Monday, October 8, 2007

Sparking Your Creativity


I love to read books of all kinds. I recently purchased an interesting little book by Jim Krause, who is also the author of The Color Index, an invaluable guide to choosing colors for your work. Creative Sparks is full of interesting exercises and observations to inspire creativity and it really encourages you to think about the WHOLE artistic process. Although a lot of the concepts were not unfamiliar to me, I enjoyed reading Krause's take on creativity.
Here's a little blurb from the book to whet your appetite: "All artists start from the same point: the point where nothing IS and something soon will BE. The difference between artists and their art lies in how they choose to fill the void, alter the state of things and rearrange raw matter. Everything matters: every element, every relationship between elements, every placement, every stylistic choice, every color, every word. Everything we add to or take away from our artwork, both physical and conceptual, either builds upon or undermines our final achievement."

Take nothing for granted during the creative process and remember that even the smallest of details DO matter.

Speaking of creativity, I just spent a few days in Raleigh, NC with a lot of very creative ladies. A big thank you to the Capital Area Polymer Clay Guild for their hospitality and their enthusiasm. It was wonderful to spend time with such a talented group of clayers! You each brought so much positive energy and a great sense of humor to class with you and it was an honor to meet you all.

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