Posts Tagged ‘creativity’

The Creative Fire by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Sometimes there is a logjam in our creative life. Some well-known ways to rekindle our creativity is to take a break from work. Get outside. Meditate. Work in the garden. Go to an exhibit.

I was recently looking for some new dream analysis books and ran across this cd by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Highly respected as a Jungian analyst and writer, Estes has used myths and cultural stories to divine why we remain stuck or blocked when looking at that great blank sheet of paper.

Creative impulses can be broken by interactions with negative teachers, family or loved ones. We can’t live up to our own expectations to be perfect, win awards, be ground-breaking. We set ourselves up by thinking we have to have the “right tools” or have the perfect-creative-beach-cabin before we can begin.

Pinkola Estes tells us stories that break through our customary thinking and gives us methods such as active imagination to begin or restart our creative selves. We are artists. We were born artists. Through these stories we can find our way back to being artists when we have been lost.

This book is worth listening to a number of times. Thought provoking and inspiring, it might get you back to being the artist that you are or that you forgot you were. Listen to it and share your thoughts.

Chris Orwig on creativity

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Scot Kelby’s Photoshop Insider blog has a great guest post featuring teacher, and photographer Chris Orwig. Today was the perfect day to read Mr. Orwig’s inspiring post. Yesterday I was looking through old artwork slides from 30 years ago. What I had been so self-satisfied by then, seemed so meaningless today. Reading Chris’s optimistic post about art/photography/creativity/risk gave me a boost. Read it and substitute your passion each time he uses the word photography or photograper. For instance, Mr. Orwig states:

I think it is about time that we reclaimed our identity as creative artists. Who cares if your pictures” (substitute quilting/weaving/knitting) “aren’t perfect. Being an artist is about more than that. Art isn’t about what you make, but it is about how you make it. Art is about who you are.”

I think this is a post I could reread most anytime and reflect on one of the many artist/authors he quotes. I think being a photographer and being a fiber artist are equally challenging. Anyone can knit. Anyone can snap a photo. But who you are, what you create can only come from you and your experiences. Let me know how you were inspired to take a risk with your art/life after reading his post.

Creative Inspiration

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Book cover for Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran FoerI often get inspiration from books. Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer is so incredible, so creative, that it goes beyond story telling. You really need to see the video shown on the Guardian website, especially if you can’t get your hands on the book. He has taken a book by Bruno Schulz, cut out much of the text, which left a whole new story by Foer.

There are so many ways this reminds me of weaving. One time I cut up love letters from a boyfriend, sewed the lines into plastic sleeves, and then wove them back together in a totally arbitrary way.

Let me know if you see the video, or have the book, and have any creative thoughts that spring from the viewing.