Left Brain, Right Brain, Ha!

This is just one of the grocery shopping lists I made and used during the holidays. I usually throw these away in the store when I am done shopping, but this one fascinated me. I couldn't help but think about all those left brain/right brain references I always find in books about creativity and especially, about writing. And I wondered what a psychiatrist would think of my work above, wondering if I may have created a whole new part of the brain.

For a quick review, the left brain is supposedly in charge of logic, language, math and the ability to retrieve facts. Think Mr. Spock. The right brain, on the other hand, is the creative part. It's intuitive, subjective and thoughtful. Think Capt. Kirk.

So in those writer's texts, the lesson was that you should create your greatest work by relying on the right brain, and trying to keep the left side, also known as The Editor, from making comments like: What are you thinking? No one will read this! Or This is the worst story/article/poem I have ever read. Delete it now before someone gets hurt!

Of course these situations would also apply to anyone trying to create anything. Not a happy meeting of the minds for sure.

But today's experts now say these two brain hemispheres always work together, helping each other out when the time comes. So no one is so entrenched in one side of their brain to the point that they can't make use of the talents the other hemisphere offers.

So my disorganized shopping list doesn't define me either way. I'm just a messy thinker no matter which side of the brain I am using.

I can live with that.

Nothing Like a New Box of Crayons

When we were young and getting ready for a new school year, the absolute best thing to have was a box of 64 Crayola crayons (with an actual sharpener embedded in the box.) Way cool.

I went to look in my office drawer for such a box to show you and found that I actually had a 96 crayon box hidden away from an old project. I didn't even remember that.

Not 64, but 96 Crayola crayons

I checked further on the internet and it seems that Crayola now sells a  box of 120 crayons (twice as many as when I was young) which is probably too many, but I wouldn't turn the box down.

I was talking with a friend about creating art and I thought about  how inspiring any size new box of crayons could be to someone who is looking for a creative project to begin or work on again.

So my suggestion is to go out and buy a box of crayons -- any number of crayons will do -- and start a project with them. Draw and color in an art journal, print out some mandala patterns to color or make some greeting cards for Valentine's Day. Doesn't matter what you do just that you do something. And don't be intimidated by all of those perfectly sharpened, untouched tips on the crayons. Go ahead and use them.

So many artists on the web talk about not trying to be perfect in everything, to strive for progress not perfection.

I think that is a good lesson for all of us.

   

Stop! Creativity May Have to Wait. . .a bit

Sometimes, being creative means that you have to take two steps back and put those whimsical, inspired ideas on hold.

I know, not much fun, but often, it's the only way.

I recently bought an open toe free motion spring foot for my old Viking sewing macine. This model was the first, I think, of the series of machines which had electronics built in so that I could write names on fabric bags, and do a lot of decorative stitches. (See photo above)

I haven't used the machine in years and years except for a couple of projects sewing on paper. But I have been interested in learning to do free motion embroidery with the machine for a while.

With luck, and my friend's advice, I actually ended up buying the right free motion presser foot for the machine. So I decided to try and quilt with it and ended up with a big old jam (probably one of the reasons I gave up sewing years ago.)

I decided I didn't have enough information to go ahead and try again, and for a reason that escapes me, I don't own a book that would show me how to do this type of embroidery.

So I ordered some basic books at the library and hope they come in soon so I can get back to my projects.

This is very frustrating as my creative juices were flowing last week and now I will have to get inspired again next week once the books arrive and I can take the steps to learn more. But this is the intelligent way to do things, I know, so I will do the responsible thing and wait.

Except that I hate waiting.

Creativity Tip No. 43

Polka Dot Christmas Balls

Small Christmas ball ornaments waiting to be decorated



I was out shopping the other day and came across small containers of tiny Christmas ornaments that had polka dots all over them. I loved the idea of them and decided I would buy some and put them in some square vashes I have. Voila! An easy, inexpensive centerpiece.

I would need at least three of the containers to fill the vases, and was shocked when I turned one container over to see the price tag: $12. So for nearly $40 I could have that simple, inexpensive centerpiece. Didn't seem right somehow.

I then visited a JoAnn's craft store and found the same little ornaments sans polka dots on sale for $2.50 a container. That's when I had a dangerous idea: Why couldn't I paint dots on these ornaments to get the same effect?

So that's what I am doing. I already had white paint and decided I could use mini muffin pans filled with tissues as a drying rack for my little gems. I am using an old rounded embossing tool to make the paint dots but you could use a paint brush or anything else that will make a dot.

I can only paint dots on one half of the balls at a time for obvious reasons. I will let these dry overnight and then paint on the other side. I will then have 24 decorated balls when I am done with this first batch. I know I need more than that so I will probably paint 24 more.

As you can imagine, this is pretty time-consuming, but they have turned out to be pretty and still cost less than the original ones and I am enjoying myself. Very Yeasty!

Note: Here is the almost-finished final product! I need to add a few more ornaments to this vase and then make more to fill up its twin. Looks pretty good so far!

Creative Spotlight

Creativity Two Ways: Photography vs. Painting 

I took this photo in October in a small town not far from here named Volant. This barn was located at the back of the parking lot where my sisters-in-law and I left our car, choosing to walk around the town on the beautiful fall day.

We took a lot of photos that day, and then my sister-in-law Maggie decided to paint a couple of the scenes.

Therefore, we have this beautiful renditon of the same scene:

This painting has so much more life and color in it than the photograph I took.

Here's another example: 

This is a very nice photo, I think, and it tells the story of fall and plenty. But when Maggie wielded her magic, this is what resulted:

Beautiful, eh?

I love taking pictures and will continue to do so, because it makes me happy. I can't paint as beautifully as this, and maybe you can't either, but creativity is expressed in different ways by different people. If you can't do one thing, you can do another. Everything has its place.

To see more of Maggie's work, visit her blog.

Creativity Tip No. 24

Mind Mapping

You have probably heard of Mind Mapping, which is sometimes called Radiant Thinking and brainstorming. It was created by Tony Buzan and is a way to allow your creative mind to get past your inner editor, not an easy task.

The editor is that voice in your head that talks trash to you when you come up with a Big Idea and are feeling excited. The voice immediately tells you that you can't accomplish anything, that your new idea is stupid, or asks: what makes you think you can write a book? Host both of your families for a dinner party? Clean up the basement?

To begin mapping, write down the subject you want to brainstorm about in the center of a big piece of paper and circle it. Some examples could be Chapter Ideas for a new book; Baby Shower for the party you are going to host or what needs to be done to keep your Garden from resembling the Rain Forest now that the weather has finally warmed up (see my example below).

Then you draw spokes off this main circle for all of the areas that  need to be dealt with. Circle these and then draw spokes off each of them to explore your subject even further. For example, my map starts with the word "Garden" in the middle, way too broad a task for me to tackle at once. So I continue drawing spokes and adding subjects to them: Porch, Herbs, Weeds, Plants, Furniture and so on. Then for each of these spokes I drew smaller ones: under Plants: annuals, Perrenials, look for 3 hanging baskets, buy soil -- all to remind me what I need to do.

After the map is finished I can make a list and figure out a schedule to get all of these tasks done one at a time.

The Mind Mapping concept is simple, although there are ways to make it a little more complicated if you like. You can add colored pens, photos, illustrations and more to your mind map, but if you don't have those things, do it anyway. All you really need is a piece of paper and a pencil or pen. (To see examples of more complicated maps, search for "mind mapping" under Google images.)

The important thing to remember with this technique is to get down on paper ALL of the thoughts you are having on a subject. Once you start writing, don't stop. Keep going and going until there isn't a smidge of paper left bare.

I used this technique when I taught writing to fifth graders a few years ago. They liked the idea of "drawing" their ideas out, but tended to pause a lot in between items. With our adult brains, there is almost never a pause when we are working on a map. We carry around so much clutter in our brains it will be such a relief to get it all down on paper, you won't believe it.

I have used this technique for a long time, and found these maps to be useful. From my Garden map, I can see what I need to do to whip my garden into tip-top shape this summer. And it only took a few minutes of my time.

Give Mind Mapping a try. I think you will be glad you did.

Creativity Tip No. 4

Be creative in how you exercise

With more than 6 inches of snow outside my door in Western Pennsylvania, it's hard to force myself to go out for the walk which I have been trying to do every day.

But for us creative types, this is only a small setback as we figure out how to get exercise even in the worst of conditions.

For today, my choices might include shoveling the driveway (again!); sweeping off the front steps (again, again); walking inside my house, up and down the steps; using my bike to rack up some miles so I can pretend I am in a national forest somewhere; using the hand weights or bands I recently rediscovered in an end table or pulling out my Yoga in 28 Days book I have used since college.

That's a good start. How about you? What creative options do you have for getting some exercise in today?