Summer 2015 Challenge - Creative Exercises

Summer 2015 Creative Exercises     

Next Meeting is Sept 12th 10:30 am-new Lyons Quilting Location                                                               42 E Main St in Lyons (formerly the Black Bear Inn)   

"Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives . . [and] when we are involved in it we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life."  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Everyone is naturally creative, particularly when we were children.  We can recapture, develop and expand our creativity in all areas of our lives by exercising our creativity.  We are full of ideas and inspiration when we let go of rules, mindsets, inflexibility and fear of uncertainty.

What do highly creative people do differently...  They daydream.  They observe everything. They take time for solitude. They turn life's obstacles around.  They seek out new experiences.  They fail. They people-watch. They view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression.  They get out of their own heads.  They take risks.  They shake things up.

     (Excerpts from article in Huffington Post by Carolyn Gregoire  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html )

  

For your summer challenge, have weekly (daily would be better!) sessions of 10-20 minutes of creative exercises.   Keep a journal or make some notes to share with us in September.  If you are inspired by any of your exercises, you could design or make something for show and tell.  But mainly play and have FUN !

·         Finger paint

·         Drawing/doodling

·         Torn paper collage

·         3 lines exercise-make a drawing using only 3 continuous lines

·         Sidewalk chalk drawing

·         Museum games - name that painting, find 3 paintings that have something in common

·         Paint a rock

·         Color in a coloring book

·         Image Streaming  http://ezinearticles.com/?Exercises-to-Encourage-Creativity&id=1532735

·         Guided free writing - choose a word, image or topic and write stream of consciousness style

·         Word games/brain teasers http://99u.com/articles/7160/Test-Your-Creativity-5-Classic-Creative-Challenges

·         Photograph something odd or ordinary

·         Make up a story about something or somebody you see

·         Look for shapes in clouds, rocks, trees

·         Creative thinking - combining ideas, good bad interesting  http://creativethinkingwith.com/Creative-Thinking-Exercises.html

·         Do some art journaling

·         Remote Association exercise http://creativethinking.net/remote-association-test

·         Play with photos in a photo editing program

·         2 handed drawing  http://youtu.be/y7ETuec0n4Y

·         make a silly video

·         watch a TED talk  http://www.ted.com/playlists/171/the_most_popular_talks_of_all                                              this one is very interesting ...http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play  

 

Links and References

The New Creative Artist by Nita Leland

The Creative Edge by Mary Todd Beam

http://www.slideshare.net/MyFrenchEasel/creative-exercises-for-artists

http://www.finearttips.com/2013/11/six-creative-drawing-exercises/#

http://www.howdesign.com/how-magazine/how-may-2012/unstuck/

http://www.expressiveartworkshops.com/expressive-artists/100-art-therapy-exercises/

http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/7670/3-exercises-to-improve-your-creative-thinking-skills/

http://blog.creativethink.com/creativity_exercise/index.html

http://www.writingforward.com/category/writing_exercises/creative-writing-exercises

http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-Your-Creativity

http://www.howdesign.com/design-creativity/creative-exercises/3-creative-excercises-for-building-better-design-ideas/

http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/design-exercises-to-get-your-creativity-ripped--psd-14433

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/20/4-silly-sketching-exercises-to-spark-your-creativity/

http://intuitivecreativity.typepad.com/expressiveartinspirations/self-expression-therapy-activities.html

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/2010/09/49-creative-things-you-can-do-today/