Creativity in Everyday life – Daydreaming

Another of the artist’s best practices is daydreaming. I am still learning from the book ‘Wired to create’ by @Scott B. Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire (2015). They are telling me it is OK to do things that I was told not to do as a child and an adult. Under the right circumstances, Kaufman and Gregoire say that daydreaming is a positive activity because it takes us away from our negative thoughts. Another benefit of daydreaming is that our inner thoughts are directed towards goals, aspirations and dreams. We work out our ideas, learn to understand ourselves and work out social situations.

For artists, daydreaming helps us sort out our ideas or process our ideas. The best ideas seem to come out of the blue, when we are doing something else or thinking of something else. Our minds may seem idle but they are actually working out ideas. Kaufman and Gregoire suggest taking a walk, doodling or cleaning when you are stumped or frustrated with a project.Daydreaming should be part of the artist’s toolkit, they insist.

Kaufman and Gregoire maintain that by turning our attention to the inner world, we build a sense of meaning and hope as well as tap into our deepest levels of creativity. Research shows that dreaming about the future helps us reach our goals.

One of the gurus of daydreaming is @Carl Jung. He came up with a technique called creative visualization. He advocated that we should look into our subconscious to help solve problems in the conscious mind. Jung said that with practice, we could train our mind to shift between conscious and subconscious. Remembering our dreams is one way of doing this.

Other ways to access our subconscious mind is to have a nice long, hot shower. There, we are more or less free of distractions, we are relaxed and it insulates us from the external world. No one can distract us.

Another way is to take a walk, preferably in nature. Philosopher, @Immanuel Kant, advocated walks for ideas as did @Charles Darwin and @Henry David Thoreau, @William Wordsworth, @Freud, @Hemingway, @Jefferson and @Aristotle, just to name a few famous names.

Immanuel Kant was an influential Prussian German philosopher in the Age of Enlightenment. In his doctrine of transcendental idealism, he argued that space, time, and causation are mere sensibilities; “things-in-themselves” exist, but their nature is unknowable.

The connection between subconscious and conscious is also related to mindfulness. Mindfulness is an awareness of our environment and where we are in the moment. Mindfulness is the psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment, which one can develop through the practice of meditation and through other training.

To me, mindfulness is paying attention to my painting process. I become aware of every paint stroke that I do. I carefully put down layers until I have what I want. I put on low music with no words or no music at all and I focus only on my task.

There are hundreds of articles on mindfulness. They basically say similar advice. Learn to eliminate distractions and focus only on what you are doing. Here are a few that could help you if you want to know more:

Getting Started with Mindfulness

Benefits of Mindfulness

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

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

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

Till next time …

All photography and artwork by Doris Charest

April 15, 2020December 25, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – Playing around

Creativity is a way of life or a life style or interacting with the world according to the book ‘Wired to create’ by @Scott B. Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire (2015). The authors say that creatives have a tendency to be open minded, imaginative, intellectually curious, energetic, outgoing, persistent and self-motivated regarding their activity. This gives them a greater sense of well-being and personal growth.

People who set aside time in their lives for their creative side have more of what is called ‘creative potential’. Just the act of creating increases the person’s creative abilities. They derive enjoyment from the act of creating therefore they tend to get MORE creative ideas. Having time to take risks in their creative endeavor, personal reflection, daydreaming and inner exploration help people their unique purpose and identity. Kaufman and Gregoire have identified ten habits of ‘creatives’. These habits foster the creativity lifestyle that they love.

Imaginative play is the first trait that creatives all possess.

Play is essential is creativity. Play is considered a way to make sense of the environment in that children, in particular, rehearse their life, conquer fears or what they wish for. According to Kaufman and Gregoire play allows skills like planning, problem solving, organization of diverse content, language development, divergent thinking, curiosity, tolerance and general social skills. All play supports learning.

This is the time when, as an artist, you try new techniques, figure out what works and what doesn’t, choose what works for you and continue in your art practice.

Kaufman and Gregoire say that playing and seriousness need to be combined for the best results. Play gives us resilience, the ability to work through hard projects at work and thus increases your performance. Increased performance and play makes us happy. Who wouldn’t be happy if they managed to solve problems at work then go home to play or even have play time at work. Kaufman and Gregoire add that adult life does not allow for enough time to play. We live structured lives without time to daydream, imagine and play.

As an artist, how can you integrate more play into your practice?

Can you give yourself one day a week or a month to just play with media, ideas or other artists?

Can you pick up a brand new medium and try it out without reading the instructions or taking a class on how to use this material?

Can you bring yourself to the Reuse Centre to find something to make art with that you have never used before?

Can you put big pieces of paper on the floor and paint for fun?

Make a list of things that you could do. Every once in a while, pick one of these ideas and play.

Here are some links about creativity you might also want to see:

https://creativesomething.net/post/149747194420/creativity-is-not-art

5 Surprising Things You Might Not Know About Creativity

Documentary Film:The Creative Brain by @David Engleman

Or, you can take my creativity class on Udemy.com – A creative lifestyle

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 …

February 29, 2020December 25, 2019

Creativity in everyday life – One thing I learnt by doing art

One thing I learnt by doing art

Art has enriched my life in many ways. Surprisingly, I learnt patience to do my art as it should be done.

Patience. Making art takes time and contrary to popular belief, it is not a one-step process. One of my students told me: ‘I want it done right away and I want it to look good right away.’ This does not happen 99.9% of the time. In painting, you need to layer colors, experiment with what color goes well with another, reposition shapes and even start over. Building your image slowly with many layers gives the subject more subtle variations in color and a more interesting look. It is well worth the time to layer colors just for the beauty of the nuances. Sculpture is much the same. You build slowly, making small adjustments to the shapes in order to have just the right angle or look.

It takes time to develop as an artist and patience is a very important trait for an artist to have. Who wants to wait for this to happen? It goes beyond that. We learn perseverance and fortitude with patience. Discipline in doing our work to helps move us in a positive direction. Concentration shows strength of mind. Patience enables us to develop, grow, and mature in our work as an artist. Without patience, none of this could happen. For more help, check out this blog: https://sandyaskeyadams.com/blog/57607/patience-a-most-esssential-tool-in-the-art-studio

At times it may seem like you are not improving with your work, like nothing is happening, but there really is something happening. You are making decisions. Taking little steps towards finishing brings greater rewards. Working through the process takes patience and time. Those who don’t want to bother with making that commitment to persevere through these difficult stages will not easily have productive results, if any. Check out my class on Udemy.com ‘A creative lifestyle’ for ideas. I include time saving ideas in the class.

Hope that helps,

Doris

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 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 …