The ideas are coming so fast I can barely keep up with them. If you want to know what is coming, watch this blog! I’m journaling, collaging and designing new classes. I’ll post as the ideas become clear.
IN the meantime, you might want to check out the new paintings in my Etsy store.
I am clearing space in my Read the rest of this entry »
I am always trying to learn more about publicity and marketing. When I found out about this class that my friend Nancy, a visibility expert, is teaching, Read the rest of this entry »
I am always exploring new ways to get traffic to my web site. A web site without traffic is like a store in the middle of a field, 10 miles from the highway. It is not likely to get many visitors.
My web site gets a lot of traffic. I know because I have the Alexa tool bar installed in my web browser.
Would you like to be able to tell whether your web site gets traffic? Whether the number of visitors is increasing or decreasing?
The Alexa toolbar will give you the traffic ranking for any web site you visit. Go to Alexa.com and Read the rest of this entry »
Mitch Cohen provides a tremendous resource to Houston area artists. If you are an artist, or if you like art, you owe it to yourself Read the rest of this entry »
Artists, writers, and other creative people make their living through the application of their art. These people learn that when they forget to nourish that precious child inside of them, they may experience blocks. (Blocks are extended periods of time when they are unable to produce). The creative force simply stops. The cure involves nourishing that inner child (or spirit) that is the creative source, and encouraging it to reappear.
We cannot compel creativity, but we can pave the way for it. We can best encourage our creativity by allowing ourselves unstructured time and by welcoming our creativity when it decides to appear. If we are open to new ideas, they will present themselves more often.
Let’s get personal. If you want to encourage your creativy, the best way to do that is Read the rest of this entry »
Although it has only been 2 weeks since my last post, I have accomplished much. (…and yes, I know, blogs are supposed to be updated frequently, but I have been DOING, instead of talking about what I am going to do.)
My book is almost Read the rest of this entry »
Last week my husband and I drove to Natchez for a family reunion. The opportunity to reconnect with people I love AND to sit on the deck and watch the lake has inspired me. I worked on my book, 101 Ways to Increase your Creativity. It is almost finished.
Yesterday I played catchup with email and other tasks. Today I listed my studio on Google maps. I visited many artist websites and blogs.
And I figured out how to put a link to my etsy store.
Creativity involves letting go of preconceptions and exploring new ideas. Every invention was either the result of an experiment (or many experiments) or the result of an accident. If it was the result of an accident, the person had to be observant enough to notice the unexpected result and open enough to realize a possible new application for it.
Steve Jobs, of Apple Computer and Pixar fame, said “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” Walt Disney “saw” a mouse acting in new ways and talking. From this idea, he built a worldwide company that has brought joy to millions of people.
Anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “To the extent a person makes, invents, or thinks something that is new to him, he may be said to have performed a creative act.” The point of these quotations is to show you that whether or not you think of yourself as having the potential to be an artist, you are indeed creative. Creativity applies to all areas of life, not just to art.
Creativity is neither skill nor muscle. Like both, creativity requires exercise to grow. You can exercise your creativity through play. During unstructured play time, the child within the adult is free to surface. As the singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell noticed, “You’ve got to keep the child alive; you can’t create without it.”
I am considering teaching a class on how to develop your innate creativity. This class would be helpful for people who want to be artists or writers, but do not feel that they are creative enough. It’s also perfect for creative people who are experiencing blocks, and anyone who feels like increased creativity would improve life.
About Ann: Ann Bell is an artist, writer, teacher, and creativity coach who resides in Houston, Texas. Visit her website at www.AnnBell.net to see samples of her work and learn more about her.. If you would like to receive information about her new class on encouraging your creativity, send an email to artist@AnnBell.net requesting “Creativity Class Info”.
Are you creative? I say, “Yes! Emphatically, yes. All human beings are creative. The more important question is: What are you doing to encourage your creativity?”
Many people judge their creativity by whether they have produced creative work. However, this gauge measures Read the rest of this entry »