Twenty Things to Do to Kickstart Creativity
1. join the Ring a Day project
2. sketch
3. take walks
4. look at other work
5. fall in love
6. go in the studio and sit down for 10 minutes
7. avoid looking at other work
8. challenge yourself to do something consistently - daily, weekly, or monthly
9. organize a group of local metalsmiths/artists for regular meetings
10. buy a new metalsmithing book or video
11. take a break from the studio and don't think about it
12. meditate
13. forget about metal for a while and make mailart
14. break up with someone
15. start a challenge/swap with other metalsmithing/artist friends
16. research new techniques online or at the local library
17. sketch some more
18. take a class or workshop
19. give yourself some parameters (use only found materials, make a piece in 30 minutes, etc)
20. look for exhibitions with calls to artists and design something specific, here are some links:
exhibition calls on the SNAG web site:
http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/Events/Upcoming_Deadlines/
the Klimt02 whiteboard lists various opportunities:
http://www.klimt02.net/forum/whiteboard.php
Metalinclinations is an annual show, deadline 6/30/2010:
http://www.smm-metalinclinations.org/enter.htm
ArtDeadlines features ongoing calls for various media:
http://www.artdeadlineslist.com/
Susan Sarantos lists design competitions on her Metalcyberspace site:
http://www.metalcyberspace.com/design.htm
Susan also posts upcoming exhibition deadlines to the Metalcyberspace blog:
http://metalcyberspace.com/blog/
Lark Books regularly posts artist calls for their publications:
http://www.larkbooks.com/submissions/artist-submissions
Please visit the other EtsyMetal members blogging on this topic to view their twenty suggestions:
Victoria Takahashi
Maureen "Cosmo's Moon" BZ
Catherine Chandler
Katie Miess Kohlhagen
Ann Hartley
Amanda Conley
Stacey Hansen
Esther Eve
Maria Whetman
Berenice Schaltegger
2Roses
Posts
i enjoyed reading your list Tomi, I am going to do this exercise for myself....and post it in my studio :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your list. #7 is really important for me. Sometimes when you're struggling with ideas, it seems counter-productive to creativity to avoid browsing other people's work - but it helps oh so much to stay away. ;)
ReplyDeleteas shocking as 14 sounds to put on the list, it is oh so true. nothing like emotional fuel to get creative!
ReplyDeleteI like no.8, that definitely works. Thanks for the links too, theres some new ones there for me.
ReplyDeleteFantastic suggestions! Especially giving yourself parameters :)
ReplyDelete