4 May
You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself. - Frederick Terral, Right Brain Terrain
3 May
Twig, the Fairy
Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.
A Lesson in Creativity from Hitchcock ♥ What I Know About Beauty Now That I’m in My 30′s (I’m actually looking forward to my 30′s…) ♥ dreaming about travel every night ♥ co-independence, a blog post about relationships and knowing and loving yourself first ♥ sharing a blogging passion with my mom, who also chronicled our adventures in Singapore ♥ lynda.com ♥ Another great post from Eat the Damn Cake (this one’s about the power of positive thinking!) ♥ an exhibition of Leonardo DaVinci’s anatomical work reveals a genius centuries ahead of his rivals ♥ Gala Darling’s “Style Tips”, which include bathtub mimosas, talking on the phone, alternative flower vases, sparkly eye-wear, and the celebration of Beltane! ♥ going to the Spoutwood Fairie Festival to celebrate Beltane with some of the best people I know! ♥ this quote: “Don’t fight what excites you and what lights you up inside.” – Matt Cheuvront ♥
31 Jan
For me, last year was all about gratitude. Without choosing the word specifically, I had a connection with it from the beginning of the year. I started each day with a morning ritual and took on a “less is more” attitude about social media and life in general. I wrote myself a love letter, reminding myself to be grateful for everything around me. I wrote often about things I love and that make me happy. I cleaned up and out and was more grateful for the fewer things I had. I worked at it and eventually, it became habit. Gratitude was abundant.
In 2010, I chose three words as themes for the year: Learn, Create, Invest. This year, I am revisiting the idea of putting all my energy into three aspects of my life. This year, my three words are: Create, Celebrate, Simplify.
Create
Celebrate
Simplify
Image credits: create – IHeart Organizing; celebrate – That Kind of Woman; simplify – The Container Store
30 Jan
Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.
the smell of LUSH stores, particularly of their bath bombs – ahhhhh ♥ free cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes (follow their Twitter feed for the secret word of the day) ♥ ♥ crumpets ♥ PsychologyToday asks and answers: Who Is Creative? ♥ Dana Tanamachi’s stunning chalk doodle cover of Oprah’s O magazine ♥ my friend Karen’s blog - she writes about life, love, friendship, and navigating today’s world with such eloquence ♥ Emergency Puppy! ♥ No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom – after 17 years, it’s still one of my favorite albums ♥ the image above from purple buddha project ♥ Bonobo ♥ hanging out in Barnes & Noble and finding all kinds of books for my to-read list ♥ terrible diner food and great company ♥ being asked to help out a friend from Germany who is writing a dissertation in English (about the assessment of aesthetic appreciation for different types of visual art) ♥ e-mails from my mom “just because” ♥
20 Jan
design by Fifi du Vie
Eat Like an Artist in 2012 ♥ my new Wonderland playlist on Spotify ♥ iCal ♥ the above image from Fifi du Vie ♥ Being Erica ♥ Jay Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne ♥ Move and the world will get the fuck out of your way. – <3 Hey Amber Rae ♥ Pinterest ♥ This post about a true adventurer and his 365 photography project (make sure to watch the fascinating and moving video). ♥ the complete works of Shakespeare free for iOS ♥ Shit DC Says ♥ letterpress business cards ♥ John Legend’s cover of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep (can you imagine if they collaborated? OMG.) ♥ Adobe Bridge ♥ mimosas ♥ President Obama singing Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together ♥
What adventures are you up to? I’m brainstorming my own for 2012…
13 Jan
Shiny New Year love list:
origin: unknown (Is this yours? Let me know so I can credit you.)
Pantone and Sephora teaming up for a new beauty line! ♥ SARK at TEDxFiDiWomen ”Succulence is Powerful” (YouTube video) ♥ friends who are always there no matter how many miles or days come between you ♥ Inbox: 1 (as close to zero as I can get realistically) ♥ teaching my mom how to use Flipboard and getting links from her as a result ♥ Janelle Monae ♥ handmade quilts ♥ warm and fuzzy sweaters ♥ The Definitive Color Wheel ♥ these 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself ♥ light and fluffy snow falling ♥ laughing with my coworkers ♥ my brand new Nook (thanks, bro!) ♥ my new nightstand and lamp from IKEA ♥ starting the New Year off with a fantastic brunch shared with good friends in my new home ♥ having less than an hour commute ♥ using traveling as an excuse to buy my favorite magazines ♥ Rihanna’s You Da One ♥ reading through my old blog entries ♥ President Barack Obama sings Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (YouTube video) ♥ LUSH’s Stimulating Spice Shampoo ♥ Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking (great article on creative thought processes) ♥ some wonderful inspiration from Louise Hay on how to love yourself and why you should start NOW! ♥ research and creative projects ♥ Hyperbole and a Half’s alot (must read: hilarious, especially for grammar nerds like me!) ♥ the fact that it’s Friday ♥ a Lord of the Rings (extended editions, of course) movie marathon with good friends ♥ my new Tumblr theme ♥
The Alot is Better Than You at Everything (image source: Hyperbole and a Half)
What are you loving right now?
9 Jan
A canary’s song, the bright sun on a cold winter’s day, a warm glow from a lamp to read by. What comfort and joy yellow brings to our lives!
1. ” Yellow Peppers “, 2. Yellow Leaves, 3. Yellow Rose, 4. Yellow Pom Poms again, 5. Yellow, 6. yellow pencils, 7. Yellow Hydrant, 8. yellow river, 9. Yellow balloons
For years, women used yellow ribbons to welcome home their men from war. Even today, they are used to embrace loved ones returning. Yellow is the color of creative and intellectual energy. Yellow symbolizes wisdom, joy and happiness. Yellow is representative of optimism and enlightenment. The color stimulates the long and medium wavelength cone cells in the retina. It stimulates the brain and nervous system, activates memory, and encourages communication. Yellow is often associated with food (see: McDonald’s Golden Arches). Yellow is the color of the third chakra and is often associated with the South cardinal direction.
In design, yellow is used to add brightness, to evoke pleasant and cheerful feelings, and to generate muscle energy. Bright yellow is an attention-getter because it is the easiest color to see (even most colorblind people can see yellow). When used with black, yellow creates a warning sign.
As with red and orange, yellow is often used to emphasize elements of design that are most important. Yellow is best used sparingly, since it can easily overwhelm.
What emotions do you associate with yellow? Does it make you hungry? Angry? Mellow? Will you add it to presentations to emphasize import or will you use it to brighten a room? I’m looking forward to brightening up my room with daffodils this spring. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the sight of the sun on clear, cold winter days.
21 Mar
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The following links are meant to be inspiration for the creative mind. If you find any particularly useful or have others to share, please comment below!
23 Feb
I am in love with these ads for Mercedes-Benz.
Left brain: I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.
Right brain: I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feat. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.
To see paint and two other versions, click here: music, passion.
20 Feb
Jack London said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
If you can’t wait for inspiration, how do you go in search of it? What wellspring do you tap when you’re in need of great ideas? What begets creative thought? How do you best come up with answers to difficult problems? Here’s a three step guide.
1. Turn it off, tune it out.
2. Tap into your subconscious.
3. Let the ideas flow.
1. TURN IT OFF, TUNE IT OUT.
Ever find that you have more original ideas when you’re not overwhelmed with everyone else’s? While some others’ thoughts can inspire us, the best way to be original is to be the origin. Sounds simple enough, but you have to remember to turn it off and tune it out. That means Twitter, blogs, television, radio, newspapers. Take a half hour to yourself. Allow yourself the quiet and the time and inspiration will come.
2. TAP INTO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS.
In other words, don’t overthink it. Sometimes the simple answer is best. Give yourself time and space to think. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and concentrate on that while your brain does the work for you. Drink your coffee and let the aroma fill your nostrils, really taste it as you drain your cup. When you are done, go back to your desk and get to work.
3. LET THE IDEAS FLOW.
What is literally the first thing that comes to your mind? Write it down. Don’t dwell on it. Allow your brain to work with the idea while you move on to something else. No idea is a bad idea, but some are better than others. Write them all down. Keep writing until you are completely tapped out. When you’re finished, draw on the what you have; you’re already further along than you think.
Inspiration: you have it.
4 Jan
It seems that lately, I’ve fallen into a morning ritual. It wasn’t expected or planned, but it is a great way to wake up. Instead of getting right out of bed and into the shower, ready for the day, I lay about a little, reflect on where I want to be, and then I pick up supplies and work on my scrapbook journal. This little ritual of creating has taken place of my morning cup of coffee and blog-reading.
It’s the golden hour of dawn (or, in my case with insomnia at the moment, the wee hours before dawn), it is quiet and the world seems peaceful. I can spend the time drawing in the qi, the life force energy, and channel that into how I want my day to go and how I want my future to unfold. With bits of scrap paper or magazine cut-outs, I focus on nature, art, and my own inner comfort and joy. When I have picked and chosen the pieces I want to give myself, I find a way to put them on paper.
It’s powerful to put thoughts on paper, whether to write them out or visualize them. Regardless of if I write or paint or piece together a collage, my mindset is thoroughly influenced by this practice. With the help of the quiet earth’s turning, harnessing my qi, I piece together at least one page a day. This joy is something that stays with me all day. I’ve done something positive, creative, and, if nothing else, I have put my hopes and dreams onto a page. This, in and of itself, is an act of fearlessness and I hope I can keep it up throughout the year.
It is something that both expresses and brings me joy and can help to heal pain. It’s much better than a cup of coffee, don’t you think?
What’s your morning ritual? Are you creative, do you take a long time in the shower, what wakes you up with joy?
29 Dec
There’s an old adage: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to keep bad news to yourself, but there is good news. Whether good news or bad, it’s all in the presentation. Here are a 6 ways to practice creativity in communication skills.
1. Implore your strengths. Use what you know to present information. If you’re a math person, give an equation; if you relate most to music, think of your presentation or discussion as a song. Whatever you’re trying to present and regardless of the audience, if you’re not comfortable, your audience won’t be, either.
2. Recognize your weaknesses. If there is something lacking in your viewpoint or research, don’t try to cover it up. Acknowledge it, take note of how it might be important, and move on. Don’t dwell on what you can’t be in control of. If it’s essential to your work, find ways to get the information you’re lacking and come back with it later.
3. Try a new perspective. Put yourself in the position of your boss, employee, client, customer, friend, or stranger. How might each of these people view your communication skills? Are you pleasant? Are you smiling? Are you assuming the other is full of good will or bad? Did you do everything you could to explain yourself in clear, concise language? How else might you present it?
4. Improvise. If you get stuck and your audience doesn’t seem to be getting it, change your course of action. Take a detour and tell a story that’s relatable, explain with analogies and metaphors, use everyday language, role play or walk someone through the process themselves. Change your intonation. Change your location, if possible. Get moving – some people learn better when using multiple parts of their bodies, instead of staying stagnant.
5. Get excited. Talk with your hands. Use gestures and colorful (no, not that kind!) language – paint a verbal picture.
6. Use visual aides. Paint a literal picture. Some people need to see something in order to be able to fully process something. Make sure to provide clear visuals that are easily explained with numbers, values, and titles.
Building relationships and successfully collaborating with others comes from the ability to interact creatively. If you can plan ahead and think on the spot, presentations, conversations and everyday interactions will come more and more easily. And the more you practice creativity in interpersonal communications, the more easily creativity will flow elsewhere. Creativity is a practice, not a virtue.
© 2012 Cloverdew Creative. All Rights Reserved.
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