Read a Book

Short and sweet.  Sometimes, the fastest way to jump start creativity is to read a book. Yes, it could be any book.  Sometimes the mind needs relaxation.  For me, at least, reading is a very relaxing activity.

But if you want an even quicker jump start, let me suggest some reading materials in no particular order:

1.  The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (getting to be a creator classic)

2.  Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie

3.  The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

4.  The Bodacious Book of Succulence by SARK

5.  The Crafter's Devotional by Barbara Call

6.  Creative Sparks by Jim Krause

7.  Caffeine for the Creative Mind by Stefan Mumaw

8.  The Guerilla Art Kit by Keri Smith

9.  Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg

10.  Change Your Life Without Getting Out of Bed by SARK

Yes, I've read all 10 of these books.  I regularly refer back to some of them.  Several of them have been read by me at least three times. Of course, you can always pick up a book pertaining to your preferred medium(s) or autobiographies/biographies about other artists.

The more we expand our brains, force our synapses to function and make connections, it is my belief that we will be not only healthier and more mentally alert, but more creative.*(I'm not a doctor so my opinion may or may not hold water in a lab test.)

If you can read this, get a book!

Do a Little Image Search

My website update is going slow.  I worked diligently on it for two nights, only to have some whacko glitch occur that caused my files to all be corrupted and blah, blah, blah….as a result of technology hampering me in the extreme these past few months (I have lost count of how many technology related difficulties I’ve run into), there comes a time when a body, or at least a brain, just doesn’t seem to have an iota of creativity left to it.  I’m there.

My brain. Fried from technology glitches and being
put on eternal hold with the help desk.

Unfortunately, I have a little project that I need to finish by Friday.  And I’ve got no good idea how to go about doin’ what needs doin’.  And I don’t have any energy for exhaustive or extensive website searches at the moment nor do I have the luxury of time to have inspiration strike.

The quick and easy shot to the arm is to do a little Image Search.  I put random words (well, not entirely random, they usually have something to do with my upcoming project) into the search bar of my browser.  Then I choose an image search.  I pore over the many images that invariably come up to see if any of them sparks an idea.

Let me be clear here. I’m not doing a hit and run where I steal someone’s artwork. That is copyright infringement.  Instead, what I’m looking for when I do an image search is something that Freud's  psychotherapy tool of free-association did for the baby boomer generation--it helps me find myself again.

I might see some color that I like, or maybe there is an image of a baby, or a flower, for example.  My project might not be right for a baby image, but I might find something about the baby that makes me think of something else…let’s say bottles.  And when I think of baby bottles, I think of milk.  And when I think of milk, I either think of a cow or cookies.  Depending on whether it’s before or after lunch.  Now I have something I might be able to work with.  A cow.

And what can I do with that cow in my work?  Well, I’m not sure.  Since this is all hypothetical. But, as you can see, it’s only a few hops and skips before the brain tangents into an entirely different way of thinking and the creativity inevitably begins to flow.  Barring that, I stop for a snack.

(c)SZing, 2012. All rights reserved.