Archive for Techniques & Strategies
Creative Breakthroughs
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Have you seen a head rolling by? Mine fell off this afternoon sometime–let me know if you see it.
So many thoughts fighting for attention in there and suddenly, it couldn’t take it anymore and off it went.
All because I’ve been frantically getting the site for my studio done–you know, the local NJ/NY Metro outpost for Make Great Stuff: Jackson Street Studios.
And now, it’s finally, officiiiaaaalllllllly………………………….Done-Ish! 
What do they say–don’t let the pursuit of the perfect get in the way of the good? Right–so that’s what I’m doing. I mean, not doing….Er, one of those–the one where I’m okay with the “good”.
So as you can see from the above sentences, I’ve worked my head off and am officially fried, but I must say that I’m getting rather fond of my little site–it’s improving every day.
And I AM super excited by the class I’m teaching. Will you please take a look?
The Creative Breakthroughs Technique–A Collage Workshop
That’s what I’m calling it. Because it’s such a fabulous way to break out of a rut and ditch the self-censorship. With just enough structure to support you if it’s been a while since you made anything, but with plenty of room to express yourself.
This isn’t a class where you just copy a technique, make something nice, but secretly still doubt your own skills. It’s a way of helping you re-connect to your own creativity again. For finding your voice (again). I mean, there’s no point in your finding my voice for goodness sakes.
What was it Oscar Wilde used to say… “You might as well be yourself, everyone else is taken…”? This class is all about that.
Everyone in the February workshop marveled at how different each person’s work looked at the end, which made me ridiculously happy. Same technique, many visions. How right is that? So right.
And I must say that I have some kick-ass art tools and supplies as well as an extremely cool collection of wooden Indian fabric stamps (which everyone really loved). Plus a lot of weird bits and neat vintage paper and embellishments. Cool supplies are half the battle.
I teach a new technique each time before we get started, and last time I shared my secret stamping and embossing trick–something very, very simple that no one ever does, but makes the process soooo versatile. And almost everyone tried it. Yay!
But what’s really great about this workshop is that you don’t have to make space, own supplies or have ideas. Just show up! Yes–let’s re-ignite that creative fire!
And even better, when we’re all done and the studio looks like a truck just ran through it, you get to go home and not worry about it. No clean up required. Admit it, that’s awesome.
I’ve got all the details at Jackson Street Studios–including a 2 minute video to give you a taste of what happens at the workshop. I’ve included it here: (If you’re reading this in an email, you’re going to have to visit the site to see the video. Aw, c’mon, It’ll only take a sec.)
Neat right?
My next class is on March 26th, with a screamin’ good deal available for those who sign up by March 19th. Won’t you join me?
If you live in the NJ/NY area and could use a creative breakthrough or three, this class is the perfect thing.
If you don’t live in the NY/NJ area but need an excuse to come to New York for a long weekend, now you’ve got one. Sign up for my Friday night workshop, create and take home a beautiful matted work of art (flat–easy to fit in a suitcase), and then spend the rest of the weekend hobnobbin’ around the city. Good times.
In addition, I’m offering the workshop monthly because participating regularly can build you some great momentum and catapult your creativity forward. Take the workshop once, thrice or every month like clockwork, it’s up to you! To get you started, I have a special price for your first visit.
We had so much fun at the February workshop–everyone learned, took chances and surprised themselves. I’d love to see you there.
If you can’t come or live far away, could you do me a favor and forward this to someone who you think could benefit from participating in a workshop like this? I appreciate it!
What do you think? Are you ready for a creative breakthrough? Are you creating like mad already? Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
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A Magic Spell
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I was having a long drawn out argument with myself this morning–throughout my Shiva Nata dancing, on and off during my meditation practice, as I ate my breakfast and afterward reading my emails. It was a standoff.
No time, I said to myself, for any drawing this morning–straight to the blog, and then you have to edit that video, write several pages for the new website (for local classes that I’m starting to teach!), arrange some coaching appointments, figure out my new paypal thing…the list is endless.
But why, I asked myself, is my artwork always the first to go when I’m super busy? I mean, my whole blog is dedicated to helping my readers figure out real ways to integrate creativity and their art-making back into their lives.
Well then, I told myself, you make an excellent guinea pig. If it were easy, how would you be able to help other busy and artistic people–you’d have no idea what’s involved.
Sigh.
Read More→
5 Ways to Mix it Up
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes you can really make headway with your artwork if you just break a few patterns and get out of your comfort zone.
Here’s a few suggestions below to help you get started–if you think of any others, please share them in the comments–I love trying new techniques!
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Scale
Get Bigger! Or get smaller, but go in the opposite direction from what you usually make. (My hunch is probably that your work could get bigger–women especially tend to keep our work small.)
It might feel hard or embarrassing to take up space like this, but it can also be very liberating. I’m working on a series of large drawings right now–all around 42″ x 48″ and I’m simply amazed at how great it feels to work big like this.
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Color Palette
Let’s face it, we’re all drawn to particular color combinations. Line your work up (or photos of your work) and take a look at your palette. Could you go to the opposite side of the color wheel? Could you introduce or replace a color in your normal repertoire?
Or keep your palette, but change the value–try pastels (or brights) instead. Flip through art and fashion magazines for fresh color ideas that might inspire you and try on someone else’s favorite color combos for size.
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Bags of Gratitude
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Last night I went to my first ever business networking meet-up in Manhattan.
I almost ran out in the first 5 minutes, panicking about out how I was going to keep chatting with perfect strangers all night.
But I met a lot of nice, down to earth small business owners and we had a motivational speaker, Kevin Touhey, who was a very pleasant surprise.
“Pleasant surprise”, I guess, because I tend to wrinkle my nose at titles like “Motivational Speaker” and the blurb I read seemed like a lot of internet sales hype I’ve seen before. But he was warm, honest and real. And now that I’ve met him, I know he means it all.
And while a lot of what he said wasn’t new to me, it was a great reminder. And he shared two experiences that lingered especially in my mind after the talk was over.
Bags and Bags
One was that he has grocery bags in his office filled with scraps of paper with different thoughts of gratitude and appreciation written on each one. Bags–plural.
He pulls out an appreciation or two when he needs to counteract a negative belief or experience.
He holds his hand over his heart and breathes into it as he reads these thoughts of gratitude and appreciation to himself in order to blunt the effect of the negative belief pattern and stop the spiral of indulging familiar demons.
I really like the idea of physically creating and keeping actual bags of gratitude around me–it’s so concrete and poetic at the same time. Read More→
Finding Time a Little at a Time
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Last spring I took a great online class about Time Management taught by the lovely Cairene at Third Hand Works.
Calling it a “time management” class is only half of it though, because she teaches you about making friends with your time rather than controlling your time. I loved it.
I also learned A LOT as a fledgling, right-brained business owner trying to use her time effectively. Very different from going to work and plugging into an existing system of deadlines, work flow patterns, etc.
What I’ve found interesting however, is how much my awareness of how I use my time since taking the class has grown gradually over time.
I now spend more time just noticing my patterns with time so I can improve our relationship, get closer, and make it all more worthwhile. It’s been eye-opening.
Keep a Time Diary
One of the things I keep circling back to is how I use my time. One neat exercise we did in class was to keep a time diary which is basically like a food diary.
Gah! That kind of food diary “facing up” can make you panic. But rather than it being the beginning of a deprivation plan like a DIET, keeping track of your time can help you figure out not only where you’ve got some wiggle room (to start making things again!), but also when you function best and what your beliefs are about time. Read More→
Automatic Drawing–What IS it?
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I realize that in my last post, Expressive Drawing, I forgot to explain what “automatic drawing” is.
Maybe it’s obvious, but in case it isn’t, here’s a bit more information and how to do it and why it’s a great way to let loose and free your creativity.
Liberation
The Surrealists embraced automatic drawing as way to incorporate randomness and the subconscious into their drawings, and to free themselves from artistic conventions and everyday thinking.
This technique, they felt, was a way in to access meaning and information unavailable through tradition and the conscious mind.
Surrealist wackiness aside, it also lets you sink into the quality and experience of making marks and developing the relationships between them which in turn lifts you out of your logical brain’s desire to make something that’s “good” or “accurate.”
It lets you tap more easily into your intuition, emotions, and the physical experience of drawing and painting.
So if you judge your own drawing ability, this technique can be very liberating because it’s so physical, there’s no wrong way to do it, and it improves your drawing skills in the process.
Most importantly, it gets you out of your head. Read More→
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Expressive Drawing
Posted by: | CommentsMy Latest Book Crush
If you’ve got heavy feelings about your drawing skills, yearn to draw more (or more freely) or if you already draw well but feel like you’re in a rut, this book is a wonderful workbook and companion for freeing up your drawing–and maybe your soul a little bit while you’re at it.
Expressive Drawing: A Practical Guide to Freeing the Artist Within
Why I Love This Book
Steven Aimone provides fun, do-able exercises that are grounded in clear, helpful explanations about technique and the history of fine art.
All the explanations are also accompanied by images of works by renowned artists as well as his workshop students that support and reinforce each chapter’s focus. These art history lessons are refreshingly straightforward and a wonderful framework for the drawing exercises.
And even though his writing is clear, accessible and inclusive, he assumes his audience is deeply interested in fine art and making drawings in that context rather than treating non-objective/expressive drawing as mainly a therapeutic outlet for expressing your feelings (although he still acknowledges and embraces that additional benefit as a wonderful part of the process).
And besides all that–the exercises are FUN, FUN, FUN! Read More→
My name is Sarah Bush and this is my blog dedicated to helping busy artistic people like you weave creativity back into your life again.
