Home Sanctuary

I is for Ignition

 

Talent starts with ignition.

In his books, The Talent Code, and The Little Book of Talent, Daniel Coyle talks about how talent is grown and cultivated.

 

"Talent is determined far less by our genes and far more by our actions: specifically, the combination of intensive practice and motivation that produces brain growth."

{His books are a MUST read for every parent, coach, teacher, and self-improver, by the way.}

 

Mr. Coyle says this:

"Talent begins with brief, powerful encounters that spark motivation by linking your identity to a high-performing person or group. This is called ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world-shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: I could be them."

He cites people like Stephen King, Sinichi Suzuki and Albert Einstein as people who experienced a spark that ignited their passions.

 

How do you ignite creativity?

1. Create opportunities for encounters with the spark. Concerts, art shows, museums, conferences, walks in the park. Be open to what may happen.

2. Observe, watch, imitate those who do best what you are trying to learn. If you are learning guitar, study Eric Clapton. Tennis? Venus Williams. Find the best in your field and set your sights on them. See what they do and how they do it.

3. Allow yourself the freedom to be caught up in the moment. Ignition happens when you give yourself permission to catch fire. Most of us are content to simply smolder because we fear passion.

4. Be joyful. Joy in your activity will carry your further than you can imagine. Let your heart sing as you put your pen to paper or make your scrapbook page or knit that scarf. Savor the moment, and enjoy the feeling of creating.

 

How about you? Have you had a "moment" that ignited your passion for something? Have you experienced a spark when you observed others doing what you want to do? what did it feel like? How did it change you? Share your ignition story!

 

As an Amazon Associate, I will receive a very small compensation for purchases from the links today. Not even enough for a cup of coffee....but whatever. Just so's ya know.

H is for Heart

This post is part of my month long series, "Be More Creative" in 31 Days. I am really enjoying thinking about what keeps me inspired and how I can continually be more creative - not just as a writer and artist, but as a wife and mom and business owner. I hope you'll take each day's post and find ways to apply it to your everyday life as well.

 

H is for Heart.

 

It's very simple:

The best art comes from the heart.

 

And if you see art as "communication," you can see why the heart is so important. In fact, if you take Heart out of any kind of communication, you usually end up with something trite, uninteresting and forgettable.

Think of the last time a person's words from a stage or a book moved you. Or a time when a piece of music put a lump in your throat. Or when your child looked at you and said, "I love you." Each person communicated something about themselves - and about yourself - in a transparent, vulnerable way, because it came from their heart. They exposed a part of themselves to you that pulled an involuntary response from you.

I've sat through many business meetings where the lecturers plowed through mind-numbing power-point presentations and I wished to God I was somewhere else. "Oh dear LORD, how much longer?"

And I've been riveted to my seat by speakers whose message is so transparent, vulnerable and compelling that I can hardly breathe. "YES!" my soul responded.

The difference is...Heart.

To be more creative - in any endeaver - you must be willing to be vulnerable and express the "real you." Show us your heart and we will, in turn, show you ours.

 

Art, after all, is communication.

Here are a few tips to help you create from the heart:

1. Be honest. Skip trying to sound/look/create/like other people, and simply be yourself. Use YOUR words, YOUR colors, YOUR notes...not what you think is popular.

2. Be brave. Take a deep breath and think and feel and speak and create from deep inside you. When YOU are brave, others can be, too.

3. Be humble. Not everyone will love what you do, what you say or how you express yourself. But when you are humble in your approach, no one can really fault you. You don't have it all together and your work tomorrow may look very different than is does today. "I'm still learning," is a great phrase to say when showing your work or revealing yourself.

4. Find support. There is nothing like finding others who share your passions and interests. The internet has opened up whole new worlds for people who thought they were alone in their (painting, drawing, music, motherhood, marriage, fill in the blank). You can learn a lot from them, and you will find it easier to express yourself, knowing there is a common bond of friendship.

5. Be patient. Sometimes your message doesn't come out the way you want it to. Your heart is not translating onto the canvas or into the words you want to write. Take your time. Learn your craft. Let your "voice" develop until what you create sounds and looks "like you." 

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to communicate from the heart.

 

In marriage, parenting, working and creating, when your words and actions come from your heart there is a chance that something extraordinary will happen. Yes, it's a risk, but it just may liberate you! You will find a richness of relationships and deeper expression of art....because it is the REAL YOU.

What do you REALLY want to say? What do you truly want to express? Who is your authentic self?

Now, think of how you can put those feelings into your art and words and actions. I'd love to know how you can apply today's assignment!

G is for Give

 

Art is meant to be shared.

One of the best ways to develop creativity is to give. To be generous with it. Share it with others.

I once signed up for piano lessons and truly enjoyed them.....until I found out there would be a recital at the end of the year.

"But why do I have to perform?" I complained. "I'm only taking these lessons for my own benefit!"

My teacher shook her head.

"The piano IS a performance instrument," she said. "It is meant to be played so that others can enjoy. Yes, you may learn for your own pleasure, but you will really never perfect your skill unless you prepare to play for others. Music is made to be shared."

I had never thought about it that way. But really, ALL art is made to be shared. There is a common desire to share in beauty and creativity that differentiates humans from all other creatures in the world.

What are some ways you can give of your creativity?

1. Donate your talent to local organizations. Churches need artists, designers, musicians, letter folders, teachers, helpers....whatever you can do, no matter how small, you are needed.

2. Do it for free. When I started painting murals, I did (and still do) lots of freebies for people. It built my portfolio and my confidence.

3. Teach others. The best way to learn your craft is to teach someone else. You'll be forced to break each skill into its simplest form so that others can grasp it. You'll be surprised at how much you know.

4. Share with someone in need. A friend of mine loves to spruce up homeless shelters and safe homes for abused women. She loves making these places beautiful for people who need beauty in their lives. A person or family who is struggling may not have any time or money to spend on extras, like art, music or crafts. Imagine what a blessing it would be to receive a gift of beauty!

Sharing your art and talent makes the world a better place. Even if you feel you aren't "very good," you will find somebody who appreciates what you do....and will feel joy because of it.

 

Today's Be More Creative assignment is to GIVE.

 

How can you give away your talents today? How could your art benefit someone else? What would the world look like if we all gave generously of our creativity and love of beauty?

F is for Face Your Fears

 

 

I think most of us are familiar with the fear of failure. It's the paralyzing belief that keeps us from trying, or doing our best, because deep down we feel that our best may not be good enough. Because we don't want to fail, we often don't start. Or we quit before the finish line. 

Fear of failure is often a result of perfectionism - if we aren't perfect right out of the chute, then we have failed. My friends, this is a mindset that robs you of creativity and keeps you stuck.

 

There is another kind of fear, one that we don't always consider.

 

The fear of success.

 

Just as paralyzing as the fear of failure, this belief causes you to self-sabotage and do things to undermine your own efforts to succeed.

It says: I don't deserve to be successful. I'm not worthy of being brilliant. I can't be the best in my field because I won't be able to handle a new kind of life. I'm afraid of what will happen if I live up to my potential.

And so we hold back. We don't give our all. We let life happen to us. We live in mediocrity.

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ Marianne Williamson**

 

I struggle with the fear of success. I've asked myself why I haven't returned an important phone call, or why I missed a deadline, or why I didn't stay up late to make my art piece perfect. And the answer is that I've sabotaged my own dreams with my actions because I've felt unworthy of letting my talent shine, of living free, of creating possiblities for myself.

But I'm determined to face this fear and not let it rule me. I don't want to live small.

 

How about you? Are you afraid of success? Fear failure? Both?

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to face your fear.

 

Do one thing that punches fear in the face and says, "You do not have power over me." Remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but it is action in spite of the fear. Step out, do that thing that scares you, and let the chips fall where they may. Your light will shine on others and inspire them to do the same.

You ARE worthy of letting your light shine. You are deserving of living a creative, boundless life. And God delights in seeing you live free of fear.

So live it today!

 

2 Tim. 1: 7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind.

 

 

**(yes, I know...Marianne Williamson. I don't agree with some of her views, but the above quote is quite true.)

 

 

E is for Evolve

Well, shoot, y'all.

I had to take a little unexpected break from my 31 Days to Be More Creative series. But I'm back. I had the privilege of speaking at my church's Women's Retreat over the weekend, and then had a couple of days of catching up with work....so here I am again! I'm just going to pick up where I left off, which is:

 

E is for Evolve

 

The very essence of creativity is in the ability to evolve artistically.

Let me explain.

In a nutshell, no matter what or where you start on your creative journey, you will likely end up somewhere completely different. One technique will lead to another, one artform will inspire something else, and one skill will give birth to five new skills. You will evolve...if you keep creating.

I was SO PROUD of my very first attempt at painting. I signed up for a tole painting class at my local art store, and this was our project: a tile trivet.

Our instructor showed us how to make simple "S" curves with a liner brush to create the grapevine wreath. Then we dipped the other end of the paintbrush into white and pink paint to make little dots for baby's breath.

The "S" technique took a little practice. At the beginning of each stroke, very little pressure is applied. And as you curve into the center, you press a little harder, causing your line of paint to get thicker. Still moving the brush, you lift gently and bring it to a smooth stop.

I was hooked.

That first skill was the basis for building more skills. Soon I could paint flowers and vines and leaves....this was the 90's and I covered MILES of walls with vines and flowers!

Eventually, I learned new skills that led me to projects like these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evolving takes patience. It takes practice. It takes learning the rules of your artform...and then pushing them and even breaking them.

"S" strokes teach brush control in painting. In singing, vocalizing routines teach breath control. In piano, scales teach dexterity and speed. In sewing, seams that are straight and even are the basis for everything else. Fingering the guitar, pencil sketching, making fondant flowers for cakes, learning grammar in writing - all are necessary skills you need to grow into the artist you want to become.

Mastering the basics, then expanding on them, means that you will always evolve and grow as an artist, in whatever your artform. And THAT, is exciting!

What "basics" are you mastering right now? Are you impatient with yourself? What tips do you have to encourage evolving?

D is for Deadline

Deadlines may seem counter-intuitive to creativity.

 

And it's true that creative ideas can take time to develop, flesh out and take shape.

 

But without a deadline, all those wonderful creative ideas will be just that: ideas.

 

There is a great saying I've heard somewhere:

 

Nothing makes you more productive than the last minute.

Tweet this!

 

Isn't that the truth?

 

That's why a deadline can be the creative mind's best friend. It makes you PRODUCE something with all that imagination. It makes you find the imagination you can lose when you have oodles and oodles of time on your hands.

 

Picture someone asking you to write a song for them....whenever. You might hum a tune in the shower and work on the lyrics as you drive to work, but will you ever finish it? Not likely.

 

Unless.... what if that person asks you for a song FOR THEIR BIRTHDAY? Now you have a deadline. Now you have a reason to stay up late and nail down that melody line. Now you know when you'll be performing it. You BET you'll be finishing it...and everyone will enjoy your creativity in the process.

 

Struggling with producing anything creative? Give yourself a deadline.

• Sign up for an art show, craft fair or event that you must have your pieces at.

• Offer to give your art (or song, or poem, or story) at a talent show.

• Commit to a date to finish: Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries make great, meaningful deadlines for you to share your art with people you love.

• Be accountable. My husband told me I needed to stop talking about opening a store and do it by a certain date. So mean! But it lit a fire under me when he kept checking on my progress.

• Meet with a group. My writer's group meets once a month...and guess when I do my best work? Yep. The night before.

• Invite company over to look at your project. That'll do it!

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to give yourself a deadline.

 

When will you have your creative project done? Don't have any idea? Then it probably won't get done. Give yourself just until Christmas.....and guess when you'll have it finished? Yes, December 24.

 

Remember, creative projects aren't "just art." They can be organizing your medicine cabinet, sprucing up your bedroom, filing papers, planting flowers...you name it. Don't limit what you "think" is creativity to drawing....or you'll miss out on the enjoyment of the process.

 

Sooo.....when is YOUR deadline?

 

This post is part of the 31Days Challenge.

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Be More Creative in 31 Days

C is for Cultivate

 

(Via Flickr)

cul·ti·vate

ˈkəltəˌvāt/

1. 1.prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening.

   synonyms:

   till, plow, dig, hoe, farm, work, fertilize, mulch, weed More

2. try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).

 

"I wish I was creative like you!"

I've heard that statement scores of times, usually when I'm up on a ladder with a paintbrush in my hand. It's said with the unspoken mistaken assumption that I was "born creative."

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

I've taken my standard issue nugget of creativity and cultivated it over many years and through lots of practice. It only looks easy because I've put work into learning my craft...and applying the same principles into other areas of my life.

 

To make creativity grow, you must plan for it, plant it, tend it, fertilize it, and work it. I'm going to toss my favorite cultivation ideas out there and see if you can add to my list:

1. Find experts and watch them: youtube has ah-MAYzing tutorials. Guitar playing, painting, woodworking....ANY form of art can be found.

 

2. Be childlike: don't be afraid to ask questions, experiment, explore.

 

3. Have the tools of your craft handy and available. Nothing squelches a sudden desire to create something than having to locate a paint brush, paint, glue, fabric etc.

 

4. Invest in yourself. So what if it's "just a hobby?" Spend some money on classes, books, conferences and webinars. Make time. Your soul is crying out for this. Say YES to your creative self.

 

5. Open your eyes to design. Look at surfaces, colors, signs, fabrics, products. Ask questions about what you see. Figure out how things are made.

 

6. Listen to inspiring music. I love to have my Pandora stations on when I'm thinking and creating. I have my favorite epic movie soundtracks in iTunes that fill me with possibilities. Music opens your mind to big thoughts.

 

7. Give yourself time to "find your voice." I'm still working on finding my "painting voice" on canvases. I'm experimenting and have a feeling that my work will look very different five years from now. Writing has taken me a long time to learn to craft sentences, edit and delete, delete, delete until what I type sounds like "me."

 

8. See creativity as an expression of God through you. You may never be the next YoYo Ma, or Thomas Newman or Picasso, but when you let yourself feel the process of making something, you are experiencing God's pleasure. He is the ultimate creator and He loves to see His children create.

 

9. Find others who love the things you do. Artistry can be a lonely endeavor. MOST of my days on jobsites are spent by my little ol' self. I love to find other people who "get" my love for Cerulean Blue, Payne's Gray and Cadmium Yellow.

 

10. Turn off the TV, computer, phone and distractions. We fritter so much valuable time away on Facebook and watching junk....or it just me?? All this media turns our brains to mush and makes our creative juices leak out like a sieve.

 

Finally,

You will learn best by doing.

 (And you can tweet that, honey.)

 

Alrighty then!

 

Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to take one of the 10 tips and put it into practice.

You COULD do several of them at the same time....turn off computer, listen to music and invest in yourself. WOOT! Creative multi-tasking.

Tell me: what are some ways YOU can cultivate your creative life?

B is for Bad - as in, Make a Bad One

 

"Make a Bad One"

It's a concept that literally changed my life.

 

 

See, I want to do everything perfectly, right from the beginning. I somehow believe my first attempt (or even my 100th attempt) at a new skill should have professional results. But the moment I put my pencil to paper, my brush to canvas, my measuring spoon into flour, or my fingers on the keyboard, I seize up.

WHAT IF I FAIL?

THIS LOOKS LIKE CRAP.

I CAN'T DO THIS.

I'M NO GOOD.

The next step, however, is one I'm particularly good at: Epic Procrastination.

I'll collect recipes, but never attempt them. I'll buy books on painting but never open my paints. I'll purchase workout clothes but never sign up for an exercise class. I'll write down ideas but never put them into practice. I'll talk about it a lot, but never have anything to show for it. 

Because I want to be good....immediately. And actually DOING something scares me to death. Because I know it's not going to be any good.

 

The best advice I ever heard was simply to "Make a bad one."

Paint a bad painting. If it's horrible, that's ok. You weren't trying to make it perfect. You were experimenting.

Ice a birthday cake, badly. If it looks like a Cake Wreck, who cares?

Do Zumba like the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz - stiffly, with a lot of noise.

Sew a badly designed quilt. It will still do the job of keeping you warm.

Write a bad story.

Play your instrument until your ears bleed.

Doing something badly gives you the freedom to make mistakes, experiment and go easy on your poor little perfectionist self, who is dying a slow death with every ill-planned move. When you worry less about the outcome and simply enjoy the process, good things can happen....often inside you.

Focus on the experience, the burgeoning joy that wants to come out, and the feeling of freedom that comes from not caring about the result.

 

Today's Be More Creative assignment is....you guessed it:

Make a bad one.

 

What are you afraid of trying? What do you wish was perfect, right from the get-go? Stop that kind of thinking right now, and GO DO IT BADLY. On purpose.

Don't overthink, over-analyze, or over-work. Just enjoy being bad.

Tell me: what will you do badly today? How does it make you feel? Can you tell that you're kicking perfectionism right to the curb when you do it?

This post is part of the 31Day Challenge at The Nester. Like it? Share it!!

A is for Appreciating Art, All Kinds

 

This month, I'm participating in the 31 Day Challenge by The Nester. My topic is:

 

Be More Creative in 31 Days

You can read about it here.

 

Let's begin!

The best way to start being more creative is to look at art. Lots of it.

I'm always amazed at the endless forms of art that there are. From Renaissance paintings by the masters, to magazine ads, tattoos, quilting, wood carving, collage, sculpture, architecture, graffiti, textiles.....art - even art you don't understand - should be appreciated. Each form is an expression of the artist, and requires skill, practice and commitment to the craft.

If you want to cultivate your own creativity, seek out the art that is around you and look, truly look at it. Like this:

"Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California" by Albert Bierstadt, Birmingham Museum of Art. This is one of my favorites from the Hudson River School.

 

Young Mother Sewing, Mary Cassatt 

What a timeless moment.

 

I love this piece by Patrick Gunderson.

 

Fabulous collage art by Derek Gores.

 

I could go on and on with examples of art, but I'm going to let you do a little sleuthing on your own. As you look at art, ask yourself some questions:

What is the predominant color in the work?

Is there a secondary color that you notice?

Has the artist used complementary colors or analogous colors to create interest? (Look at the Gunderson painting above....he has used one of these techniques)

Where is the focal point of the piece? Every sculpture, painting, collage, and work has someplace the artist wanted you to rest your eyes, and then follow through the remainder of the piece. Did you know you were being deliberately guided?

Is there a message the artist is trying to convey?

How does the artist use light to his advantage? Atmosphere? Mood?

Is there an emotion conveyed by the subjects?

How does this piece or object speak to you?

Almost everything you see around you has been designed by someone. The chair you're sitting in, the table that holds your computer, the orange juice pitcher, the lamp, the car, the billboard you pass each day.

Each piece can be pulled apart into elements of color, texture, design and message. Each can be observed and appreciated.

 

Today's Be More Creative assignment:

Look at this Vermeer painting and ask the above questions and make your own observations:

The Milkmaid, Vermeer

 

What stands out to you? Where is the focal point? What is the atmosphere? How has Vermeer used color to make this painting visually pleasing? Is there an "active" and "passive" zone? What details draw your eye? Do you have questions for the artist as to why he included certain things?

Let's discuss in the comments! Have fun with this!

 

Now, for a bonus, think about how a knowledge of artistry affects your home. 

Take a look around you and "see" the colors, layouts and textures. Is there a focal point? Have you used color to your advantage? Simply asking the same questions within your home will make you a more creative homemaker. I'd love to know what you observe, now that you are really looking.

You have taken the first step to being more creative, my friend.

 

 

Be More Creative in 31 Days

 

On the heels of my Tidy Habits series, I vowed not to talk about cleaning for a whole month. A WHOLE MONTH!

And everyone said, "Amen!"

For October, I'm linking up with The Nester's 31 Day Challenge to write about one topic for 31 days. I've never done anything like this challenge before, but I thought it sounded like fun, and that it would fit right in with my resolution to talk about Home Sanctuary...without all the tidiness.

So naturally, my topic is: Be More Creative.

 

Me, being creative

 

I will give you 31 tips, exercises and inspiration to become the creative woman you were meant to be. And I'm going to do it in A-Z order, with five bonus tips. 

If you ever wished you were naturally creative and artistic but felt doomed to live a life of straight lines and spreadsheets, this is the series for you. Together, we are going to break out of our perfectionistic prisons tendencies and be brave enough to spread our creative wings.

I know this is possible because I am living proof that art can be learned and creativity can be cultivated. 

I never picked up a paintbrush until I was in my 30's, and never really wrote anything significant until my 40's. (Unless you count the three poems my mother has saved from my childhood.)

Today, I make a living as an artist, write this blog and am writing a real deal book. It has been a journey of learning, taking risks and being brave enough to say "yes" to new opportunities and experiences. I'm excited to share my creative journey, my ideas and yes....my mess with you this October.

Don't miss a post. Subscribe to my daily posts via email by clicking on the Subscribe Form in the upper right hand corner of my blog. And be sure and check in each day for a simple exercise that will get your mind thinking creatively! I can't wait to see the results!

Happy 31 Days to Becoming More Creative.

 

I'll keep adding links to each post this month:

A is for Appreciating Art - All Kinds

B is for Bad - As in, make a bad one