Creativity in everyday life- 3 things only artists understand

Creativity in everyday life — 3 Things only artists understand

I find that ordinary (non-artists) people see the world differently. They do not perceive what is around them with their eyes or senses as much as artists. Artistic types see the world in greater detail and with eyes that notice more. Here are three differences between artists and the rest of the world.

1. The world is a visual feast. We see details others do not. For example, I was walking with my husband along this stone wall of an Inca fortress that went for at least half a kilometer with a tour group. The wall was beautifully made. Each stone was perfectly chiseled and put into place next to another stone. The wall did not seem to have any errors in it. It leaned at a 5 degree angle, we were told to prevent erosion and the weakening of the wall. Once in a while there was one stone that was a darker red color. The placement of the red stone seemed to be intentional. That was interesting. In the crevasses of the rocks, will plants grew. There were delicate ferns, tiny plants that looked like ground cover with white flowers and one plant that was blooming with a tiny red flower that looked like an orchid. As I took pictures of these, I got further behind the group. When I caught up, the guide thought that I was lagging behind because I was not fit enough. He said we would have to pick up the pace. I explained that I was taking photos and told him all that I had noticed. I asked about the orchid. He gazed at me and said no one had ever asked him and he didn’t know. He didn’t know about the red rock either. He had been a guide for 8 years.

I am a visual artist so I perceive more with my eyes. I have noticed that musicians hear more information than I do. They make connections between sounds that I have to work really hard to even notice. I have noticed the same with writers and words. We feast in the sights or sounds we notice. The non-artists are missing out….

2. Wearing bright colors makes you happy. The psychology of color says that colour influences perceptions that are not obvious, such as the taste of food. Colour can indeed influence a person; however, it is important to remember that these effects differ between people.Color has long been used to create feelings of coziness or spaciousness. However, how people are affected by different color stimuli varies from person to person.

Blue is the top choice for 35% of Americans, followed by green (16%), purple (10%) and red (9%).A preference for blue and green may be due to a preference for certain places to live.There is evidence that color preference may depend on ambient temperature. People who are cold prefer warm colors like red and yellow while people who are hot prefer cool colors like blue and green.Some research has concluded that women and men respectively prefer “warm” and “cool” colors.Some studies find that color can affect mood. for more information, check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_psychology

3. Ideas come out really looking at what is in front of you. Once, I looked at some skidoo tracks in the snow and got an idea for a painting with embossed-like textures in it. The way the snow covered up the back door of a big truck gave me an idea for an abstract. Seasons were created so that there is new information for you to look at all year round. Each seasons brings out new information that needs noticing. I visited Prince Edward Island in the spring. The red soil with that beautiful spring green led me trying out that particular color combination.

I hope this helps you .

I hope this helps you .

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

For more information on mixed media by Doris Charest:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCltBfqSMAK0OOWeXaKGud6Q?view_as=subscriber

https://www.facebook.com/dorischarest

https://www.pinterest.ca/dalinec/

https://www.instagram.com/dorischarest/

https://www.udemy.com/user/edit-profile/

https://www.skillshare.com/user/dorischarest

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 31, 2019July 3, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – Artist and CEO

Creativity in everyday life — Artist and Studio CEO

When you start in artist business, you have no one to guide you and decide what you will do every day. Some artists end up unable to get themselves going. What you need to do is to think like a boss. Be your own CEO.

First thing in the morning, put on your ‘boss’ hat and decide what your workers (you -the artist; you -the social media expert; you -the marketing agent and you -the framer) will do. Make a list and give each of your workers a job to do for the day or the week.

Often what I do is take out my journal on Monday morning and sort out what needs to be done that week. Some artists insist that this should be done on Sunday night so that you get a head start on your week but personally, Sunday is a day off for me. There are times you need to rest so that you get those good ideas when you do get working and Sunday is my day.

Being a boss means making a plan for your business. There are all kinds of advice columns that you can search out. There are even free guides on the internet but my personal favorite is to just take out my journal, open it up to two blank pages and write down absolutely everything that I think I would like to do that year (or six months, if you prefer). I write down everything that comes to my mind. I also write down what I no longer want to do. This takes a while. I write until my brain can’t any more, go make art, write some more, make art and write some more. If need be, I give myself two days. Then, I put the journal away for a week.

The next week, I open up my journal and sort out what I wrote down. Sometimes, I am surprized what I did jot down. I take all the information and make lists. There is an art production list, a social media list, a list for applying to shows, a list for marketing, a list for activities that I want to eliminate or downsize and a list for whatever topic came up.

Some years there are new topics. Last year, I decided that I wanted to create an installation. I had a separate list for that one. Then, I break down each list into what I will do first, second and last. Prioritising is important. You cannot do it all at once. For the first month, I take all the number ones and they become my list of the month. Even that is overwhelming sometimes so I break down all the #1s into smaller steps that I can take.

All the items that are first on your list are the most important to you so don’t set a time limit on them. Chances are that you will be doing these activities a little bit all year long. Just because you start them on month #1 doesn’t mean you have to finish them before month #2. I find that the important items tend to be longer commitments. For example, one of mine was to blog more regularly. This is an activity that I have to do all year long.

I also find that the last items on my list rarely get done. They are the ‘nice’ ideas or ‘should do’ ideas that you really don’t want to do or you are not ready to do. For example, two years ago, my goal to create an installation was at the bottom of my list. I didn’t work on it but I thought about it a lot. I wanted a good idea, not just a ‘get it done even if it is not good idea’, so it stayed on the back burner. By the next year, I was ready. The same thing will happen to you.

Be your own CEO and get yourself organized. Start now. You can start planning now and don’t wait for the ‘right’ moment.

Hope that helps,

Artist & CEO of Doris Charest Studio

I hope this helps you .

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

For more information on mixed media by Doris Charest:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCltBfqSMAK0OOWeXaKGud6Q?view_as=subscriber

https://www.facebook.com/dorischarest

https://www.pinterest.ca/dalinec/

https://www.instagram.com/dorischarest/

https://www.udemy.com/user/edit-profile/

https://www.skillshare.com/user/dorischarest

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

September 26, 2019July 3, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – Abstract Art

Creativity in everyday life — 3 Things that you didn’t know about abstract art

Creating abstract work is more difficult than you think. Abstract work is emotional, intellectual and conceptual. These are elements that touch our basic, primal emotions. Here are some basic points about abstract work to think about:

1. Abstract art can be about emotions. With abstract art, you are trying to create an impact. You want people to notice your work and react to it. This means touching their feelings. In contemporary work, the goal is not always to make a pleasing painting; it is about creating a reaction. This reaction can be positive or negative. If someone reacts and says ‘That makes me feel frustrated’ or ‘That makes me feel happy’ or ‘That makes me feel like…’, you have achieved your goal. You want people to react and comment. You want them to feel the emotion that you put into that painting.

You can create that painting by expressing your inner feelings or you can totally plan that feeling. When you make certain kinds of marks on a canvas like bold black calligraphic strokes, that provokes a kind of feeling that is different from marks made with soft pastel colours. Think about what you want to express. Do you want a relaxing feeling or an edgy one?

2. Abstract art can be about color and how colours react when near each other. There are artists that have spent their lives working on this theme. If you look at the work of Jack Bush and …., you will see that their work is about color. When one sits next to another color, a certain vibration is created. Try it. Put yellow next to purple then put yellow next to orange. You get a whole different feeling with each of these.

The impressionists were the first to experiment with color. Monet, placed dabs of color next to each other on his painting and expected the eye to do the blending. If you look at his water and garden series, you will see how he did this. Rather than put down a green, he would put down a yellow and a blue next to each other. The eye would read it as a green. Since his works a large and meant to be seen from far, this works really well.

3. Abstract art can be about the materials. Some artists like texture. Some artists like the way paint drips, blends and semi-covers other paint. The whole experience is about what the materials will do. Elements of composition are important too but what happens when thick paint goes over thin or vice versa is what is really interesting to some artists.

One artist to look at is Willem de Kooning. He was a Dutch abstract expressionist artist. He was born in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. He moved to the United States in 1926, and became an American citizen in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_de_Kooning He loved the paint and the way he could layer different colours, cause it to drip and layer some more.

I hope this helps you .

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

For more information on mixed media by Doris Charest:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCltBfqSMAK0OOWeXaKGud6Q?view_as=subscriber

https://www.facebook.com/dorischarest

https://www.pinterest.ca/dalinec/

https://www.instagram.com/dorischarest/

https://www.udemy.com/user/edit-profile/

https://www.skillshare.com/user/dorischarest

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

January 11, 2019May 7, 2019

Creativity in everyday life — Take time off

Taking time off is as important as working. That is what all the literature research says. I did not believe this in my early days. I kept working when I had two minutes here and five minutes there. I ended up getting work done this way, but I could not find the main goal in my minutes. I could make work; in this case, paintings. They were good and they sold but I felt like I was missing something. I could never find time to make the one year or five year plan. I wanted to have a main purpose to this creating that I loved to do. The purpose or main goal to my work did not exist. I did not have the time for it.

One day, the kids were at the pool with friends, my husband was away and there I was, sitting with nothing to do. The laundry was done. Supper was in the crock pot. There was no precedent for this in my life and I did not know what to do with myself. I could have rushed to my painting table but for some reason, I did not. I sat there. I started thinking about my artwork and what I loved about it. What I did not love about it. What did I want to do with it? I had a gallery that liked it. I was selling. My friends loved it. My husband put up with it. I had a lot of good elements going. But and this was a big BUT, I was not happy. Creating the product gave me joy but I wanted more. I wanted a longterm purpose.

So, sitting there, I picked up a piece of paper and a pencil. I wrote down what I thought would be the best longterm goals. I came up with creating awareness about art and creating the best product that nobody could resist. Then I stopped. This sounded like something I was doing for others. What did art do for me? Why did I like it?

I loved creating something out of a blank piece of paper, a pencil and a bit of paint. It was a bit like magic. I found it hard to believe that this magic came out of me. The creating also made me feel good. I did want that. What could I keep doing that would make me happy and provide something more to society. What did I want to provide? I was stumped here. I sat there and thought.

My list grew but I kept rejecting everything almost as I wrote it down. I did learn that brainstorming meant writing down absolutely everything that came to my head so I kept writing down. I was still writing down items when my kids came home. I had to stop. I knew that I was not done so I grabbed another piece of paper and tucked it in with my ideas. I had to keep writing.

Several days later, I was still writing down ideas in my minutes that I had to myself. I even volunteered to babysit some kids I found badly behaved in my babysitting coop because I wanted more time off. Their mom agreed to trade with me eagerly because no one liked babysitting her kids. They turned out to be well behaved because when they first came into the house, I told them the house rules.

I had learned this trick to babysitting from my mom when she had come to visit once and I had some of the kid’s friends over. They started not listening when they realized that the two adults were busy having a chat.

She stopped all the playing, sat them on the sofa and sternly told them the house rules in THIS house, right now and forever. The consequences of bad behaviour were included. I adopted this technique in my repertoire and it has worked ever since.

The time came for my children to go to her house. I took out my list and scanned it. None of the ideas of why I was doing art spoke to me. I did not know what to do. Did I need to stop doing art? My gut said no. Persevere! I started adding to my list. By the time the kids came home, I had decided.

In my art career, I had done portraits, still life, animals, landscape and designed logos. I liked it all up to a point. I could do portraits if I put my mind to it but I did not love it. The same was true of still life. I liked the arrangement of shapes to create a pleasing effect but again, up to a point. What I did really like was landscape.

There were all sorts of reasons not to pick landscape. Landscape was ‘out’ in the contemporary art world. Issues like abuse, poverty or politics were in. Again, I did not love ‘issues’. They just made me sad that the world was out of sorts. I loved texture, colour and light. I could find all of that in landscape. Landscape had enough variety to keep me interested. I could do different themes; trees, water, skies or even erosion.

Those were all the good reasons to say yes to landscape. What I needed to do now is decide how I wanted to treat the theme but that would have to wait for another long thinking moment in time. I felt happy. I had decided my purpose.

The kids came home and life started again. I wonder now what would have happened if I had not had that period of time to think about my work. Would I have gone on creating without a goal? This period of time changed my art life.

To come back to the beginning, take the time to think about your work. What do you really like doing. You have a limited amount of time, if you are a working parent and you need to use it wisely. I found out later that this moment of ‘aha’ is called flow. Wikepedia says:

Flow — the mental state of being completely present and fully immersed in a task — is a strong contributor to creativity. When in flow, the creator and the universe become one, outside distractions recede from consciousness and one’s mind is fully open and attuned to the act of creating. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the king of flow. He wrote several books on the topic and I strongly recommend them. Flow is what happens when you create and when you get those wonderful ideas. Look at these videos:

These videos will help you learn how to enhance your creative side and be even more productive.

They helped me a lot. I hope it helps you too.

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

For more information on mixed media by Doris Charest:

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018

Creativity in everyday life – The living room

Creative moments in the living room

Adding creative touches in your life need not take a lot of time or money. Sometimes it is more about using what you have and rearranging all those pieces. Take a look at your living room. How can you alter it to suit your ‘artistic or creative’ needs? Do you need to add cushions? Can you add a rug with the perfect match to your furniture? What can you add? The boldest item to add is your own work. Put your work on the feature wall.

If you only have small pieces, make an arrangement of your pieces. If you only have pieces on paper and no money to pay for framing, get a big piece of metal (very cheap at a scrap metal warehouse) and put your pieces on it with magnets. If you cannot figure out how to put up a sheet of metal, find a framed dry erase board and add your work with double sided tape.

If you are still unsure, make a sketch of your living room. Draw in several options. Look at magazines but remember that you do not necessarily want to have the latest fashion, you want it to feature ‘you’. That is why I suggested putting your work in the living room.

People will notice and slowly but surely, they will realize you are serious about being an artist. My own family took longer than our friends. Interest started and friends started coming to my art shows. My own family came for the food (especially the children) but with time, I realized that they (children and husband) began to have an opinion about what artwork they liked or not. It did make my heart good when my daughter said, ‘Yours is better, mom’. In a later blog, I will write about bringing children to your art openings. In the meantime, have you set up your place to do artwork? Have you gotten the materials you need to start? You don’t need to have absolutely everything, just enough so you can start the project.

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018

Creativity in everyday life Resistance or psychological blocks

Resistance or psychological blocks

Sometimes, people resist commitment. Are you resisting? Even in minor ways like waiting to the last minute or making your goals smaller and smaller. Reasons vary. Did you make your goals too ambitious? If lack of time is a factor, break down the project into segments.

Sometimes, the odds of achieving the goals seem overwhelming. There is a way to trick yourself into actually doing something for yourself and your goals. Here is what you do:

Make a list of what you want to change or creative element that you want to add to your life.
Break down each goal into small parts. The parts should be small enough that you can do each step in 5-10 minutes.
Pick only one goal (of the list you made). Rewrite the goal and the list of steps on a separate sheet of paper. Use bullet points.
What is the first step in the goal? Can you do this today?

An example of one of my own goals from long ago.

Goal: To make myself a space in the house where I could paint in watercolours. Just to put the moment in context, we had just moved to a new city and the house was full of boxes that needed to be unpacked. I had two small children (a needy 3 year old and a six year old that was bored because there were no friends to be had). I worked on the house every day but I really wanted my own space in this new house. I also wanted time to paint again. I had just started again before we moved. Moving had put everything on hold. I had a doctor to find for the kids. A school to find for my eldest. A play group for my youngest. The box with their clothes got lost in the move so clothes to buy. No food in the fridge and dirty floors from the movers bringing the boxes because it had rained the day we arrived. It just doesn’t rain, it pours….

I arranged the children’s rooms first so they would have a place to sleep and play. I arranged the living room furniture and kitchen furniture. Where could I set up a space for me? For the first time, we had a family room and a living room. This was a bigger house than we had before. We only had enough furniture for the family room. This left the living room empty and free. My eldest kept doing gymnastics in the big space that looked like a gym so I decided that we didn’t need living room furniture yet. I set up a small table in the far corner of the living room and separated it with a standing screen that hid (more or less) the table from view. At least the children did not pay attention to it since they could not see the table with interesting things on it.

My first step was to set up the table for my painting. Period. That’s all. I unpacked boxes again. The next day I found my box of supplies. I did not open it –just placed it next to the table. I unpacked boxes again and looked up doctors. After about 15 calls, I found one that would take patients. The next day, I found my references (this is in the days of printed photo references) and placed them in the spot. I unpacked again.

I am sure that you get the picture now. Now the rest is up to you….. Ready, set, go!

Remember to break it down into small steps….

Start today towards your goal to be an artist.

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at : https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018May 7, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – The front yard

Creative moments – The front yard

A few years ago, this was my front yard project. I made a sign for the front of the house. Our visitors repeatedly said that they had trouble finding the house. They could not see the number. I picked rocks from a lake where we go camping and washed them (Because it was August, many of the rocks had algae stuck to them-an Alberta problem). Thanks to my brother who works with metal, he found a circle from an old machine then made me a small circle. He welded the three metal rods to hold the little circle inside the bigger one. Then he added another old part to the bottom to the stand. I am very thankful to him for helping me with this project. My husband also helped mixing cement for me and I am thankful there too. I could not have done this project with such ease without them. Those supports really helped make the project smoother. Here were the steps:

Get form and set it up in the spot you want. It will not be moveable after you add the rocks.
Collect and wash the rocks you need
Mix cement and put two layers of rocks then let that layer dry.
Add a few more layers and let that dry.
Repeat this process until the circle is full.
Find a number to put in the circle.
Scrub all the rocks in the from to remove extra cement on the rocks. Let dry.
Make some more cement and fill in the back of the piece to make sure all the rocks are secure. I made it smooth-ish.
Varnish the front of the sign.
Add the number and secure it in.
Celebrate! You are done.

Your own project does not have to be this complex. You can simply plant some new flowers or paint the deck. The concept it to personalize your space.

Think about what you would like to do. Can you enlist some help? Do not be afraid to ask if you need help. That is the hardest part for me. But, don’t be like me, be brave and ask.

In the meantime, are you carving time for your artwork? At this point, it is time for me to start talking about taking 15 min. a day. Get up 15 minutes earlier or stay up 15 minutes later. Plan what you will do before you get there. You will be surprised how much can be done in 15 minutes. Set the timer and go!

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at: https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018May 7, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – The benefits of doing laundry

The benefits of doing laundry

Making your own art takes time and fitting in that time when work and family has its own demands is challenging. In a different house from the one that I live in now, I did not have an art making space upstairs. I set up in the laundry room. I discovered that no one would bother me while I was doing laundry. From the time that I put a load in the washing machine to the time the load was ready to put in the dryer (about half an hour), I was free. My family’s fear of having to help with or do their own laundry kept them away. Is there a time like this in your own life? Sneaking in time or is it? I call it making use of the time you have.

Think hard about how to get more art time.

Another occasion to create art when I had a busy schedule was folding clothes. I set up still lifes and photographed them using my laundry and an iron. Those paintings were a very popular series. Those were the days of slides so I don’t have any digital examples to show you.

Jonathan Ely, in his article in creativity says that people need to create. It is one of those basic needs that exist in all of us. He says that creating is a learned skill and we need to practice to develop that skill. That is good news. If practice is what is needed, then you can do this. He also says that your ability to create is directly proportional to the practicing of the skill. Does that encourage you to keep creating? If you want more information, look up the article here:https://medium.com/the-mission/creating-is-the-highest-form-of-learning-96d9cd5ba8e7

When you feel that ‘creating’ is an uphill battle, keep in mind that skills can be learnt with practice. There are differing opinions on how long it takes to develop a skill. There is a TED talk that I saw once (but could not find again) that said we only need 20 hours to learn basic skills to achieve a skill competently. He emphasized that it was 20 hours of intense concentration. If you worked casually, you did not learn as much. Intense concentration is what is needed. You absorb the skills better and a retain the information needed to accomplish the skill.

So if you are trying to paint a new technique while watching the kids playing in the back yard, you will not learn the skill as well as when you sit down in a quiet spot to practice this new skill. Use the time while watching the kids play as a time to sketch, draft ideas loosely or draw the kids as they play. Practice skills you already know.

There is a lot of information that says that 10,000 hours is needed to learn a skill but if you read the fine print, it is hours you need to start a skill that you will turn into a business. Most libraries have that 10,000 hours book: Outliers by M. Gladwell. If you want to turn art into a business, consider starting in on those hours but if you just want to learn a particular skill, it is only 20 hours. Imagine how many skills you can fit into 10,000 hours.

In the meantime, how many hours are you putting in per week? Are you ‘sneaking in’ your time? Find your 15 minutes a day and see if you can expand to 20 minutes or more.

Doris’ website:www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at :https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

This is you making it to the top of the hill.

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018May 7, 2019

Creativity in everyday life — What I like about camping

What I like about camping

Waking up in the morning to the sound of birds chirping and the wind in the trees is one of the best sensations or is it feelings ever. There is something about nature’s sounds that triggers a relaxation or happy button in people.

Sally Augustine PhD, agrees with me in the article, Take a Walk! (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/people-places-and-things/201705/take-walk). She says;

Walking in natureor where we can see it has the added benefit of restoring our mental energy. Our cognitive energy banks are depleted when we spend time concentrating — on our work or on learning something new, for example. Seeing nature helps us get back to tip top intellectual performance. Research has also shown that spending as few as five minutes walking in nature results in large improvements in self-esteemand mood. Longer periods in nature generate additional benefits, although the per-minute return decreases after the high values of those initial five minutes.

How can this benefit your creative life? Nature can not only renew your energy and relax you, the experience leads to you balancing your life with moments that add to your creativity. We shouldn’t always be working. We should spend time enjoying what is around us. We need to balance our passion or creativity with other moments in life. We need a creativity and life balance. Benjamin Hardy ( https://medium.com/@benjaminhardy/10-questions-to-know-if-youve-really-found-your-passion-and-purpose-3cb0a415e03e)says;

When you have a harmonious passion, your life continually gets better. You become better. Your health becomes better. Your relationships become better. Your finances become better. Your environment becomes better.

If camping is not your ‘joy’, how about a walk in nature? Or gardening? Or going for a canoe paddle? Find a nature moment to suit your tastes. Find a way to reconnect with nature.

I am sure that you get the picture now. Now the rest is up to you….. Ready, set, go!

Remember to break it down into small steps….

Start today towards your goal to be an artist.

Doris’ website:www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at :https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

October 23, 2018May 7, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – Is journalling for you?

Creativity in everyday life — the benefits of journaling

Creativity in everyday life — the benefits of journaling

Is a journal for you?

Journaling is used by many as a means of sorting out ideas, testing colour choices, filing notes and much more. There are many ways to start journaling. The first step is deciding what kind of journaling you want to do. Do you want to journal every day? You don’t have to. You can journal on a weekly basis but the key is to do this activity regularly.

The key is to decide what you want to get out of the journal exercise. Do you want to know more about what motivates you then you can start a self-exploration journal? Here you can learn about yourself and explore your life and ideas.

Learn about yourself
Reflect about your lifestyle
Unveil (mental) blocks
Stay connected with your Purpose
Change habits
Relax
Fuel your creative side
Let gratitude flow
Boost your confidence
Have more clarity
Manage stress
Find ways to be more successful

You can start a journal to help you on a more specific goal. For example, you want to figure out how to market your paintings. You can start a journal of ideas on how to market. Find one idea a week, for example and work on it. Make a list of ideas and work your way through it.

You can journal to find out what art medium you like the most as you work your way through different styles and mediums. For example, you can ‘explore watercolour’. Use your journal to actually try different types of techniques or styles in watercolour. Make your goal to fill a whole journal with samples. By the end you should be able to decide what you like the most and want to keep doing. That is what a journal does best….help you explore.

You can journal using art. This is what a lot of artists do. They will explore their inner selves using art as a means of exploring the topic. Say for example that you are truly happy about your new baby. Paint your happiness. Use one medium an explore the feeling. Art is about feelings thus your colour choices, designs and subjects that you choose will reflect your happiness. This works when you are sad too. This kind of exercise has been known to help people out of their ‘funky’ moods and release emotions. Some artists use journaling as a means of de-stressing themselves.

An art journal is a visual diary; it combines elements of writing, drawing, painting, collage, and even printmaking to express yourself in one location. Your family, your daily experiences and your friends are all subject matter for you. This includes hopes, dreams, and fears. Words and illustrations are used together to offer a look at what’s going on inside your head.

The point of art journaling is not to make every page a masterpiece. You are exploring. You are trying out mediums and ideas. You’re simply supposed to enjoy the act of creating something without worrying about who is going to see it — or if it even looks good. It’s just for you!

Want to get started? Get yourself a pencil, an eraser, watercolour paints, glue, collage materials and some pens for starters. When you have developed skills with those, you can add gouache, ink or even acrylic paint.

How do you start? Make yourself a list of questions that you may want to answer, make a list of subjects you want to explore or make a list of ideas you want to experience and experiment with. Here are some examples:

Introduce yourself! Draw or paint a self portrait.
Create a map of your favorite place, real or imagined.
Draw a favorite childhood memory.
Go for a nature walk and collect flowers or leaves. Write about your walk and why you gathered these items.
Paste old photos and doodle on top of them using marker.
Illustrate what’s in your bag.
Draw your favorite pet.
Hand letter an inspiring quote or personal mantra.

If you are working with wet media, you may want to get a journal that is specifically for art; one that has heavier paper to work on. These are available at art supply stores.

Whatever you decide you should make a point of having fun. Journals are just for you and you should be having fun.

Journaling sites for you to explore:

365 Questions For A Better You: the January Edition – Debbie Rodrigues
You have to become a better you to be more successful. Changing habits and developing the right mindset have to be…debbieinshape.com

Creative Mindfulness Online Calgary Workshop Muse
Search By Category: My name is Rachel and I am the face behind Workshop Muse. I created this workshop as a space for…www.workshopmuse.com

What is Art Journaling?
What is art journaling? Download “A Beginner’s Guide to Art Journaling” by Tangie Baxter. How to get started in art…shoptangiebaxter.com

How to Start an Art Journal
Art journaling does not have to be expensive or complicated. It’s one of the most forgiving ways to make art because in…mindfulartstudio.com

Doris’ website: www.dorischarest.ca

I have creativity courses and art courses online at:https://www.udemy.com/user/dorischarest/

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

Thanks for reading, and please do recommend, like, share, comment, etc. Thanks.

Till next time …

Tag: paint