Archive for February, 2007
The art of stress free writing - quote
Posted on February 27, 2007, by dazzer67, under quotes.
“I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork.”
Peter De Vries
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How to prepare for an art journey
Posted on February 23, 2007, by dazzer67, under preparation.
If you are an artist and would like to get out and about to do your thang, then preparation is very important. It is no good getting somewhere and then realising you’ve left a vital component back in your studio or in your art box.
Help is at hand in this wonderful and very comprehensive article by innowen at DIY Planner. Not only do you get a list of bits to remember, but links to the places they can be bought and also the practicalities of using all the bits and pieces. You want to be visually creative on the move? Then take a look at the following link…
Have Art, Will Travel | D*I*Y Planner
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The power of creativity
Posted on February 19, 2007, by dazzer67, under quotes.
“Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.”
George Lois
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Launchy… free software to aid your creativity
Posted on February 14, 2007, by dazzer67, under preparation, software.
One of the frustrations with working creatively on a PC is the time it takes to move from an idea to creating with a specific application. It is far too easy (OK, I am talking windows here) to have an idea and then stumble around trying to find the application to use.
One solution is to have your desktop covered with shortcuts. However, I am a firm believer in Desktop Zen. My PC desktop has nothing on it at all and my sidebar is on auto hide. Less distractions equal more creative productivity, for me. Another option is to create special toolbars for those creative moments. I have used this for a while. A toolbar for web design apps, a toolbar for graphic apps and so on - as you can see I collect applications, [which could be an issue to deal with in the future.] The problem with this, and also the basic structure of Windows, is ‘where will the app I want be?’ Do I go start> all programs> or do I go toolbar> web>? Then the question is how have I labeled the shortcut? Where is Paint Shop Pro? Is it under graphics, Paint Shop Pro or Jasc Software? All of these, minor distractions and irritations, can hinder my creativity… until now.
Enter Launchy. I was skeptical when I first read about this wonderful little application. Basically it is a little, free Windows utility, that lets you forget about shortcuts, toolbars and start menus. It has a small memory footprint and sits silently in the background until you need an application.
Case study: I have an idea for an image and need to fire up Paint Shop Pro. Previously I would have been struggling to remember where it was and how to get it. Now I simply hit the alt and spacebar at the same (ish) time and up pops launchy. Then I start to type. By the time I have typed P-A-I for Paint Shop Pro, it has found the icon, and by pressing enter the program is firing up.
I think this is one of the best ‘free’ applications around, and ideal for creative types. So take a look at the website and see how this amazing simple program could help with your creative inspiration.
You can find out more here
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Record an album in one month
Posted on February 7, 2007, by dazzer67, under inspiration.
I am slacking, I only just found out about this.
Are you a songwriter? Are you a recording artist? Would you like to be? Well, there is no excuse not to be, and to help you out there is some positive prompting in the form of RPM Challenge. The challenge is to record 10 songs, or 35 minutes of material in the month of February. This is the recording equivalent to NaNoWriMo, so if you need some motivation to record that CD, this could be just what you need.
You can find all the details here www.rpmchallenge.com - Home
Happy recording
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Five ideas to spark creativity
Posted on February 5, 2007, by dazzer67, under creative exercises, inspiration, quick tips.
Many of us don’t sit around with paper and pad on the arm of our comfy chair waiting for a light bulb to appear above our heads, bringing the most amazing creative thought into being. Many of us, okay me, (but feel free to join in as I go along) often get frustrated that creative ideas, of any shape or form, never materialise or even threaten to appear.
With this in mind here are a few simple ideas to provoke an imaginative spark in your life that can be fanned into creative flames.
- Think in metaphor: Just like I did above, by describing the creative process as a fire. Thinking in metaphor allows the brain to make connections it doesn’t normally make, and new connections mean new ideas.
- Describe in another sense: We normally describe something we see by describing what it looks like. However, why not try describing an image by the sense of sound. Or a sound by the sense of smell. Again this will provoke your brain to go against its normal programming.
- Excessive use of adjectives and adverbs: This could well annoy those you are near very quickly, so perhaps put a time limit on it. Use adjectives and adverbs to ‘colour’ your language everytime you speak. You’ll notice how often you use the same few words, so try to think before you speak. This in itself will stop any automatic phrases being spoken.
- Imagine you are a famous artist: Take a few moments to imagine you are a famous creator. This could be any type: artist, author or musician. Now what are you going to create today as them? This can help you think in a different way to how you normally approach the creative process.
- Doodle design: Take a piece of paper and doodle on it, preferably without looking at what you are doing and definitely without thinking of what you are drawing. After a few seconds or minutes, look at what you have done and use it as the basis for creating something, perhaps a picture or piece of prose or even a song. This will force you to think about being creative and open up new creative connections.
Have fun, and may your days be creative.
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