LE Creative Hour

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[lecreativehour]

The Return of LE Creative Hour

Happy New Year! You know what happens during this time, it’s the return of setting your intentions for the new year. Be it that new diet you wanted to try, that workout you’ve been putting off or those goals that you didn’t quite meet in 2020…for obvious reaons. I know for myself, I tend to be quite the ambitious person so I always set an abundance of goals, and then feel a little crappy once those goals have not been met.

One of my intentions for this year is to bring back my creative blog, “LE Creative Hour.” I started writing this blog nearly 9 years go. The intention/purpose of this blog is to encourage everyone to dedicate an hour a day in doing something creative. You can view some of those past blogs here. But alas I wasn’t always sucessful in writing these blogs as consistant as I would’ve liked. Failure won. However, one cannot truly know success without failure.

Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success. — Anonymous

Let me tell you a littel bit more about what this blog will include. Each week I present a impromptu creative challenge and invite you to try it out. Each week is based on a certain theme. So some weeks may also include creative literature, music, art and more to provide creative inspiration. All the necessary ingrediants to help unleash your inner creative. I started this blog because I believe the arts are essential to human progression and I think it can truly help us become a better society. We are all creative beings, but sometimes we think we lose it because someone or something along the way of our growth told us that we are not.

This week’s blog theme is about Resurrecting Past Intentions. Here is my impromtu idea for the week: One way of setting your intention for the year is to create a vision board. However, let's do something a little different. Usually a vision board can in encompass everything you want to do or achieve for the year or in life. But let’s make it more specific. Why not create a vision board soley dedicated to one particular goal that you would like to accomplished within the first three months (quarter)of the year. Specificity and visualization are essential to goal achieving. Maybe it’s a goal you originally wanted to achieve last year, how can you resurrect it? Start by writing it down.

“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention, and then becoming the intention.” — Bryant McGill

[lecreativehour]

Hey! The Word Art is in HeART!

February is the month filled with a lot of important dates. It's Black History Month, the month where we get a holiday off (President’s Day). As well as the month of Amore (Love). I hear the corny sighs in the background. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy a hilarious, sweet romantic comedy every now and then. However, sometimes the holiday can be a little overshadowed by commercialized candy and floral requests. Romance is great, but it can’t be pressured. When one thinks of the concept or the ideals of love, it can be truly overwhelming and intimidating. Above everything, Love is an expression. So therefore, it should be presented as so. In the recent month I promoted my mini 4x4 abstract heats, on top of promoting my art, I was also promoting the ideals of using creative expression to express love.

In the past couple of years I have been painting abstract hearts in my art, in one way or another. On a subconscious level it could deal with the fact that I have family history that deals with the heart organ. It could also be the lack of romance in my life, but I’d also like to think of it as a small message that I am delivering to myself and others. And that’s to simply love yourself. Sometimes I feel like that statement is easily said than done, or if it's attempted to be done it’s not really done right. What does it truly mean to love yourself? For me the perfect ingredients to the recipe of self-love would include confidence, a sense of self-worth, a sense of humor, taking care of your physical body and nurturing your spirit. Honoring and being aware of what is truly best for you and not. Sprinkle a little bit of pleasure by treating yourself, and always do what makes you happy. By loving one’s self, you become a better person and being a better person helps with the domino effect that I call humanity. Here is the impromptu idea for the week: Create a piece of art that is reflective of you. Frame it, pin it, sing it, whatever you like, but save it only for your eyes. Because you don’t need anyone else’s approval when it come to you. Trust yourself.

“Do your thing and don't care if they like it.” - Tina Fey

[lecreativehour]

Art is the Universal Language...Right ?

It is often said that music is a language everyone can understand and feel. How and why is that?  Why is it when I am listing to Selena’s “No me Queda Mas,” I am deeply sad and full of melancholy but I have absolutely no idea of what’s she saying. I am sure some may have translated this in more scientific terms, but I am going to speak on it, like your everyday loving art enthusiast. Music speaks melodically and through its words and various musical expressions, we as humans sense it intuitively and emotionally. Making us feel connected to the piece that speaks personally to us. However I believe this can extend further within other art expressions as well. Such, as paintings, films, dance, etc.

Have you ever seen a piece of art that has moved you in some sort of way? Anger you, made you happy, or caused you to think? Have you shared that moment with someone presently without and when you speak to each other about the work, to grasp the same ideas? Art to me can be a universal language as it is both powerful and moving. Yes, if you’re educated to learn about the history of the piece or about the creator that made, it can help to understand the piece more. However, as a creator myself, my favorite thing is to hear someone who in unfamiliar about who I am or my work, experience for the first time, and then without any assistance from me, understand what I was trying to say. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Create a piece of art, music, writing, whatever your creative vice. Then have a few different people observe your work and tell you what they think it means. Write it down and make comparisons. Did they all get the same point of view? Did it vary, if so, what were the differences and the similarities? See how your creative language spoke.

“There can be no more distilled expression of a culture than its works of art.”  -John M. Edger

[lecreativehour]

What are you doing? I'm Creatively Hustlin!

The artist is constantly grinding and hungry. We are willing to go days without eating, sacrifice our time and energy dedicating it all towards our dream. Furthermore we are willing to risk being chastised for our vision that is expressed creatively on heavily received subjects ie; religion, sex, civil rights, etc. It's in our system, we can’t live without it, and sometimes when we are forced or unable to get our vision out, sometimes we die. Now I know that’s a little dramatic, but it's true. Think about visual artists like Van Gogh, and Rothko. Writers like Ernest Hemingway and Sylvia Plath. Some successful during their lives and some not. It makes one sometimes think, is it really worth being a starving artist?

Well I’m here to say, “ HELL YEAH!” For one, artists today are not exactly sold on the whole “starving artist,” appeal anymore. We’re out here hustlin and hustlin hard. In today’s world one might argue that it is harder to step out as an artist, but I for one would contest that argument. I think with new media, and the internet, artists are becoming “creative entrepreneurs.” We aren’t letting “other” people give us the opportunity to share or present our work publically we are doing it ourselves! Just look at me writing this blog. Think of the independent musicians who are uploading their music on Itunes or Spotify, the writers that are self-publishing, the actors creating their small films and uploading them to Youtube or Vimeo, the dancers booking spaces and performing pieces.

Yes, it can still be a struggle but we always find creative ways to make it work. Hard work can pay off, starting with believing in yourself. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: What’s your creative hustle? What is something you have always wanted to do creatively, artistically but hesitated because you thought it would never work? Write out all those ideas and pick one to start with. I would love to see your dreams coming alive, share your progress with the world using #creativelyhustlin and #lebohemianmuse. And I will share it on my instagram and twitter (@lebohemianMuse).

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” - Abraham Lincoln

[lecreativehour]

I think therefore...I am...at least I hope to.

Why are we so hard on ourselves? They say that you are your own worst critique. The first half of this blog title was inspired by a quote I once saw. My remix to it is simply expressing how much I sometimes lack faith in myself. On and off the past couple of years I have been trying to re-resurrect my blog, youtube channels, and just getting back into the groove of being creative. Though I did do smaller projects, and try to keep the creative mojo going. I would hit long dry spells of creative blocks and hit many points of depression because I wasn’t able to create as much as I would like. I even went back and looked over some of the blogs that I had written, in addition to videos that I put up on Youtube. And of course I was pretty disappointed in myself, ideas that I had fell through or I wasn’t able to complete others ideas in the timely matter that I liked, due to personal issues going on in my life.

So I decided a break was necessary, to tell myself that it’s okay you're human! Stop forcing it and let it come to you. I also know that I was holding myself back. So finally, I’ve decided that it's finally time to come back, get into the groove, and forgive myself for my own failures. I’ve mentioned a few times through various social media channels, that I have been planning and reorganizing the way I would like to present my blogs. In which I have, my blogs will definitely be changing in looks and structure this year. In addition, I may post more than once a week as the year progresses. However I wanted to start this year, with writing a more personal blog. There is no impromptu idea for the week. Instead, I would like for everyone who reads this blog to do one thing for yourself: forgive yourself for something you failed at, pick yourself up, dust off, and go back at it again with a clear mind and heart. Sometimes you gotta start with baby steps again, before you take off to fly.

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.”

-Morihei Ueshiba

[lecreativehour]

Action Packed Notes- Making a To-Do List for Action Tomorrow!

When I was child my father would stress the importance of creating goals, more importantly visualizing those goals by writing them down first. Do you remember back in your scholastic years of high school and/or college, when you got homework assignments, you had to write down all those assignments in your planner? How about setting goals from when to complete those assignments via day and even time, raise of hands…anyone…oh just me? One of the biggest things that I learned from school aside from the obvious education of English, math, art, etc., was all the other additional skills that aren’t listed in a syllabus. Like how to become organized and set goals to get accomplished. Till this day I make a list of things I would like to complete in a week, day, and/or month. I find that if I set bigger goals and then set sub-goals to attain those goals, the more likely I am able to successfully complete them.

I especially do this when it comes to creative projects that would I love to delve into. I have huge projects dated to be completed in the next couple of years! If you wanted to start a business you would create a goal oriented plan called the “business plan.”  This plan, simply speaking, includes a three to five year plan, breaks down your mission statement, financial plans, and where you see your business going and developing in the next coming years, in addition to much more. I’ve came across a couple of online articles that suggest that one should create the same plan for personal goals.   Why not create an action packed creative plan? I’ll share a couple of my creative goals in the next few years, I plan to publish at least 3 books, produce 2 web series, and do at least 5+art shows a year. That’s just scratching the surface. By creating a creative plan, the easier it will be decipher what projects are easy to work on every day. Now of course, as my mother likes to say, “Plans are good, but things can happen in between,” so be flexible. A plan can help maintain you in the right path to where you want to go, but with all things creative sometimes something else can inspire your project to a different direction, or lead you to add project! Here is my impromptu project for the week: Create your very own Action Packed Creative Plan, once completed see what project you can start working on a little bit every day.

  “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. “ -C. S. Lewis

[lecreativehour]

Day Dream Away- I wish I may, I wish, I might, Get Creative Tonight

As a child my mom would often catch me talking, laughing, or sometimes, just drifting off in my own world. When I notice her watching me, I would pause and laugh off nervously as if I was busted for doing something wrong. She would then shake her head and carry on with whatever she was doing. I will admit I am a day dreaming addict. Of course I learned to not always keep my head in the clouds; however I never stop dreaming big! Life always comes with expectations and reality, but it’s the dreamers that push through it and create the most extraordinary things. I am currently taking a History of Photography course, and re-learning the genesis of the camera. This same week, in which I was learning the camera’s history, the I-phone 6 came out. I’d always wondered in Niepce, Daguerre, and Talbot, just to name a few of photography’s inventors, could see what their creations have become and what they would think of it.  

Dreamers are the inventors, the scientists, the artists, and you. What creative project do you often day dream about? What was something you always wanted to do but abandon it because it wasn’t truly “realistic?” I have been told often that I am very ambitious, sometimes it came off as a compliment and sometimes, it came off like I was trying to achieve the impossible. However creative history has my back! How many historical people do you know have beaten the odds and changed history? From the Wright Brothers and the creation of the first air plane,  to Helen Keller, a woman who could neither hear, see, or speak, becoming an accomplished writer, to FloJo become the world’s fastest woman. Dreamers go against the odds, and sometimes against reality, to achieve their utmost dreams. I share with you one of mine, I have always dreamed of being successful within the various artistic gifts that I have. Success not only meaning being able to showcase my artistic talents to everyone within the world, but to also inspire the future generations ahead, and to make a living doing what I love. That’s not too bad right? Here is my impromptu idea for the week: What is a creative dream that you can start working on today? Write it down in a journal and think strategically on how you can achieve it, perhaps even create an artistic visual process (like the vision board), that you can look upon daily to remind to never give up on your dreams.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

― Helen Keller

[lecreativehour]

Play! Use an old Childhood Tactic to Stimulate Creativity

Tag, you’re it! Remember how those words got you excited? I do, I would race across the grassy field of my elementary school, chasing down the culprit who elected me as his/her tagger. Thinking more on it, the word that rings the most in my head is joy, pure joy. Even if I was breathing harder and stopping to catch my breath, my smile appeared even bigger. Sometimes I can come across that same feeling again when I think of a really cool idea to explore, or discover a new artist, etc. Sometimes I want to go back to that mindset, to go back in living in a single moment. Because if you think about it, that’s exactly what you were doing that moment that you were tagged, all you could think of was racing as fast as you can to tag back your opponent. Nothing else mattered, and it was only after when you were done playing, that you thought about what your next step was.

I have heard that animators from various film studios often work in an environment where it is encouraged for them to play. It can be within the moments of playing a video game, or even a game of basketball that an animator can discover a facial expression or something that was said to inspire their next character or film idea. Now of course we are not all animators or are lucky enough to work in an environment where you can play video games. However this is not an excuse to not go out and play. As we get older certain games like tag aren’t played as much, in place of it we have well the Wii or Xbox.  Which aren’t bad, if they are played in a healthy matter, I’m a fan of Mario cart myself, but there is something about moving physically, out and about, that can help bring clarity to the mind. And clarity can be a keep ingredient in thinking creatively. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Go out and play! No seriously go out and play a childhood game, take it way back to hide and seek, tag, kick ball, red rover, etc. I could go on forever.  Try to implement an idea for a creative project you want to work on before you start playing.  Don’t think of it while you’re playing only after you’re done. See if it helps to inspire your next great project.  

                        “We don't stop playing because we grow old;                  we grow old because we stop playing.”                             - George Bernard Shaw

[lecreativehour]

You Deserve to be Creatively Happy

I saw an anonymous quote the other day while looking through my Pinterest dashboard, the quote said, “Do one thing each day that makes you happy.” It is such a lovely and simple quote, a goal that would seem quite attainable. Then I thought more on it, and it made me think,  metaphorically speaking, if everyone were able to do that, would that change the outlet of our world? I guess one could also dwell on the concept of what happiness is to begin with, so I decided of course to start with me. What exactly makes me happy? To start off I decided to think of the list of things that make me happy; the first item on my list was ART, then I proceeded to break down what  exactly it was about ART made me happy.

Art allows me in moments when I feel somewhat trapped to feel very free.  Which is why in less creative times, I am not so cheerful, especially when I am having a creative block. However that is why I discovered that taking a creative sabbatical can be a blessing all on its own.  Partaking in a least one creatively happy activity is the one thing that makes me feel blissful.  Furthermore, I believe that everyone deserves to feel joyful. So here is a question to think about, what makes you happy? Earlier in the year, Pharrell (a musician) had a song titled, “Happy,” that became a huge hit this year. The song most definitely had a wondrous, whimsical energy to it. Every time I personally heard it, I couldn’t help but to bob around like a little kid. Childhood, is one of the few moments in my life where I might have been the most happy. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: For your daily creative project, think of the one thing that makes you happy. Like me, start off by creating a list, and then examine it for any possible creative projects that you might want to get into. Everyone deserves to be happy, so why not get there creatively.

  “The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters.”

- Audrey Hepburn

[lecreativehour]

Spring is Here! Birds do it and so can you...create that is.

Spring has become one of my favorite seasons. Its spiritual aesthetic of renewal is a universal theme that everyone can relate to. Spring cleaning, new leaves and flowers sprout out on trees, the weather starts to get a little warmer, and people are even a little friendlier. It is the perfect season to become inspired and create that new project that you decided to put on hold during the winter.  I find that even within myself, LE Painter emerges more in the spring after harvesting new ideas during winter months. Fall and winter are more of LE Writer’s months (cold seasons are great for writers).  Think on the subject of harvesting and renewal when it comes to the ideals of creativity. Sometimes you gather many thoughts of creating these really cool projects but you don’t really act on them. So instead, you just “harvest” those ideas into the back of your mind. Then one day you remember why you wanted to create this project and then alas it becomes resurrected!

For myself, I am chronic daydreamer, so I am always harvesting ideas, goals, projects, and dreams that I would love to accomplish. I was reminded by my middle school art teacher that I was always a big dreamer! As always the goal of this blog is to encourage an hour dedication of creation one hour a day, and we’ve also discussed that sometimes, you have dry days. However, even in moments that you think are dry spells, are really days that you just have to unlock your harvest box! So here is my impromptu idea for the week: Create a harvest journal! This journal can defiantly be a creative one, for ideas on creating awesome creative journals check out this artist Kelly Rae Roberts (www.kellyraeroberts.com).  She has written a couple of books on scrapbooking and journaling that will help jolt some great creative ideas. Share your awesome harvest journals with me at [email protected]! I will place them up on my website, to help inspire others to do the same.

  “Whether you and I and a few others will renew the world someday remains to be seen. But within ourselves we must renew it each day.” - Hermann Hesse

[lecreativehour]

Incept Your Favorite Creative Blogs & Websites

Have you seen the film “Inception?” I won’t go into any details in case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet (psss… go see it). However I will give the general concept of the film, which is having the ability to incept into someone’s dreams, and sometimes these characters, will go even deeper by being in a dream within dreams. Sure that might sound a little confusing, but we all practice that concept of starting at one point and ending completely at another, especially within modern technology. YouTube would be a great example, have you ever noticed when you went to watch one video, somehow you clicked on another, till all of sudden you realize it’s been over two hours and you’re still watching all these different videos that don’t even connect to the original video that you were watching? I’ll be the first here to raise my hand, because I know that I have, however I do enjoy getting lost in the digital world because sometimes I discover the most awesome creative sites.

I find that sometimes, if I am feeling a little unmotivated I like to find inspiration through other creative means. I know when I have found it because I get a beautiful, excited, butterfly like feeling in my stomach and I motivated to think of new or existing creative projects to work. In trying to gain ideas for what to do for your creative hour, start off perhaps with some of the websites that you like to go to. This can even be sites you go to for the purposes of entertainment like YouTube or Tumblr. A few the websites/blogs that I recently have taken a liking to are DesignLoveFest (‘is a lifestyle blog with an eye for design in style, DIY, food, travel, entertaining and more’), and A Beautiful Mess (‘is a blog all about creating a beautiful life. They share daily inspirations, DIY projects and recipes’). I also find new creative sites or cool art ideas through websites like Pinterest. The best part about Pinterest is that I can create these boards to save these projects, so I can come back to them. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: check out some of the sites that I listed above, or another way to discover new sites is to see who your favorite websites/bloggers are following. Before you know it you will soon get lost and discover a new world of creative websites.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And venture belongs to the adventurous.” -Navjot Singh Sidhu

[lecreativehour]

Library- My Escape for Paradise- Free Books for Creative Habits.

When I was a little girl till my final years in high school, my mother had my siblings and I would go to the library every two weeks. Before that within my elementary school days, we had an in house library where we as a class would go routinely to check out books, as part of our extra curriculum activity. It was there that I read some of my favorite childhood tales, by authors like Judy Blume’s  “Fudge” and “SuperFudge”, Dr. Seuss’s “Hat in the Cat,”  and “The Lorax,”  Shel Silverstein’s, “The Giving tree,” to even tween favorite series like, “The Babysitters club.”  Once I was in the upper division of my elementary school there was a program I participated in called “Book Buddies.” This was an activity that involved 5th and 6th graders who were given a book buddy that could be in either the 2nd or 3rd grade. Every couple of weeks we would meet up with our book buddy and read to them.  I was encouraged within both my home and my school, on the importance of reading.  I enjoyed it mostly because I love to immerse myself deep into a story and let my imagination run wild. For someone that is a chronic daydreamer, it was the perfect relationship.

What I didn’t realize or know at the time, was that reading daily or more frequently was actually good for the brain, and helped assist with the learning process. This also included a better development of building one’s vocabulary. Last year I decided to return to that habit again, after realizing that I had grown weary of staring at the screen all the time. I was feeling run down and depressed because inspiration was becoming very scarce. So I turned to my most trusted ally…my daydreams, and it was within my lost thoughts that I recalled a moment within my childhood that was very exciting, my trips to library.

Therefore I holstered unto my bike and peddled away to new adventures location, my local library and resurrected my old friend. Once I begin reading again, I felt liberated once more, and gained a lot more creative inspiration. It truly does sadden me when I see/hear of bookstores closing, and comments mention that libraries are dead. Libraries aren’t dead! They’re antique, which means they’re precious and even more valuable. Plus it’s free! The library is one of my meccas of enlightenment; you have access to learn even more creative skills to enhance you in becoming an even greater artist. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to get your free library card, at your neighboring city, and start checking out those books you have always wanted to read. Why not start with one that will enhance your favorite creative skill!

“Everything you need for better future and success has already been written. And guess what? All you have to do is go to the library. “ 

-Henri Frederic Amiel

[lecreativehour]

Educate Create Educate – Knowledge Equals Creative Stimulation

   I made a decision to finally return to school at the end of last year. I’d been thinking about it for awhile. The end game goal, for education, is to not only to complete my Masters in Arts, but to also get a PH.D. That sounds like a lot of school but I have taken a good 10 year break from it since my college days.  I reminisced on how creatively stimulated I was through the various courses that I took.  As I have mentioned in some of my past blogs, for me, I am most creative when I have a goal and or deadline that I need to complete. As we all know when being in school, your life is full of deadlines, be it for research papers, homework, performances (arts or sports), prom, etc. As a student you master the deadline. Aside from all that, the other most fulfilling aspect of being in school was the education that I received. I was a rare student when entering college because I already knew exactly what I wanted to do, to simply put it…Theatre and Art. So that’s what I studied.

I was hungry for knowledge and seeking all the ways I could become a better artist, and I was happy to learn the skills to do so. But aside from my majors courses, were the GE’s (General Education) courses that I also had to take. During my time in college, I had moments where I was very reluctant and almost wished I could rebel any of the GE courses that I had to take. For me they seemed like a waste of time, especially since all I wanted to do was focus on my art. But as time passed, as my years of no longer being a student, I realized the value of the knowledge I learned during my colligate years made me the artist I am today. Currently I am taking as art history course titled, “African Art History.” For me the importance of learning any art form is to learn about the seeds of its birth. What creative practice do you admire? And do you know where it started or what its original use was? Or how about learning a new creative art skill?

The beauty of modern day technology is that one doesn’t have to leave their home to learn for example, Photoshop or the art of typography. Websites like Skillshare, offer a variety of awesome courses at a great price. Did you know that if you currently hold a Bachelor’s degree you can take a California community college course for free, by applying for the Board of Education Fee Wavier? To learn more about that contact your cities community college and this may vary in other states. A great way to be inspired is to learn something entirely new, or maybe even refresh an old skill that you once had, a good example could be playing that childhood instrument that you played in your high school band. Here is my impromptu idea for the week:  Check out your local community college for classes that you might be interested in taking. If you’re a busy bee, look into their online courses! Also check out Skillshare, or Youtube for a video that teaches you how to do a new skill (my favorites are for Natural Hair Care and Beauty Trends).  Or you can kick it old school style and check out a book and read about (Shh…more on this next week ;) Education can be fun, challenging, and motivating, and it can even stimulate a great creative idea.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” - Anthony J. D'Angelo

[lecreativehour]

Creative Opinions - I’m not creative! PAUSE…You Are!

Have you ever gone to a museum and looked at a piece of art and thought to yourself, “Man could I do that?” I know sometimes especially with modern art, you might see a piece of painting that is a huge 48x48 canvas that is painted red and wonder how did that end up in a museum. Truth be told as much as it has been portrayed within the art world, art is not just for the elitist, it’s for the brave.  Being a creative and artistic person takes courage. You’re opening yourself up and allowing yourself to be exposed in an intimate way and sometimes, because you are doing so it’s really hard to take advice or criticism. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel as if you are not an artist, when truthfully the only person that can tell you that you are an artist is yourself. I have heard various stories of directors, writers, singers, etc.  That has shared stories of being discouraged, dismissed, and not acknowledged for their work.

Steven Spielberg applied three times to USC and was rejected all three times.  Anita Baker was told once during an audition that she could not sing, in fact they told her that she was a horrible singer. Van Gogh’s extraordinary paintings did not get the well-deserved attention till after he died! Sylvia Plath was once rejected by the famous publication, The New Yorker. Now did that stop any of these artists from being the creative spirits that they are or/were? Art is very subjective, so it’s a constant see-saw of emotional opinions. I always prefer critical criticism to just plain criticism. Just saying the words, “Your piece sucks, or those pieces are horrible,” or “please…try something else.” These are all negative comments that only hurt the artist soul, and as I quote the lovely and intellectual musician Erykah Badu, “Keep in mind that I am an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit.” Everyone is born with a creative gene in them, we need it to survive. Everyone, I believe is also artistic, it’s all about facilitating your strongest artistic skill. Here is my impromptu idea for the week:  Think of the most hurtful opinion someone has said to you about something you did creatively. Write it down, and then look up someone that you look up to in the field of your artistry. Look at their path and see how they handled their rejections. Use it as inspiration to create a new creative project that will inspire you be the best artist that you can be.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso

[lecreativehour]

Hobby Equals Creation- Find a Hobby to Stimulate Creation

What’s your favorite pastime? For America, Baseball is regarded to be a favorite pastime. For me its reading, organizing old photographs, watching cooking shows, listening and discovering great music, and the list goes on. It’s through my moments of pastime that I am sometimes stimulated with a great creative idea. If ever you’re stuck in a creative block, a good way to awaken the muses is to simply start with something small. Last summer I was humbled by being asked to teach a course on “How to be Creative,” based off of my writing from this blog. During my time in teaching the course I discovered two specific comments that were mentioned periodically during the class. 1. Most people did not consider themselves to be the creative type or 2. The projects that they were working on were mostly that of a hobby. Now as an artist I have heard of this word hobby often used almost as an outlet to sort of separate a person from being considered an artist. To be honest the word “hobby” sometimes rubs me the wrong way, as if one has to be privileged to be an artist and if your work has not been seen, well then you’re just simply a hobbyist. Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with having a hobby, but I don’t think because you paint privately, or perform music privately, etc., that it makes you any less of an artist.

There are two types of artists in the world in my eyes, those who regard themselves “professional artists” and those that are just simply “artists.”  The “professional artists,” are ones who choose to showcase their work and try to make a living off of their work. Then there are the “artists,” the ones who showcase a talent within the various types of art. Those whose work would be regarded as a “hobby,” well I say use that “hobby” as a footstool towards creation. Use it as inspiration for a creative project, for example I mentioned earlier that I like looking at old photographs. A cool creative project that could come from that could be trying to re-create that photographic moment into another creative, artistic project. Turn the photo into a painting or use that photo to inspire a newly written song. Or you can upload that photograph into Photoshop and re-edit it into a new visual piece of art.  See, hobbies can be works of art, and are great introductions to new innovative creative projects! Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Choose one of your favorite hobbies and create new artistic projects from them, remix your hobby into a piece of creative hour art.

  “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” - Carl Jung

[lecreativehour]

30 Day Challenge- Challenge Your Creative Soul

30 can be a pretty good number. In age it’s now considered the new “20”, and while your thirty you tend to have a better concept of yourself, well mostly. It’s said that it takes 30 days to break an old habit or to develop a new one.  30 day challenges are my favorite, when I think of the number 30 because they can often stimulate great creative practices. For example, last month I mentioned that  was participating in the NaNoWrimo (National  Novel Writing Month) 30 day challenge. I tried this challenge before 2 years ago and failed miserable. So I decided I wanted to try… try… again, and this time I reached victory. Now mind you writing a novel in 30 days is NOT easy, if anyone tells you it is, I must apologize in advance for their lies. Sure you can sit and write, but there is also other factors to consider, you know time, subject content, character development, etc.  There is a common understanding that writing is really re-writing, but the challenge of first getting it down is a challenge all on its own. Therefore, I was very proud of myself for even reaching the finish line. According to the founder of NaNoWirmo, over 300,000 writers started participating in the challenge, in the end only a little over 41,000 finished.  I am exhausted, emotionally and creatively drained but it was all worth it, it was my creative marathon.

30 day challenges can truly thrive the artist/creative spirit. At the end of my challenge, I developed the habit of writing a little bit every day. I recently came across a creative invite called “Fun A Day Los Angeles,”  this event is being thrown on the west coast for the first time in January of the new year. Fun a Day was originally inspired by a group of artist that resided in the east coast that wanted to push each other to create something every day(be it a painting, song, poem, etc.) during the winter month of January. At the end of the month they would install and share their work in a public event.  Again by pushing yourself to do something every day for 30 days you can create within yourself a new positive creative habit. The other best thing about monthly challenges is that the don’t only have to be for creative purposes, they could be for health, or even career driven.  For myself I think what I would like to start is doing a new 30 day challenge quarterly. I personally create my best work when I have a timed challenge or a deadline that I have to reach.  Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Challenge yourself, the new year is approaching fast and resolutions will be proclaimed. Perhaps this year you can create for yourself your very own 30 day challenge. Why not let your first challenge be the challenge of   instilling your favorite creative habit within yourself.

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”

- George S. Patton

[lecreativehour]

Be Alone with Yourself- Artist Development Time

My mother once said to me, “You learn something from anything, both good and bad.” I decided to go further with that thought  by adding, that you can also learn something from anyone both good or bad. I once read from a controversial artist that to improve upon their growth as an artist, they like to spend time alone. However, before they do they would ask their friends for (5) of their favorite books, music, painters, and films. Then they would use that mecca of creativity to learn, inspire, and cultivate their artistic spirit. I thought that was a wonderful, and brilliant idea. What a great way to provoke the mind into creative motivation. Many times on my own I go and research or read various blogs on various creative venues to spark that flame. Nonetheless this idea was so obvious to me. Many of us have access to worlds of creativity that we haven’t even touched on, only because we simply don’t ask.

Now, saying that an artist should be alone to develop his/her craft might seem like an obvious thing to do. That being said, think about how much time you actually get to be alone with yourself. If you grew up into a household like I did, there wasn’t really any alone time. I have many siblings, and we all shared a room, my childhood home was not a house, it is an apartment. Plus I come from a West African home. We are very expressive  and passionate when we speak, so it’s not always quiet. I was used to creating with noise.  Aside from small various moments in my life, the first time I experienced real silence was when I was studying at BADA in England, I had my own room, there no TV, no internet, and everyone that day seemed either to stay in their room or gone out into town.  It was the first time that I realized that I was in a completely silent room.  That moment was beautiful, I could hear my thoughts clearly, and for that period of just one hour I could really dig into myself as an artist. So I say to you, my fellow creative spirits, if you can, find a moment a day, or even an hour to be alone to  manifest yourself with your own artist development time (ADT). Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Try out my suggestion, dig into your already available plethora of creative knowledge with your friends by asking them for the their top five favorites, in the various creative outlets of your preference. Then take those suggestions and dig into them during your ADT.

“Artistic growth is, more than anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness. The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy: only the great artist knows how difficult it is. “

-Willa Cather