Creative Every Day

More Creatactivities and Some Daily Inspiration

January 19th, 2008

Above is some of the creatactivities I did on Thursday. The daytime itself was pretty quiet that day. I was very low energy and blah. But in the evening, a burst of energy had me working on the background for more Subway Stories pieces and drawing in my sketchbook. Yesterday, I did one of my favorite things - I went to the library and just walked up and down the aisles looking at books. I went down the aisles as if I was in a grocery store, looking around at the diverse subjects that I passed and grabbing anything that sparked my interest. I did this until I had a pile of books so large that it was a bout to topple over. Then I found a comfy chair in the back and looked through the treasures I'd found. I made little notes in my moleskine journal occasionally, but mostly I just read. This is a wonderful thing to do when you're in the need of some inspiration.

I got a super sweet email from artist, Amy Bogard the other day and I wanted to share her blog with you. I love the title of it, Micromovements, because it speaks to the baby steps approach that I truly believe in. Amy does some gorgeous work, she is just bursting with creativity. And I really loved her daily art project that she calls "the daily dog" in which she draws her dog or someone else's dog every day. Here's how Amy describes the project:

Exercise is good. This applies to art practice as well.  And just as one's body can stiffen up and slow down with out a good stretch of the legs now and then, so can the art flow.  Part of my artistic process and practice is to sketch. I always carry a sketchbook. It is my lifeline to list making, quote collecting, thoughtful musing and, of course, drawing. As much as I love to draw, there are occasionally times when I feel restless and have a hard time pinning down something to draw. At these times I turn to drawing my dog, Caskie, who is usually at my feet, not bored at all, ready for the next great adventure (or nap, or squirrel, or mole). By paying attention to this quirky creature who shares my studio, I lose the sludge in my brain that is backing up my process.  I find myself in the moment, and in that way, I am more like my dog than not...ready for the next adventure.  So, much like that daily walk with my four-legged child, a daily sketch (of a dog or anything!) keeps me exercised and primed for new ideas to come around.  This is what my Daily Dog exercise is all about. Try it yourself (you dont even have to have your own dog...I sometimes borrow other dogs to draw) and let me know what you come up with!

Thank you for the inspiration, Amy!!

 

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