How to Be More Creative

Good afternoon, folks! I hope wherever you are reading this from, you are not dying in this heat. But it's about 10 degrees cooler than it was here yesterday - thank the Lawd.

Anyway, for today's post, I'd like to give you some hints and tips on opening your mind a little bit. In case you're stuck in a rut, like I am currently, I figured exploring some fun options to climb out of that hole will do us all some good.

I like to think of myself as a creative person - I love all kinds of art: to look at, to make, etc. I feel like art is a fantastic part of culture that shows us who we are and what we're thinking. Expressing ourselves through all forms of art can even be therapeutic, and I know for certain that it is for me, as well as many others.

Creativity is defined as the state or quality of being creative; the ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas. Even if you hate art, or you think all you can do is draw a mediocre stick figure family, there is some creativity in everybody. Sometimes you just gotta dig deep down to find it.

Like Einstein so eloquently put it: "Creativity is contagious, pass it on." As soon as you jump in to your creative side, you'll want the whole world to know how much fun it can be. So share your stuff, share this blog post, share Einstein's quote.

Here are some fun ways to explore your inner Van Gogh, Picasso, or Frida (whichever you'd rather associate yourself with)...

1. Pinterest is a Godsend. First off, let me just tell you that Pinterest is the greatest website ever for anything fun and creative, as well as basically everything. But for now, we're sticking with the creative side of things that Pinterest has to offer. I have entire boards of fun stuff to do and to make. So go to Pinterest.com, sign up if you haven't already, and get to pinning some awesome creative stuff to do. Here is my DIY board to give you some inspiration: http://www.pinterest.com/claremckenn/diy/

Other ways to get creative:

2. Go to your nearest arts and crafts store. Usually at Michael's you can find a whole lot of fun stuff to get some inspiration from. I usually wind up spending way too much money on craft supplies that I hope to use at one point or another. And to be honest, I don't get around to much of the ideas I would love to try out, but just in case I ever do get around to them, I have all the stuff I need!

3. Collect things. Starting a collection of things like magazines is not only a lot of fun, but will also provide you with some inspiration for some collage-y stuff. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE collages, and I get a kick out of collecting a crap ton of magazines that I can use later to make some awesome art. I also dabble a bit in wedding planning collages. I love weddings, as well as art, as you know by now, and when I combine the two, I could not be happier. I don't have any wedding collages to show you on here, but here are a couple fun and random collages I have made in the past:

(Mountain Man, right). (Stepping Out, below to the left). (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Angelina, below to the right).























4. Grab your camera. Even if all you have access to is your smartphone or a cheap disposable, grab it, travel around, walk around your house, wherever you see inspiration, and start shooting! Take as many shots as you see fit - the more you take, the better chance you have of getting some good ones to keep. "Hire" a friend or family member to be your model for the day, and go out and photograph them wherever you want. Photography hasn't always been considered an art form, but I find it to be the most beautiful of all the art forms - and you can get super creative with it too. Tilt your camera to quirky angles and get some interesting perspective shots. There is so much you can do with a camera - play with the lighting, the zoom, the angles, etc. Get out there and start taking some awesome photographs.


5. Invest in a sketchbook or sketchpad. Buy a cheap one, buy an expensive one - do whatever you like. But find one you like and bring it with you everywhere. Stash it in your purse or pocket, along with a pen or pencil and whenever you see something you'd like to remember or draw, get out the sketchbook and start sketching! Your sketches could even lead you to make some more fun art later.

6. Art can make great gifts! It's true! My best friend Milly is the most creative person I know and she made me some FANTASTIC gifts for a variety of occasions. The last time I got home from the hospital, she made me a little gift that consisted of a small glass jar filled with rocks and some bigger-sized twigs, and she tied little pieces of paper around the twigs that had little inspirational and motivational quotes on them. It was the sweetest thing in the whole world and I loved it. For my birthday this year, she made me a big gift basket filled with my favorite things - some candy, a mug she drew on, a Batman comic book (I LOVE Batman), a small puzzle, etc. There is so much fun stuff you can do with a homemade gift or card for a friend or family member. So try it out!

7. Open your mind. This is the most important aspect of creating something. You can't be all scientific with art or creativity - although, sometimes we are inspired by science and make art out of it. But forget the numbers or whatever - grab some paint and a brush and slap it onto a canvas. See what you get! Be open to new things and ideas; you might just create a masterpiece!

I hope you learned some fun new things and ideas to try out the next time you get bored or are in desperate need of something to do. Give these tips a go and see what happens. HAVE FUN!

xoxo,
Clare