Embracing The Experiments

As creative beings, everything we do involves changing what already exists. Nothing stays the same, and every moment is an experiment. Embrace these experiments. If we gather up the same tools, materials, thoughts and surroundings as we did a month ago, six months ago, a year ago, and sit down to make again, it will…

The Simple Secret To Finding More Time To Make Art

"If only I had more time, I'd be far more creative" is a comment I hear over and over again as a Creativity Coach. So how do we find that elusive art time, once everything else is taken care of? The secret is simple - What we prioritise, gets done. The rest falls by the…

Accumulate Or Create (Or, Saying Bye-Bye to The Buy-Buy-Buy)

Though you could argue that all creation begins in the imagination, virtually all artists need some kind of equipment and media to bring these ideas to life. We need a way to give our creativity a tangible form that others can experience and engage with. The amount and variety of equipment and materials we need does…

When Complexity Kills Creativity

When we come to create, we want to ensure that the tools and equipment we choose for the project in hand are up to the task. You wouldn't want to paint the exterior of a house with a miniature model paintbrush, for example. Likewise the opposite would be equally useless - trying to paint lines…

6 Seductive Ways Consumption Is Killing Your Creativity

In these days of information saturation, we're relentlessly bombarded by invitations to consume new goods. The underlying message is always the same - "Buy me, buy me NOW, or your life will be miserable and endlessly unfulfilling and your family and friends will all disown you!" These temptations can be difficult to resist, and very…

Balancing The Pendulum – (Or, What To Do When Pursuit Of Product Kills The Pleasure Of Process)

With every creative project we embark upon, there's an element of process - how we create - and an element of product - what we end up with. Too often, the pursuit of a perfect end product can hamper, and even destroy entirely, the pleasure we gain from the creative process. By raising our awareness…

Gathering Treasures On The Shoreline

As artists we're always keen to find new ideas that feel special, original, and that fill us with inspiration to take up our tools and create furiously. More often than not these kind of ideas are found on the shoreline of our consciousness. Let me explain - Imagine your conscious waking mind as the land.…