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[livecreativenow-blog]

Quick morning doodle. . . . #doodlebot #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #dailyart #dailydoodle #originalart #creativesandboxway #abstractart #justdosomething

[livecreativenow-blog]

Inside the #creativesandboxcommunity we are busting our clutter! It’s the #greatclutterbust right now, and I drew this doodle to fire myself up to attack my bedroom. 🖍 Doodlebot is cheering me on, along with everyone else inside the Sandbox. 😊 Clutterbusting is a team sport! It’s great to have a team cheering you on. 🖍 Off to work! . . . #creativesandboxway #doodle #doodlebot #dailydoodle #originalart #abstractart #tinyart #dailyart

[livecreativenow-blog]

Come play! Calling all Silicon Valley creators! Sunday, August 5th I’m running a half-day co-working creative retreat in Palo Alto, CA. If you ever struggle carving out the time to write or do your art, and/or if the voices in your head tell you you're not good enough, this is for you.  🖍 If you don't have a project you are working on, just come and play with your (or my) art supplies! 🖍 Registration just is $25 (or if you’re a member of Etz Chayim, contact me for a discount code!) 🖍 Link in profile, or go to http://creativesandboxplayday.com . . . #creativity #play #retreat #creativesandboxway #creativesandboxretreat #creativesandboxplayday #playday

[livecreativenow-blog]

The prompt for today in the July #creativesandboxchallenge inside the #creativesandboxcommunity is “pear,” so I started with a pear in this doodle. Then it evolved into Doodlebot’s dream of yummy things to eat. 😊 . . . #dailycreative #dailydoodle #dailyart #doodle #doodlebot #doodlesofinstagram #tinyart #tinyanddaily #abstractart #originalart #pigmamicron #blackandwhite

[livecreativenow-blog]

Listening to @thecreativityhabit interview Murphy Funkhouser Capps while doodling http://thecreativityhabit.com/project/murphy-funkhouser-capps/ 🖍 The suitcase, teddy bear, and railroad tracks are all directly inspired from this amazing podcast episode. (Though the sticker on the suitcase is from our upcoming trip! Squee!) 🖍 If you are looking for amazing, in depth stories from artists of all kinds, HUMAN stories, LIFE stories, you must check out The Creativity Habit™. I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Daphne, and it was a profound experience. Different from any other interview I’ve ever had. Daphne is a true Story Whisperer. Her podcast is a work of art. Go. Listen. . . . #doodle #doodleart #doodlebot #doodlesofinstagram #dailycreative #dailydoodle #dailyart #tinyart #imperfectionism #pigmamicron #originalart #abstractart

[livecreativenow-blog]

Underwater doodle while listening to my interview (part 1!) on @thecreativityhabit. I rarely listen to my own podcast interviews, but this one profoundly touched me. Daphne is a true Story Whisperer, AND we talked for FOUR HOURS to produce the two hours of this two-part podcast. 🖍 I’m finding it quite interesting and entertaining to listen to myself from the outside! 🖍 Find both parts of this intense interview at http://thecreativityhabit.com/project/melissa-dinwiddie Or visit @thecreativityhabit and find the link in her profile to her website. 🖍 (And did you notice that Doodlebot can breathe underwater?) . . . . #creativity #creativesandboxway #creativesandbox #doodle #doodlebot #dailycreative #dailydoodle #pigmamicron #doodlesofinstagram #originalart #underwater_world_ #underwaterworld #tinyart

[livecreativenow-blog]

20 years ago, 10 years ago, maybe even 5 years ago, marks like this would never have left my pen intentionally. If I had made marks like this, I would have been embarrassed, mortified, ashamed. I wanted to make *beautiful* things, *precise* things. I thought I had to control everything — for it to be “perfect” — in order for it to be acceptable... and for *me* to be acceptable (read: worthy of love). 🖍 Interestingly, I could go to a Museum of Modern Art and accept that *other* artists could make crazy, wild, abstract weirdness, and even be lauded for it, but for some reason I had a different set of standards for myself. I guess I bought into the notion that I had to learn to draw and paint photorealistically perfectly *first*, and *then* I could break away from that and explore other modes of expression...? 🖍 Honestly, it’s been so long, I don’t remember. All I know is that marks like this were UGLY, and unacceptable to me. I NEVER would have made something like this!!! 😂 🖍 And yet all this time, this is what my inner 4-year-old was dying to make! Because my inner 4-year-old is not concerned with conventional standards of “beauty” or “propriety”! All she cares about is following her curiosity! 🖍 Thank goodness I’m more inclined to follow her lead these days. It’s a whole heckuva lot more fun. 😊👍 . . . #creativesandboxway #doodlebot #doodle #dailyart #dailydoodle #imperfectionism #improv #improvart #doodlesofinstagram #dailycreative #pigmamicron #tinyart #originalart

[livecreativenow-blog]

It just occurred to me that my doodles are all just playgrounds for #doodlebot. 😊 🖍 This utterly delights me. . . . . #doodle #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #doodles #dailydoodle #abstractart #originalart #tinyart #blackandwhite #dailycreative #creativesandboxway #fifteenminutes #tinyanddaily #doodlewithdinwiddie

[livecreativenow-blog]

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a #critterdoodle. 😊 Of course #doodlebot had to join the fun. 🖍 I didn’t set out to make critters today—not at all! This one started as a random shape at the top, which looked sort of like a cat, upside down. So I went with it! 🖍 In the world of improv, that’s called accepting an offer. Or “yes, and.” Accept the reality of what’s in front of you, and build on it. Don’t deny it; accept it and ROLL WITH IT! 🖍 When you can operate this way, in art and in life, possibilities open up everywhere, and everything becomes a whole heckuva lot more fun. 😊 . . . . #improv #improvisation #improvart #intuitiveart #intuitiveartist #spontaneous #spontaneousart #doodle #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #abstractart #critters #dailyart #dailydoodle #tinyart #tinyartist #dailycreative #creativesandboxway

[livecreativenow-blog]

Pure play in the #creativesandbox. With #doodlebot! 😊 . . . #doodle #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #dailyart #dailydoodle #dailycreative #creativesandboxway #imperfectionism #originalart #tinyanddaily #tinyart #abstractart #blackandwhite #pigmamicron

[livecreativenow-blog]

Yes, there’s a DIFFERENCE between mess and clutter! This is SO IMPORTANT to understand, especially for creators! 🖍 I’ll be going over the other 6 differences, PLUS 8 reasons WHY we hold onto clutter, at a FREE clutterbusting session next Tuesday. We’ll do a real, live ClutterBust ON THE CALL, so you’ll actually bust some clutter and experience the power of ClutterBusting for yourself! Link in profile, or go to http://freecreativityworkshop.com 🖍 Clear your clutter to free up space to CREATE! (Not to mention THINK and BREATHE again. 😊) . . . . #clutter #declutter #declutteryourlife #decluttering #declutteryourhome #clutterfree #uncluttered #messy #doodle #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #visualnotes #visualcommunication #originalart #infographic #vizthink #creativesandboxway

[livecreativenow-blog]

Doodlebot is BACK! I needed some pure playtime in the #creativesandbox this morning, so I pulled out a postcard and started to doodle. I asked myself my favorite question, “What if..?” (That’s from #creativesandboxway Guidepost #6, btw. 😊) What if I did something *different* from what I would normally do? At each juncture, make a *different* choice! 🖍 This #doodle is the result! It has elements of things I’ve done before (knots, repeating patterns, line quality, and of course, Doodlebot), but the lines intersecting the knot doodles without actually touching them—that’s new. And the knot doodles not being “complete,” but sort of dangling in space—that’s not typical for me. 🖍 Try going against the grain today! Do the opposite of what you’d normally do, or something different from your usual maneuver. See what happens. We all get in ruts, and there’s nothing like trying something different to shake up new ideas and get you into a fun, new groove. 😊 . . . #creativity #doodle #doodlesofinstagram #doodleart #originalart #abstractart #pigmamicron #imperfectionism #dailycreative #dailyart #dailydoodle

[livecreativenow-blog]

You guys! I have my first practice gig for visual notetaking on Sunday!! I’m excited and FREAKED OUT, because it will be the first time I’ll be doing this with people watching! GAAAAAHHHH! Here is a sketchbook page of ideas for icons for Committee reports. I’m really not crazy about “Adult Ed.” I’ll see if I can come up with something I like better. 🖍 Next task: cut several sheets of 4’x5’ paper, to be ready to put on my 4’x4’ board when I get to the venue on Sunday. I plan to tape up several sheets before we start, so I can tear them off when I’m done and keep right on going. 🖍 Also: - Make sure pens are fully inked up - Make sure I have sticky notes, white-out tape, and pencils also in my satchel 🖍 I recently placed an order from @neulandcom for a carry bag for my foam core boards. Crossing my fingers that it arrives on time! 🤞 . . . . #graphicfacilitation #visualnotes #visualthinking #visualcommunication #visualnotetaking #originalart #imperfectionism #learning #graphicrecording #graphicfacilitator #visualfacilitation

[livecreativenow-blog]

Day 16 of the July #creativesandboxchallenge inside the #creativesandboxcommunity: door knocker. I used to agonize over getting everything so precise, so perfect. For a self-assignment like this, I would have pulled out straight edges and rulers, driven myself crazy to get it just-so. 🖍 In fact, I spent more time NOT making art, because nothing I created could ever live up to my impossible standards! THAT is what I call “perfectionist paralysis.” It’s excruciatingly painful, because NOT creating when you have the hunger to express yourself through making stuff, causes psychic distress. First it makes us feel lousy. Cranky. Angry. Annoyed. Sad. Then it leads to an unexplained depression. And worse. You start spending money on stupid things, trying to fill the void. Or eating. Or otherwise self-medicating. 🖍 Really, what you need is simply permission to play again! To create like you did when you were 4. When it wasn’t about impressing anyone, but simply about following your curiosity. 🖍 THAT is why I developed my Creative Sandbox Way™ Guideposts: out of desperation to dump the perfectionist paralysis so I could get back to creating again! I knew PLAY was the answer. PLAY was the doorway to the kind of creating I needed—NOT the stultifying meticulous creating I’d been doing, with straight edges and rulers. I needed to MAKE MESSES, like a little kid playing in a sandbox! 🖍 That’s why I practice INTENTIONAL IMPERFECTIONISM today. I embrace the charm of the wobbly line. It has life that the perfectly straight line will never have! And it will NEVER squeeze the life out of me by taunting me that it isn’t perfect enough, because it’s not *trying* to be perfect!! 🖍 When I practice intentional imperfectionism, it confuses my gremlins. And when my gremlins get confused, they bump into each other and wander off, instead of snarling their nastiness at me. Woot! Win! 🖍 It takes practice, but it’s worth it. It helps to have a community who is also practicing with you, like my Creative Sandbox Community for women. We support and encourage each other, cheering each other on. 🖍 I’m opening the doors next Tuesday to new members. Check the link in my profile. #originalart

[livecreativenow-blog]

Playing with color in my sketchbook. Knot doodles and Neocolor II. . . . #doodle #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #creativesandboxway #creativesandboxcommunity #sketchbook #imperfectionism #originalart

[livecreativenow-blog]

Today is day 15 of the July #creativesandboxchallenge inside the #creativesandboxcommunity, and today’s prompt is “monastery.” I did a Google search on “monastery icons,” and here are four attempts in doodle form. Symmetry is clearly not a strength of mine! 😂 🖍 I love thee monthly challenges, because they help me expand my visual vocabulary. Other members use them as writing prompts, or to practice drawing skills, or for photography, or poetry... it’s up to you. But it’s always so fun and inspiring to see what other members come up with! 🖍 And the Sandbox is a safe place to share. Not everyone feels comfortable putting their creative efforts out for the world to see, but in the Sandbox they know they’ll get a gentle, loving reception. It’s like getting your bearings in the shallow end of the pool before diving head-first into the depths of the ocean! The water’s fine, and the life guards have your back. 😊 🖍 We inspire each other in so many ways in the Sandbox. In just over a week we’re starting the Great ClutterBust—3 weeks of clearing out the stuff that’s taking up space and weighing us down, so we can make space for what’s important! 🖍 When you see other people share “before” and “after” pics, and hear their successes, it motivates YOU to take action and finally tackle that Closet of Doom you’ve been putting off dealing with forever. I’ve got piles of junk from last year’s kitchen renovation that I still haven’t gotten around to that I’m targeting for clutterbusting. 😊 🖍 Wanna join us? Get on the waitlist here: http://creativesandboxcommunity.com I’ll be sending more info this week! . . . #visualnotes #visualthinking #visualcommunication #monastery #vizthink #neulandmarkers #doodle #originalart #dailydoodle #doodlenotes #creativesandboxway

[livecreativenow-blog]

Refuge. Day 13 from the #creativesandboxchallenge inside the #creativesandboxcommunity. I modeled this after the sketch that member (and challenge host) @carla.la.la.olson made (which you can find on her Instagram feed). I was so inspired by it! 🖍 That’s one of the things I love about the Creative Sandbox Community: we inspire each other! Seeing the art, photos, writing, clutter-clearing “before” and “after” pics that people share... and hearing/reading the stories of their insights... it inspires ACTION! 🖍 We see, read, hear what someone else is doing or has done, and it jazzes us up to try something new ourselves, or to make a change, or to take that step we’ve been wanting to take but have been afraid to. 🖍 That is the power of a community of kind, generous, open-hearted souls. All gathered together with the intention to care about and support one another. It’s the closest thing to magical I know of. I love these women so much! 🖍 I am doing things I never would have done, thanks to the support of the Creative Sandbox Community. And I am far from alone in saying that. 🖍 It’s been a long time since I’ve opened the doors to the public. We’ve moved off Facebook and into our own private space on Mighty Networks, and I’m getting ready to start welcoming new women in as early as next week. 🖍 We’ll kick off with three weeks of clutter-clearing, to make space to create. Stay tuned! This will be fun! 😁 . . . . #visualnotes #visualthinking #vizthink #visualcommunication #sketchnotes #originalart #doodle #dailydoodle #dailycreative #graphicfacilitation #creativesandboxway