Sharing Bead Soup

Portion of the Bead Soup I sent to my beading challenge partner Susan,

Club Creative Studio is taking part in the Bead Soup Challenge #7.  It will be fun sharing Bead Soup.

Please review past posts regarding the details of this wonderful sharing and creating challenge for those making hand-made beads and jewelry from them. Since the arrival of my beads from my bead exchange partner, Susan I have had time to simmer the ideas I have and will soon begin my creative thought process and my design using the beads she sent me last week.  I am looking forward to the creative growth.

I have not gotten official word that my box has indeed arrived to New Hampshire however, it has had adequate time. With that in mind, I would like to go ahead and share what I included in my package of fun. The idea of sharing is to highlight some of your own hand-made beads and pair them with interesting items that can be utilized in a creative challenge for the artist on the receiving end to express in their own style.  Lori Anderson is the host and brain-child behind the organization of this particular bead challenge.  It is perfect “soup” , warming my soul on a cold winter day for me living in Philadelphia.  I welcome the challenge.

I included a variety of supplies and I hope she is inspired to do something fun and add her own components if she desires as well. I included items of stone, Czech glass, hand-rolled clay beads, hand-twisted wire worked beads, seed beads, ceramic, rhinestone and metal charm elements just to name a few.

Perhaps she will blog about her experience. I plan to document my creative journey on the Club Creative Studio Facebook page with photos and within this blogging platform. I am happy to share the experience of the creative thought process and creative expression of this beading challenge by sharing my Bead Soup Challenges.

It is my hope that you find the steps that I take interesting and keep in touch as I share the trials and tribulations of this beading challenge. Please check back for future posts on this topic here and on the page: http://www.facebook.com/clubcreativestudio

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Zentangle Zen

In today’s Club Creative Studio’s TNT (This-N-That) post I again focus on creativity and  I once again invite you to discover.

I have happily discovered an old method of creating has a different name associated with it.  I will write about this particular subject twice.  In today’s post I will introduce to you a process of thought and creation and then on September 07, 2012 I will share my results of what I speak of today, after I take my formal and official instructional class for this particular method. I will hopefully find my zen when I Zentangle.

As a bit of background, before I tell you what Zentangle refers to, I went to my local library yesterday for the first time and discovered some useful information.

I have recently relocated and I am still getting my community introductions and barring.  The library is always on the list early to visit whenever I move because of the valuable resources it provides.  As I browse through the library, much like I would a department store, I take note of the written material on book shelves and also in paper flyer form stacked in revolving shelves or on counter tops.

Those little sheets of paper tell a lot about what is going on and how active the atmosphere is. Take note of those bright-colored half sheets because they are the key to the involvement and excitement of the efforts of the library.  It is a sign that there are little extra investments and opportunities to learn besides checking out the books and taking them home for a bit.

Of course, anything with a graphic on it catches my eye so that is no surprise to anyone who knows me or is drawn to anything dealing with an art form of some type.  This particular flyer caught my attention.  Although it was a black and white half sheet of paper, it was very graphic with three samples of art associated with the layout.  It also had a strange title. What was that about? Really, this is going to be about the process of how to make a simple line drawing look complex and appreciate the negative and positive areas in a line drawing.

I am ready to make a point with my art!

The information was an offering to take part in an easy-to-learn method of creating images with repetitive pattern.  SIGN ME UP! Sounds good to me!

To further explain, the “method” is a registered trademark method called: Zentangle.  I will be taking this “class” from a Certified Zentangle Teacher on September 06, 2012.

The Zentangle method is a way to gain relaxation and express creativity at the same time.  Who would not want that?  Without taking part in this particular method yet, I can only speak of what it claims to do for the artist. It is said to be fun and relaxing. Almost anyone can use it  and the end result is the creation  of beautiful images.

If you have ever doodled with a purpose this is a bit of the same, only with a name!

You may also have heard the term “Zendoodle” which sums up this project outcome as well.  Zentangle is thought to increase focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well-being. The Zentangle method is enjoyed all over this world across a wide range of skills, interests and ages.  The Zentangle method is said to be an elegant metaphor for deliberate artistry in life.

Today’s challenge is to simply watch this video again and get inspired.  Perhaps being interested you may also take a class, purchase a kit, get your own materials, discover other artist doing Zentangle images or visit blogs or websites featuring their gallery creations in this technique.  Don’t forget to stop by this blog again to see my results.

On September 07, 2012, I will share with you my first official creation developed specifically after taking a certified class from my CZT instructor.  Have fun Being Creative Everyday!  Are you inspired? Please recommend this blog and pass along the creative vibes.  The world needs information about art and artful creations to make it a more beautiful place to live!

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Give Me a Break

Club Creative Studio strives to Be Creative Everyday.  Although there are times when distractions in the day prevent total focus, most days are productive work times that stretch into several hours of dedicated creative time.  What do you do when your creative brain needs a break? Do the things that make you the version of YOU you want to be.

Sometimes it is most helpful for me to try to break up the day into mini-work sessions, to prevent burn-out.   If there is a need for a “supply run”, I use that as a much-needed time to just chill from a project. Not to mention allowing for time to work in spurts, divides up your day so that you can do other things of importance.  When I break up my creative work day, I am able to schedule in time to get away for a few miles of running.  How about that for time management?

For the most part, I try to get a full day of creative work into each of my days, so that the weekends can be a choice work day or a day of inspiration and no hands-on work.  My job doesn’t always mean that I am at the design table.  Some days are spent in a library, at a craft store, on the computer, networking with like-minded people, in a museum, or just in an inspirational place to blog. No matter the place, I feel that I can be as productively creative as I wish with a little dedication and planning.  A task for most people is not to be creative in the first place but, to have the desire to remain creative and not fear running out of the creative juice.  Taking a break now and then gives back the full glass of creative juice.

Why are people creative in the first place? I think that although creativity can be obtained, it is a natural want and need for the art-minded folk.  It is an inborn desire to outwardly express what is inside.  There is a consistent drive to want to explore and experiment with new materials and techniques.  A need to want to figure out what can be produced with ideas and prompts.  It is a challenge to create something interesting and different and the thrill of completing something visually satisfying is worth the time invested in creation.

Taking breaks provide a chance to rest the mind from over-creativity (if there is such a thing). Recharging in any field can be an opportunity to step back and learn in a different way.  Without getting too lazy, step away but, not too long.  Take a break for a few minutes, hours, days or even a week.  You may need a break to become even more productive. It may prove to be the time you may need to appreciate your past efforts and miss the inner drive that you have to get cranking once again with your creative thoughts. Only you know what type of break you need to be the best version of YOU.

Lately for me, there is a resurgence of a new regiment that will give me added energy and drive to make my creative hours even more clear and focused.  I will write about that in another post.  It is the added regiment of running. What do you do when you need a break from creative thinking or creative production?  How does taking a break revive your creativity?

Don’t let your creativity escape you.  Use it and create a pace for it so that is ever-lasting.

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Creativity: Pass It On

Club Creative Studio shares information about CREATIVITY.

Today, is Two-Cent Tuesday and that means I blog about low-cost creativity.  I’d like to share a suggestion that is also a “no-brainer” activity for the one that is somewhat crafty or artistic already.  If you look upon your artistic time as a place to experience personal serenity or creative growth as a creative outlet for personal growth, take some of that time to consider sharing your passion for the arts.

There are opportunities for creative growth in sharing the passions for arts you have with others around you or in the community.  There are opportunities for sharing your trials and errors by blogging about your experiences, teaching your craft, being an active participant in a formed group supporting the arts or allowing someone to work alongside of you while you physically create art.  Help the visual learner experience creative growth from your artistic expressions.

Share the love, and reasons why you create.  Pass the ideas of creativity along.  Show someone else how your passion makes you feel. Pass on the creativity bug, and you may find that you grow in appreciation and idea-flow as well.  Watching the wheels turn from other creative people is contagious and inspiring.

Creativity: Pass it On. Share your passion with others.

If you are busy being creative in your space anyway, just invite someone to explore your supplies alongside of you. Having creative company gives you someone to get instant feed-back from if you are sharing questions and experiences.  Creating along side someone, gives you on-the-spot ideas that turn into motivation and courage to try something new in technique.

Helping make beads with Club Creative Studio.

You can be the model and mentor and not even realize it by merely allowing someone to work along side you.  As an example of being a creative model, take into account the times that you sit near a child simply “playing” with clay.  Perhaps the very young do not know how to make a “clay snake”.  By offering a “copy-cat” situation, seeing becomes doing and thus, you have shared creativity.

Creativity: be a creative model.

By sharing time when you offer unstructured guidance, you give the gift of confidence to someone exploring their own creativity.  How will you nurture creativity in others today?

Hand-made gift idea framed scrapbook page and mini-photo book.

As school days end with summer vacation near, the art classroom does not have to disappear until next year.  Nurture creativity around you and encourage, inspire, prompt and challenge creativity to be explored in everyday life.  Creativity is indeed contagious.  Pass it on, and see how it spreads!  Happy creating to you and yours!

For more creative prompts, please check out past blog posts.  And follow the creativity on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ClubCreativeStudio Push the like button and you’ll see additional ideas on how creativity and the creative process is explored.  I share creative creations at http://www.clubcreativestudio.com You will want to check that out, as the creative ideas are plenty!  Have a great time as you are inspired or inspire others to Be Creative Everyday!

>Oodles of Doodles

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Do you spend time making oodles of doodles?  It is not just a waste of time.  Actually, they are a terrific exercise to help you become more creative and remain more creative. Your thoughts become more imaginative.  It becomes easier  for you to brainstorm  new ideas and the exercise of doodling unlocks your creative mind to be free to explore creative fun.
Doodles are very simple lines that become drawings that eventually evolve into other images.  They may start out as a few meaningless lines but, after adding your own lines – and color if you like – your drawing becomes anything you like. The point of  a doodle is not to create art, simply to use your creative vision.   This vision is often unplanned but it can have great outcomes.  They are fun to do and you can see yourself evolve and your thoughts unfold almost before your eyes, as you create doodles.

When I was younger I used to play a game that involved doodles.  It was mainly a “car game” but, it was adaptable whenever two or more gathered.  Low cost, you only need paper and a writing instrument.  A simple line is drawn on the sheet of paper by one person, then the pencil and paper is passed to another.  The second person adds an additional single line to the original line drawn and then passes it back.  The image that is a transformation from the first line drawn is part of a collaborative creative process.  The “players” feed off of each others vision.  It is fun to see what the final outcome turns out to be.  It may be a totally nonsense image or it may end up being a recognizable image that together  you both build upon with combined doodles.  As an example, if a few lines turn into the outline of a house,  each of you may recognize that and your additional lines become details of that house.  It may end up having detailed shingles on its roof, curtains in the windows, a mailbox in the front yard and so on and so on.  The outcome will show creativity in all aspects.

When you become creative with visual brainstorming activities like this you are collaboratively generating ideas without using the spoken or written word. It’s a fantastic exercise.   To spice up the game, you may add colored  markers and find that a sort of masterpiece is created in the end after all.  Create oodles of doodles and see where your creativity takes you!