Invoking Your Inner Creative

Salutations Friends!

For a while now, I've been wanting to do a post about being creative and what inspires people to be creative. I have periods of time when I can really tap into my inner creative and come up with all kinds of things covered in awesome sauce. Then other times I just feel like all my creativity is all dried up and I'm just wandering around lost.

I dunno how anyone else is, but I almost have to set the mood to be in a creative space. I typically have more juices flowing when it's after midnight and it's just me, my project, & the silence that night time brings. It's kinda like you don't have all the sounds and distractions of the waking hours and can just concentrate on the task at hand. It's when I've done my best work. Another time I'm at my creative best is when I've seen someone else's work that I really liked.  It could be paintings, sculptures, woodworking, fashion, cooking, or whatever. If it is creative then I can be inspired from it.


A couple years ago, I was able to see KAWS artwork at The High Museum of Art here in Atlanta and it was so awesome! I loved how he kind of re-created the Simpson's and called them the Kimpson's (among other cartoon characters). I wouldn't have thought about doing that, but seeing someone else's idea or take on something makes me think outside the box!

COMPANION: Passing Through
~ Photo Source ~

I'm also a fan of my friend Courtney's artwork. He's been amusing the hell outta me since high school with this drawings. And the things he can do with color pencils are a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I've secretly been a little envious of his abilities since I first saw what he could do. I just found this doodle the other day that he did when we were in Spanish class that absolutely cracked me up! Our teacher Ms Finny would always be running of at the mouth and whatever she said she would end in 'Por favor!'

'Silencio, por favor!'

'Everyone sit down, por favor!'

'Open your books, por favor!'

And of course being teenagers, we were bored or sleep and wouldn't pay her any mind.

I've read numerous things where people advise "stocking up" of your creative ideas, so that when you don't feel creative you can nab one of your previous ideas. I've tried this before and it doesn't really work that well for me. I'm just not as passionate about the subject matter anymore once the moment has passed. So I thought I'd look up a few things and see what other advice is out there.

Wiki-How has a laughable 3 step version on how to be creative. I mosdef fail at all 3! It's a work of art! How can it not be personal?

Inc.com on the other hand gave some goodies that make sense to try out when you're in a my-brain-is-empty-of-all-creative-goodness mode.

Funders and Founders says to destroy, be wrong,  & be brave (as well as 28 others tips)! You should definitely check this one out!


So when are you at your most creative? Do you have to set the mood? And what do you do when you have a creative block?

Ciao!

Top 5 Ways to be Productive

Hey Peeps! 

I hope that everyone has had a great week so far!  With it being the beginning of the month, it's been super nutso busy at work. Not being your own boss tends to take a toll on you and that got me inspired and thinking about the best ways to be productive. One of the things I want to do is look into Kabbage.com! They are a great company that gives loans to small businesses (Yay!) and they pride themselves on helping entrepreneurs increase productivity. They have all sorts of information on their website and blog, giving you tips & tricks on how to be a successful business owner and I'm excited to dive in! I know everyone has different tactics on how to get things done, but I thought I'd share what works for me! Here are my Top 5:

My Vision Board by ptyfashvic

• Make a List ~ Whether it be on paper or vision board, make sure you have a clear and concise list of things that you want to get accomplished. Quite personally I like making vision boards. Using Polyvore makes it really easy to do this. Or if you want to take it old school, you can sit down with some scissors, glue, and cut outs and paste away on poster board!

• Find a Hiding Place ~ Do you ever have it in your mind to go home and get everything under the Sun completed? Yeah me too, but it doesn't happen. Why? Because there are too many distractions at home. There's always something that needs to be cleaned, or moved, or called about, or something to be done for someone else. You have to find what I like to call your hiding place! Starbucks is my hiding place. I can go in there and grab something yummy to drink and not be worried about what it is I need to get done at home. Plus, if you hang out at Starbucks then you're automatically a kool kid!:o)

• Set a Time Limit  ~ I'm a person that hates to waste time. Deciding how long you want to work on your projects allows you to maximize the most out of your free time. And let's be honest, with the way the world works nowadays you want to use every second you can wisely! 

• Get Some Rest Baby! ~ Yeah yeah, I know..  You've heard it all before, but for really reals it helps! I can't even tell you how many times I've felt like a dunce all because I was sleep deprived. But when I'm really awake (and not coffee awake) and rested I perform so much better. Get.That.Beauty.Rest.

• Have the Right Tools ~ You can't get anything done without all the correct supplies, right? Right! If your hiding place is outside of your home, then make sure you pack a (cute) bag with everything that you're going to need to get the job done. 

Now these are just my ways of getting things done. What do you like to do to get in the zone and scratch things off the list? Let me know!

Ciao!

Beauty is Everywhere

Greetings friends!

I think Friday is the perfect day for a little beauty and inspiration. You can really find beautiful things anywhere you are whether it be in a city, out in the country or in nature. It's been said that when you notice or see something beautiful, then you are seeing The Divine right here on earth. I thought I would share my divine moment here with you today. 

Everyday I'm at work I see these plants. I'm not really sure what they are but they always look so beautiful, especially in the late morning when the sun is high in the sky. When I see them it's almost like they're glowing with this beautiful energy that surrounds them. Looking at them makes me  think of walking through a great big field of wildflowers and just lazing about and enjoying the day. 

Hey friends... How about we start a thing together? Let's make it an Instagram situation! I'm going to start taking pictures of the beautiful things that I see day to day and post them here on Friday's. I'll also share them on my Instagram @ASparkleThe1 using the hashtag 

#DivineFriday.

I look forward to seeing all of your pictures! Today and everyday, go forth looking for the beautiful things in your life! Have a great weekend!

Ciao!

She's Licking the Floor..

Salutations! 

 

 

~photo source~

 

Hello friends & Happy Friday! I decided that one of my goals for this weeks Weekly Wishes was to find some art to inspire me and jump start my creative juices. For me, looking at other peoples creativity seems to ignite ideas inside of my own mind. The same thing happens when I watch Project Runway... I have no idea how to make any type of garments, but my hands always seems to start itching to make something! I generally just pull out some yarn and start crocheting or drag out my sketch pad and just doodle!


I was scouring the internet for art that caught my attention and this painting totally made me laugh! I really love and appreciate street art. It always seems to have some sort of humor, deep thought, or optical illusion attached to it. This mural has a softness to it, like watercolor paints (even though they aren't watercolors) and humor. I totally dig this and kudos to whomever the artist is. I'm sure it was no easy feat! The thing that's killing me is that the tongue is so life like.... I love it!


Honorable Mention: The sky this morning was just beautiful! Half the sky was covered in the dark ominous clouds and the other half was clear with fiery red and orange colors. It was as if the sky was on fire! There was a plane flying through as well that added dramatic effect. It appeared to be dragging the 'fire' with it. :)


What has inspired you today or this week?


Ciao!

 

 



It's a Process..

Greetings peoples!

The weekend is finally here and I couldn't be happier! It's been a semi stressful week that I'm glad is now complete. Now it's on to bigger and better things. Fun things.. And in the case of right now.. Yarn things! You see, I have this little obsession with yarn..... So I thought I'd share my creative process with you. 

Usually I have to be in a certain mood to be creative and I can't think up new things to do if I'm stressed. Seeing that I can't be stressed is probably the reason why ideas come to me the way they do. Generally when I'm just waking up from sleeping, an image will just pop up in my minds eye or I will be meditating and an idea will appear and I work everything out in my mind on how to make it, right then and there. Other times, I get inspiration the old fashion way and see something I like and say to myself, 'Hmm.. I should make something like that.'

Then still there are other times when I can't think of anything to do and I have to let the yarn speak to me and let it tell me what it whats to be. I have to be very quiet and listen.........

I hear some of everything like, 'Make me into a pillow.. no no wait! I wanna be a necklace. Hm, or no wait! Wait! I choose to be a scarf instead! Yes! A scarf!!' then of course I go to work and make something wonderful that I can be proud of and recommend because I would use/wear it myself.

Sometimes me and the yarn get into a fight and I get all wrapped up in my work..

This one here told me it wanted to be a 'baby blanket'. I think it lied though and decided it wanted to be an afghan instead. Three skeins later and all I have is a little over half a blanket! It's just not right.. Personally I think it's a bastard move to change it's mind when we agreed upon a baby blanket, but what can you do right? 

In the end though, it's always a happy ending and everything turns out fine. There's nothing else to it really. I make what appeals to me and I love when I find others that are into what I make. It's a really good feeling when you can make something with your bare hands that can bring someone else such happiness! There is no special studio that I have. It's just me, the couch, a good movie and/or audio book, a hook and of course the yarn and I truly love it! So for all of you yarn addicts or creative junkies, where do your inspirations come from?

*Peace*

A. Sparkle