robot. Get out there and

do something new! The

number one killer of creativity

is monotony. By doing

something new everyday,

you are forcing your brain

out of its catatonic state and

giving it something new to

compute. This sudden spike

in brain function increases

your capacity for creative

thinking and is sure to inspire

new and exciting ideas.

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Spice it up!Pick up a good coo

kbook

and try cooking something

new for one of your meals.

Its easy to return to your old

favorites day in and day out,

but you may be pleasantly

surprised to know that there

are other great options

available. Cooking something

new and exciting could

provide just the flavor your

day needs!

Go back to school

Community colleges

offer some great classes

for a minimal fee. Look

for classes like: pottery,

painting, welding,

carpentry, swimming, and

foreign language studies

just to name a few. Check

with the college closest

to you, and see if any of

the offered courses sound

appealing.

keep your

creative friends close


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04Surround yourself with creative people!

Whether you realize it or

not, you are affected by

your environment. When

you spend your time around

other artists and creative

thinkers, your creativity will

thrive.

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1Branch outTheres a good cha

nce that

youre the only artist in your

household and dont come

in contact with others who

share your affinity for fine

art. This is a great reason to

enroll in art classes at your

local community college or

community center. If these

options arent available, there

are also many resources

offered online. Its quick and

easy to join, and you will have

instant access to people who

share your passion and want

to offer their assistance.

2Get involvedMost cities or town

s

have some form of art

community, see what your

own hometown has to

offer. Keep your eyes and

ears open for art contests,

shows, and exhibits. This

could be a great way to

meet and mingle among

some like-minded artists

in your area.

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talk to other artists

Find out what medias they

are working with and what

materials or techniques

they endorse. Give their

suggestions a try, and see if

you find that perfect fit!

think outside the box

There is no steadfast rule

that says you have to use

art supplies from a store.

You can create art from

just about any material.

Take a look around your

local scrap yard or thrift

store for materials that

could be combined to

make a unique piece

of art.

Visit an art supply store

Take a stroll through your

local art supply store and

see what art supplies catch

your eye. This could be

detrimental to your pocket

book, so be sure that you

dont get too caught up in

the shapes and colors.

take your pickSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

05The beauty of art is in its many forms; you dont have to be constrained to just one!

If youre a painter, pick up a

pencil and sketch. If pottery

is your thing, try your hand

at writing a poem. The more

portions of your brain you

can activate, the better. You

may be surprised by what

your new pursuits teach you

about your preferred art form

or media.

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a fresh startSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

06Dont get bogged down with one project.

If you find yourself in the

midst of a creative drought,

go in search of a fresh new

project to start.

This isnt to say that you just

give up on what you were

working on and never return

to it. It simply means taking

a break, giving your mind a

chance to process all youve

been doing, and returning a

little later with a new set of

eyes.

Dont start too many

projects, however. There

is something to say for

finishing what youve started.

Work on your new project

only as long as it takes for

you to see the other in a

new light.

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12

Collect your ideas

As you take pictures

throughout the year, have

your favorites developed and

keep them in a maybe later

box. When you find yourself

struggling to find inspiration

take a look through this box

and see if anything sparks

your creativity.

SketchKeep a sketchbook

with

you wherever you go and

sketch things that you

see throughout your day.

Going back through your

sketches in the midst of

a creative drought may

bring on a deluge of much

needed inspiration.

exerciseSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

07When youre hungry you eat, right? You eat because yo

ur body

is in need of the nutrients

that keep it running. Well,

your brain needs blood and

oxygen to continue its

complex calculating.

The very act of exercising

drastically improves your

brain function and, in turn,

your creativity. It doesnt

take much; you can combine

your exercise with changing

your scenery and seeking

out inspiration. Three for the

price of one!

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12

Set a timerSet a timer while

you draw.

Draw for 30 minutes, and then

get out and take a walk around

the block for 15 30 minutes.

Taking a break not only keeps

you fit, but taking time away

from your drawing will give

you a fresh perspective when

you return.

have a schedule

Making a schedule each

day will help you keep track

of your time. Its easy to get

caught up in your artwork

and forget that anyone or

thing else exists. Schedule

specific times of the day

for artwork and exercise,

setting an alarm to remind

you.

take a breatherSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

08Life can be hectic.

Sometimes its important to

just get away from the stress

and noise of the daily grind

and recharge your batteries.

Art can be a great way to

unwind and relax. You dont

necessarily need to take on

a laborious, time intensive

project either. Something

as simple as doodling on a

piece of scrap paper can be

enough to free your mind

of distractions and build

creative confidence in the

process.

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make timeSet aside a specific

day of

the week or hour of the day

to devote specifically to your

artwork. Spend time alone,

away from distraction and

just draw or paint for fun.

Dont worry about creating a

masterpiece; just do whatever

helps you relax.

Get awayGo on a vacation. N

ot only

will this give you a break

from the daily grind, but

it could be the change

of scenery you need to

rekindle your creativity.

Vacation doesnt have

to mean going out of

state or country. It can

be something as simple

as traveling across town

to stay with a relative

or spending a night at a

hotel in the next county

over.

read, listen, watchSome wayS to m

ake it happen...

09Creative thinkers have roamed this world for thousands of years and, fortunately, many of them were kind enough to leave behind some examples of great art.

Books, movies, and music

are great resources for

artistic inspiration. Take a

few hours and peruse the

shelves of your local library,

searching for titles and

images that trigger your

imagination.

There are thousands of

great movies out there as

well, many of them about

art, artists, or the creative

process. Listening to

classical music is also a

great way to find inspiration.

Many classical composers

were inspired by beautiful

scenes in nature, and their

music often illustrates these

images in the minds eye.

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Visit the library

This may seem obvious,

but the library is a fantastic

resource for creativity.

You have a nearly endless

supply of books right at your

fingertipsall for free. Many

libraries now have thousands

of DVDs and CDs to choose

from, as well.

Secondhand

bookstoresTheres something

about

a secondhand bookstore

that has the power to

inspire creativity. Maybe

its that old book smell, or

perhaps its just being in

the presence of so much

information. Whatever

it may be, secondhand

bookstores are a good

place to visit when

seeking inspiration.

10The best thing you can do for your creativity is create. Simple as that! The creative process gets easier as you do it.

An amazing thing happens

when you are engaged in

creative activities. New ideas

actually spring from the

project you are working on

at the time. Eventually, youll

find your mind overflowing

with new ideas, and when

you get to this point its

important to remember to

write them down in a journal

or sketchbook. Dont count

on remembering them later.

Everything you do or

experience throughout

your life plays a role in your

creative process. Creativity

is the ability to recall those

experiences and connect

them to the present in a

new and exciting way. You

possess all of the tools

you need

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just createsomething!

heres a blank canvas,

just create something!

10 Secrets to Creativity 1

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