Mural Project PART 1 – Create Your Own Opportunity

Are you an artist looking for artistic opportunities? It is great when it happens but can be rare that the artistic opportunities come to search you out. Trying to find places to showcase your art is an ongoing concern and part of the job description of the professional artist. When the opportunities are not coming your way what do you do? Why not create your own opportunity?

Last winter, a group of artists in our area saw the need for more art. We decided to get proactive and create our own opportunities and a new art council was born. With countless hours of hard work we were able to get our organization off the ground and started building an art community. In the process, we learned that sometimes the fear is larger than the reality.

To help lessen the fear of the unknown, over the next few blog posts, I thought I would tell you exactly what I did to organize a community mural. Sure it was a lot of work with many ups and downs, but in the end it was worth the ride. And I hope that by being transparent, you will see that you too could organize your own mural project.

Who doesn’t like a good story, so let my story begin… Once upon a time, there was this artist who wanted to paint a picture so big that the world could see it…

This community mural project started as a conversation in a coffee shop. I came to the table with experience as a theatre set painter and designer with the love of painting big. I also had completed a few mural projects in the past so felt confident that painting big was no different than painting on smaller canvases except in the size of your brushes and the need for a ladder. There is freedom in painting big that you cannot experience when contained in limited square inches.

The other main difference of this project was the time involved. But the reality is that there are many artists who put a tremendous amount of hours and detail into one small canvas. No matter how labour intensive the project the hours tend to melt away when you tweak your passion.

The planning process took 65 hours spread over 5 months. The key is to start early and to be on top of your schedule so that you will not be blindsided when the hourglass steals your grains of sand.

Stay tuned for my next blog post where I will go into more detail on the scheduling that was done.

Coral Top

Not sure if you know but sometimes it is hard for artists to stay creative in one type of media. I love to paint but I also love to sew. A couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to be hired at Fabricland. It is so much fun to be surrounded by beautiful colours & textures. And I love helping people solve their design dilemma’s. I think this work environment is going to be the perfect fit.

Seriously, I love fabric. There is something about the feeling of fabric that juices up the creativity. On the weekend, I was finally able to get a chance to spend an hour and shop for myself instead of helping customers. I picked up some fabric dye & am looking forward to experimenting with this new type of “paint”. I am also starting to throw fabric into mixed media creations. I will show you what I come up with in future posts but for now this is the top that I whipped together on Saturday evening. Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you are an artist, what different media do you create with?

8 Steps to Starting Down the Path to Creativity

If you have been following my creativity discussion and feel that it is time to get creating but don’t know where to start, here’s what I recommend…

1. The first and most important thing to do to step out of your creativity block is to revise your internal messages that you have been telling yourself that keeps you locked inside your box.

Yes, you are creative. Every human is born with the capacity for creativity. Stop with the internal dialogue that would say otherwise.

Stop comparing your creative endeavours to others whether it is a creative genius like Picasso or the products you see for sale on store shelves. This will automatically set you up for failure and defeat.

2. Be realistic about your abilities. It is important to stretch yourself, but if you stretch too far you are more apt to get discouraged.

3. Start small. Don’t take on too large of a project, which could burn you out before you get going. Completing a small project successfully feeds the desire to continue onto other projects.

4. Do your research. There are so many ways to begin creating from how-to books on drawing to a wide variety of beginner classes in your local art community. Pick a creative area that you have always wanted to attempt. This may not be where you ultimately end up but at least you will be moving forward exercising your creative muscle.

5. Don’t be afraid to change your direction once you have started a new creative endeavour. You are never stuck to just one creative area. The more areas you try, the more you will be able to discover what really makes you happy. But, at the same time, don’t quit too early, as there are a lot of benefits to persevering through a project.

6. Schedule creativity. If you don’t put it into your calendar, other things will come along and usurp your decision to get started. Your calendar holds the things that are most important to you and the things you prioritize. Just like scheduling a doctor’s appointment, scheduling creativity can go along way to tell yourself this is a must for your over-all well being.

7. Budget for creativity. Let’s be honest, creativity costs money. Again, just like your calendar, money always goes towards what you prioritize. It is time to start a creativity fund. You don’t need to go to the store and buy all kinds of art supplies, which could end up collecting dust in the corner. You just need to set aside a little bit of money here and there. You will be surprised how quickly your supplies will start collecting just by buying a little at a time.

8. Find accountability and support to stick with it once you have started. Finding others that are at the same stage you are makes it easier to continue.

It is not difficult to start down the path to creativity. Bottom line is to make it a priority and the rest will fall into place. You just have to “do it”.

Choices, Choices, Choices – Another Great Benefit To Getting Creative

Art is really just a series of decisions. That’s all… there is nothing intimidating in that. But once you can master the sequence of choice, you can express so many things, that at times, can feel abstract or out of reach from every day understanding.

In university, I was asked to write an essay about how art is a process. And at the time, I didn’t really understand what that meant. I researched facts and phrases from art books, looking for meaning, but at the completion of my essay, I don’t think I really grasped the assignment. Years later, I now understand a bit more of how art is a process.

When creating any piece of art whether it is with paint or with paper, the artist has complete freedom and control over what happens next. From the point of inspiration, the creator decides what medium to choose, what they are going to do with that medium and how they are going to manipulate that medium to achieve the desired outcome. What colour are they going to choose? Where are they going to place it? If they do this, then what comes next? If this doesn’t work, how are they going to fix it? When is it time to call apiece complete?

All these small individual alternatives form a smorgasbord or buffet table of choices. “I’ll take this and I’ll add that” and pretty soon your plate is full of food that only you could have accumulated. Even if you followed someone else’s sequence, the portion size will be unique to only you making the plate look and taste different from its counter point.

When else in life do you get such freedom of choice as when you are creating? If something leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you have the freedom to choose it at your next pass at the buffet line. Maybe you want to revisit that bad taste for whatever reason? The choice is completely up to you.

The hardest part is knowing where to start. There are some instances where an order of operations needs to be followed to succeed. If the mashed potatoes are put on top of the gravy, will it taste as good? Or if I put oil paint on top of acrylic, what will happen? You can experiment on your own to find out what the outcome will be but this is where an art instructor is invaluable to guide you through the learning process. Eventually, the decision will be up to you whether you want to put the gravy on top.

For me, the freedom of choice is the greatest benefit of all to creativity. In my experience, life has a tendency to make decisions for you. You cannot always control what the people around you say or do. You cannot always control your circumstances. But when creating, the choices are up to you. What will you choose?

Can You Come Out To Play?

To continue our discussion on the benefits of creativity… another great benefit to getting creative is the same benefit you gain from play.

Children can never wait to grow up. But when they become an adult the expectation is that often the play side of there childhood disappears under adult responsibilities. However, the truth is that play is a very valuable aspect that can offer an adult many great benefits from relaxation to reducing stress. Did you know that playing softens the heart and can decrease the risk for hypertension and depression?

There are lots of great websites, which talk about the research and studies done on the benefits of play. Start your search with this article on “The Top 10 Benefits of Play” (http://www.creativity-portal.com/bc/other/play.html ) then do a general “google” search on the “benefits of play” to find some more interesting facts. But most sites would agree that adult play is extremely important to a well-balanced, healthy life style. For some, this may be getting active but for others it may also be getting creative. Both are equally important.

Another important aspect to living a well-balanced, healthy life style also includes the social connections we make with other people.

According to Dan Buetter’s book “Thrive”, joining a monthly club is the equivalent to doubling your salary when it comes to overall happiness. Life experiences bring more happiness than accumulating material things.

Getting creative is one avenue that helps you make these important social connections. By joining an art group, you will find people who enjoy the same type of “play”.

This is one of the main reasons I decided to get involved with Close To My Heart, as this was one way I could connect with others who enjoy paper crafting. For me, half the fun of scrap booking is scrap booking with others.

I also wanted a way I could share the benefits of creativity with others who would not normally consider themselves to be artistic. As I wrote about in a previous article, everyone has the capacity to create. They just need to find themselves on the creativity spectrum to move forward on their journey. And through scrap booking, I hope to help people unleash their personal creativity so they can enjoy these benefits that come from getting creative.

Discover the Benefits to Creativity

As previously promised, let’s look at some great benefits to becoming creative!

To begin with, creativity gives you a sense of accomplishment. When you complete any creative project it will automatically boost your confidence. Creating gives you the opportunity to take small risks and it also teaches you perseverance.

One of the most important lessons I took away from my university experience as I studied to finish my Bachelor of Fine Arts was this…

Every teacher has their own creative technique, which they try to pass on to new students. However, these techniques often can be discovered through your own personal exploration. When you try to conform into what is required to pass the grade, your personal inspiration and passion can easily be squelched. Don’t get me wrong; art instructors are very important, as they are a source of fantastic resources for you to tap into. But there comes a point when you need to take what you learned & apply it to your own original creation. You cannot maintain or find your unique creative voice by continually copying the voice of an instructor.

The biggest value to my university education was that it gave me the opportunity to try new creative processes. I quickly learned that rarely things go as planned when creating so you are often required to come up with a new solution to complete the project. I learned that it is ok to make mistakes as correcting failures is when you learn the most about a process and about yourself.

This is what strengthens flexible thinking, as you are able to better handle the problems that come your way. Flexible thinking strengthens problem-solving skills, which spill into other areas of your life. Creative problem-solving skills promote progress, invention and evolution. It allows you to see life from a new perspective and opens you up to the possibilities of change and acceptance.

According to the article “The Creation Myth” written by Peggy Orenstein in The Oprah Magazine February 2011 issue there are recent studies that prove the benefits to flexible thinking.

“A 2007 study of Hurricane Katrina survivors found that those who scored higher on two measures of creativity – originality and flexibility – coped with the crisis better. In a study of amateur female musicians, higher levels of creativity correlated with lower levels of stress. And Mark Runco, PhD, editor of the Creativity Research Journal, has found that for many people the ability to imagine potential obstacles to a goal and generate a range of solutions – hallmarks of creative intelligence – predicts both overall well-being and more satisfying personal relationships. (Inflexible thinking, on the other hand, is associated with depression.)”

Flexible thinking is just one of the benefits to creativity. Other major benefits to getting creative will be detailed in future articles. Don’t miss out!

How Creative Are You? Looking At The Creative Spectrum

Don’t tell me you’re not creative because I know you are. Everyone has the capacity for creativity; it is just a matter of fostering that creative voice within.

According to an article published in The Oprah Magazine, February 2011 issue titled “The Creation Myth”, Peggy Orenstein reports that “We think we’re not creative, so we don’t cultivate our creative potential and – voila! – we’re not creative… Creativity can be squelched [these] experts say, but if we take the time to better understand what it is and how it works, it can also be fostered and enhanced.”

Creativity originates in the brain, which is a muscle. Just like any other muscle, the creative part of the brain can be exercised to become stronger – the stronger this muscle; the stronger your creativity.

Similarly, if I tell myself that I can’t run a marathon, then I will be less motivated to try. I would be correct in saying that “at this moment I cannot run a marathon” as I am out of shape. But if I were to train hard, I know I could potentially cross any finish line.

I know this fact about creativity to be true as a few years ago I never considered myself to be a figurative artist. I started painting landscapes as the human figure intimidated me. Once I decided to overcome this creative shortfall, I joined a figure drawing group and began drawing portraits on a daily basis. This improved my confidence and now most of my artistic creations involve the figure.

It basically, comes down to the desire to work hard to improve our existing situation and to reinvent the messages we tell ourselves. In order to figure out how to move forward into developing our creativity, we need to first figure out where we currently stand. So, how creative are you? Let’s look at the creative spectrum to see where you fit in.

Not Interested – For some people, there is absolutely no desire to create. We are all different and those differences need to be celebrated. Although, it is important to be sure this is the case. Don’t confuse lack of interested for lack of confidence as you could be missing out on a lot of the natural benefits of creativity, which I will discuss in future articles. Also don’t confuse lack of interest for not liking one particular medium. There are a huge variety of creative outlets from painting to scrap booking to sculpting to music to dance to video production to writing etc… you just might need to find the one that fits.

Creatively Challenged – Do you feel like a klutz when you create? You can’t draw a straight line to save your life. This simply comes down to fine motor skills, which can be improved with practice. There are lots of different creative avenues you can explore to help you practice your fine motor skills. Scrap booking is a good place to start, as often the pieces you are working with are small and finicky. Also, everyone can cut and paste as we are taught those basic skills when we are young. Just start small with cutting out simple stamping and see where that takes you.

Jealous Creator – You look at artists with envy and wish you were on their side of the fence. Stop wishing for greener grass and start cultivating and fertilizing your own property. Channel this jealousy into your own personal movement forward.

Novice Creator – Just starting out, you realize creating is fun but still need to build up your artistic tool belt of techniques and confidence. There are a lot of fantastic beginner classes in all art forms you can take to learn these techniques. As was stated before, scrap booking may be an easy place to start, which will teach you composition and colour coordination.

Intermediate Creator – You have learned lots of great creating techniques. Now you are just starting to spread your own wings to put these techniques into practice. You may start wanting to create on your own instead of copying what others have done. Time to build your confidence by using the techniques into projects of your own original creations.

Expert Creator – There are always new techniques to learn, so never stop learning and incorporating these techniques into your projects. Why not take the techniques you learned from scrap booking and use them in a collage piece or a painting? This is how you grow in your craft by exploring different medias and how they can relate. Through this creative process you will discover your own original techniques.

Emerging Artist – You have narrowed down your creative process to your favourite and now it is time to get out there and show the world what you can create.

Professional Artist – You have developed your craft to the point where it is professional and saleable, which requires a huge amount of devotion and discipline. This requires strict attention to detail to make your product commercial. Even if you don’t want to sell the product you create but have a unique voice that needs to be heard, devotion and discipline are still required to prove your worth to galleries.

Expert Artist – You have been creating for many years and have been selling the products you create. Your colleagues respect you and the galleries know your work. But there are always new things to be learned. Don’t get stuck in a rut of creating the same thing over and over. Start a new creative process or technique. Explore and grow and don’t forget to pass this information on to others.

Wherever you land on the creative spectrum, there is always room to move forward and to grow into the next level. Growth is what makes the creative journey worthwhile. Creativity brings colour to your life and to the surrounding environment. You were meant to create, so join the journey and let’s travel together!