Uncorking Your Creative Thinking

Please check out this article, "Uncorking Your Creative Thinking" by TJ Philpottit. It makes some great points to consider, bringing to light ways in which our creativity can be stifled. As I am always encourging, the article also suggest thinking outside the box, inlcuding pushing your comfort levels in an effort to offset creative conformity (that's really where the exciting stuff starts to happen isn't it? ;))

I would encourage you to consider using nature as a stimulating platform for doing just that! Especially if you are not confortable in nature, specifically. Sit or walk through a natural setting with creative intention, actively seek out ways in which nature can inspire you on the simplest level, you don't have to go for a crazy adrenaline pumped experience!

Nature Time: Moon and Stars Poetry

With a new "Nature Time" post (sidebar), it's time to move the previous exercise over for sharing and comments...

Bundle up in a comfy chair or hammock (my fave!) and read poetry or quotes about the moon and stars. Return a second night with poems of your own inspired by the night sky :)

You can tape or rubberband a layer or two of red cellophane over your flashlight (or under lens) to protect your eyes from transitioning between the bright flashlight and the star light. (Target/Wal-Mart usually carry a Rayovac swivel head AA flashlight that includes a red lens. Craft stores sell red cellophane and gels.)

Idyllwild Earth Fair

Hello Creatives!

Saturday's Idyllwild Earth Fair was the best year ever! The event was overflowing with a variety of vendors, booths and friendly visitors who all love and celebrate the earth. Always one of my favorite events, this year was indeed the busiest!

The Nature Coach (me!) was there with a booth, inviting people in for a little creative break with my Tree Mandala exercise. We were busy with activity, chatting with old friends and new friends, and of course a little creative play with many participants throughout the day! I was especially happy to meet two fellow Let Nature Be Your Muse MeetUp members, Michele and Jenny (and families)! Thank you both for stopping by and introducing yourselves--it was a pleasure to meet you!

I had a great time meeting people and enjoying their personal tree mandala creations! We received wonderful feedback from everyone who took a creative break with us, including a few participants who shared some very heartfelt and kind words about creating their mandalas...it was a very inspiring day for me to be in the company of so many creative souls willing to try something a little different! Thank you all :)

A little about the Tree Mandala exercise: “Mandala” is Sanskrit for circle. Traditional meanings of mandalas vary by culture, although many share a common belief in its significance as a spiritual or ritual expression. Mandalas are also used for meditations, establishing a sacred space.

Mandalas are filled with symbolic art. They are sometimes used as a teaching tool depicting stories, events, the cosmos, even our perspective of the universe, through detailed symbols and designs. Jungian psychology view mandalas as a symbol for connecting with the self.

Participants were asked to choose a tree cookie and draw a symbolic design of their own that tells a story, perhaps their story for that day. They were to reflect on how their creative process during this exercise could shape the outcome of their own personal, creative goals. For example:

Were they easily distracted?
Did they get into a creative zone?
Was this something they'd ever done before?
Did they experience a relaxed state of mind, or something else?
Did they plan out a design first, or jump in drawing to see what emerged?
What was their agenda?

What do these questions reveal about your creative process, and ultimately reaching your goals?

Nature Doodles

As a new “Nature Time” is added to the sidebar, last week’s Nature Doodling is up for comments.

Doodling seems to really be making a comeback in the art world. In addition to being recognized as a valued artistic expression, it’s a great creative warm-up, mental wind-down, meditation, or creative exercise that anyone can do! This week, look to nature for doodle-like impressions. Examples might include: beetle tracks, spider webs, water stains on canyon walls, dendrites (mineralizations), larvae scars on old logs…you get the idea. Find an example of a nature doodle & copy its original, natural form/lines onto your paper. Enhance the original nature doodle by adding your own doodle art for a unique expression of creative “nature.”

Image: Leaf miner tracks. Credit: Martin La Bar via a Creative Commons license.

Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir

This is too amazing not to post. If you haven't seen it already, please watch Eric Whitacre's "Sleep" performed by Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir. It's a global connection of creative expression and passion through music and voice. 185 singers from around the world, representing 12 countries, 243 tracks. Each participant recorded their separate piece(s) as conducted by Whitacre, then their submissions via YouTube were synchronized together in a huge virtual choir. It is simply beautiful :)

Artwork Made By Insects!

Graphics change by insect species, size, and changes in environment. See "their work" here - Amazing Artwork Made By Ordinary Insects