Creativity Roundup

photo by Emlyn Addison

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts I’ve read lately about creativity, writing and life:

Daily Rituals. In this fascinating piece, Mason Currey talks about how famous writers, artists and other creative people find time each day to do their work. This is the first installment of a 3-week series on Slate, so you might want to keep checking back.

Nine of the Best Ways to Boost Creative Thinking. Gregory Ciotti offers up some great ideas to help you become more creative. (from Lifehacker)

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer. A host of writers — including PD James, Zadie Smith, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, Jennifer Egan, Neil Gaiman, and many others — offer a range of tips on improving your writing. (by Jocelyn K. Glei on Daily Good)

Stained Glass Window Exercise. A fun and simple creative project from Nature Coach Michelle Hedgecock. This one got my creative juices flowing!

Kids, Creative Blocks, and Adult Creativity and 10 More Ways to be Creative Like a Kid. In these two pieces, Mike Brown discusses amusing ways to keep your creative inner child satisfied. His thesis: “One way for adults to attack creative blocks or improve creativity in general is to revert to doing what kids – who are often at the creative pinnacles of their lives – do naturally.”

6 Techniques to Ignite Your Inner Creativity and Passion. Ronald Alexander discusses ways to open up to your core creativity in this inspiring article from The Huffington Post.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful creative tidbits as much as I did!

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Creativity Roundup #9

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

The 5% Creativity Challenge. Josh Linkner suggests upping your creativity by scheduling 5% of your work week to reflect, think and create in this inspiring blog post.

How to Steal Like An Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me). Writer and artist Austin Kleon offers 10 great pieces of advice about creating. My favorite is “Don’t wait until you know who you are to make things.”

30 Tips to Rejuvenate Your Creativity. Joel Falconer provides some wonderful ideas for rekindling your creative mojo.

The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric. Shelley Carson discusses research linking creativity with unconventional behavior and thought patterns in this fascinating article from Scientific American.

How to Steal Back Time to Create What Matters. Dan Goodwin offers a new way of thinking about making time for your creativity in this inspiring blog post.

7 Ways to Cultivate Your Creativity.  This slide show from Ingrid Wickelgren at Scientific American considers seven “brainsets” that facilitate original thinking and offers creative exercises to help you cultivate these states of mind.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful creative tidbits as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #8

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

Why You Don’t Need Discipline: Secrets to Writing Every Day. Ami Mattison explains how she’s motivated to write every day in this terrific blog post. (from poetryNprogress)

7 Wonderful Ways to Wake Up More Creative. Dan Goodwin offers some great suggestions for starting off your day creatively. (from A Big Creative Yes)

Discovering the Virtues of a Wandering Mind. This New York Times article from John Tierney explains the research that validates what you already knew: daydreaming is good for you and makes you more creative!

49 Creative Things You Can Do Today. A juicy list of creative fun from i, Hanna’s Blog.

How Handwriting Trains the Brain. This fascinating Wall Street Journal article from Gwendolyn Bounds explains how research shows writing by hand rather than on a computer may be a key component in learning, memory and expressing ideas.

Finally, check out Hoedown from Rodeo by Eleanor Stewart. A beautifully creative video in which the musical score of Aaron Copeland’s “Rodeo Suite” comes to life with stop-motion characters in a variety of scenes inspired by cowboy and Western films.

I hope you enjoy these wonderful creative tidbits as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #7

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

5 Reasons Why You Need a Muse. Matt Cardin examines five practical reasons for getting in touch with your muse. (from Lateral Action)

Journaling Music + The Oracle of Shuffle. Kristin Donovan discusses the profound connections between music, writing and life. (from Journaling Saves)

The Truth About Creative Burnout. 30 Experts Speak Out. 30 Ideas for overcoming creative burnout. (from Constructively Productive)

72 Journaling Ideas…and Counting! Dozens of prompts for your journal. Or use them to inspire your fiction. (from Create Write Now: Journaling for the Health of It)

The Creative Beast Learns Guitar. Cute video about following your creative passion. (from I Geek for Creativity)

Tiny Wisdom: On Building. Lori Deschene offers a bit of inspiration on pursuing your dreams. (from Tiny Buddha)

I hope you enjoy these insightful articles as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #6

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People. Leo Babauta interviewed a range of creative people regarding habits they consider important to their creativity and found that one consistently stood out. (from Zen Habits)

How to Write Drunk and Edit Sober Without Drinking. Mark Dykeman takes a sober approach to Ernest Hemingway’s advice for writers. (from ThoughtWrestling)

Zen Mind, Writer’s Mind: Tips for a Zen Writing Practice. Poet Ami Mattison offers writing exercises based  on Zen principles to help you when you’re “stuck, uninspired, or dealing with emotional suffering and turmoil.” (from poetryNprogress)

21 Ways You’re Killing Your Creativity Without Even Realising. Dan Goodwin points out how we may be inadvertently sabotaging our creativity with this eye-opening list.  (from A Big Creative Yes)

30 Creativity Cards. Marelisa created these cards you can print and use whenever you get stuck or need some creative inspiration. Topics include ideas about beginning, curiosity and creativity, changing perspective, music to enhance creativity, mindmapping, using a random word technique and much more. (from Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online)

50 Ways to Open Your World to New Possibilities. Lori Deschene offers this wonderful list of things you can do to shake yourself out of creative lethargy. (from TinyBuddha)

I hope you enjoy these insightful articles as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #5

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

Jill Badonsky’s Latest “Your Muse is Calling” Newsletter. I love Jill’s comments at the beginning of this newsletter—she talks beautifully about the creative insight that evolves as we age, endure various life hardships and gain wisdom.

Charting Creativity: Signposts of a Hazy Territory. Fascinating New York Times article about new research on brain function and creativity.

7 Things You Can Learn About Creativity from an Almost 3-year-old. Tobias Tinker offers the wisdom he’s gleaned from watching his toddler’s “effortless, totally un-self-conscious creative play” in this terrific blog post. (from Fearless Creativity!)

What to Do When You Run Out of Inspiration. Mark McGuinness gives tips for lighting a fire under your muse in this inspiring post. (from Lateral Action)

The Creative Person’s Hierarchy of Needs. Cynthia Morris’s excellent post discusses the requirements of creative people that go beyond Maslow’s hierarchy of basic human needs.  (from journeyjuju.com)

Even More Ultra Inspiring Blogs About Creativity and Idea Generation. Mark Dykeman at Thought Wrestling offers a wonderful list of blogs about creativity.  (Full disclosure: this blog is included.)

I hope you enjoy these insightful articles as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #4

Once again, I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

Time Lost and Found. The terrific Anne Lamott advises turning off technology and not cleaning the house to find time to write: “What fills us is real, sweet, dopey, funny life.”

Divine Inspiration: Bring Forth Your Muse in 3 Easy Steps. Susan Murphy offers advice for summoning creative inspiration. (at Thought Wrestling)

You Are Officially Entitled. Why be the PR person when you can be Director of Public Elations? Or Princess of Possibility? (from Mitch Ditkoff at The Heart of Innovation)

A Short Story About Ladders and Boxes and Possibility. Wonderfully inspiring post about creating and experiencing life on our own terms. (from Cath Duncan at Agile Living)

I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #3

I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity, writing and life I’ve read lately:

What Must You Do? A thought-provoking article about deliberately choosing a purpose for your life that combines your deep passion with value you can provide to the world. Jonathan Mead at Illuminated Mind offers advice for achieving this daunting task.

The Advice Game: What 17 Published Writers Would Tell Their Younger Selves. Writers reveal things they wish they’d known early in their careers. (from Elizabeth Stark at Book Writing World)

Let No One Keep You From Your Journey. Creativity guru Jill Badonsky offers Mark Nepo’s poetic words about staying true to yourself and your life’s path.

25 Beautifully Illustrated Thought-Provoking Questions. Questions to inspire reflection about your life and how you’re living it.  (from Marc at Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living)

The ABC’s of Staying Creative. David Wahl  at Creative Creativity turns the traditional sales mantra “Always Be Closing” into “Always Be Creating”—and offers whimsical advice for keeping your creative faucet flowing.

Are These Two Creativity Myths Holding You Back? Tobias Tinker at Lateral Action discusses the concepts of the Genius, the Tortured Artist, Creative Demons that Must be Slain, and whether such ideas hold artists back from exploring their creativity.

I hope you enjoy these insightful articles as much as I did!

Creativity Roundup #2

I’d like to share some inspiring posts about creativity I’ve read lately:

7 Ways to Attain Imperfection. A wonderful reflection on perfectionism that provides solid tips on how to combat the compulsion to be perfect. (from Kristin at Journal Writing Saved My Life)

Let Nature Be Your Muse—9 Ideas to Boost Your Creativity. An article with some great suggestions for combining nature and creativity. Here’s one example: Leaf tweets: “Collect soft, fallen leaves, grab a Sharpie and doodle, write haiku, a love note, or words of wisdom on them (140 characters or less), and “leaf” them for people to find.” (from Michelle Hedgecock, The Nature Coach)

How to Wake Up From a Deep Creative Hibernation. Creativity coach Dan Goodwin encourages readers to ease gently back into creativity after a break in this inspiring blog post. (from A Big Creative Yes)

Fill Your Writing Well. 10 excellent tips for gathering sensory details from life to inspire your creative writing. (from Annette Fix at Annette’s Paper Trail)

A Messy, Liberating Guide to Journal Writing. Tons of fantastic ideas for keeping a journal that’s overflowing with creativity. (from Melissa Donovan at Writing Forward)

I hope you enjoy these insightful articles as much as I did!

For more work by Elena Ray, who created the beautiful mixed medium painting featured here, see her website.

@Sandy Ackers, Strangling My Muse: Struggling to Live a Creative Life in a Stressful World, http://www.stranglingmymuse.com

Creativity Roundup

I’ve been reading some great posts about creativity this week, and I want to share some of my favorites.

Denny McCorkle tells you how to Enjoy a Creative Bounce with Simple Fun at I Geek for Creativity. He includes a list of 41 playful ideas you can try. Denny’s post also features the fantastic video from Box of Crayons that I’ve posted above. I think it wouldn’t hurt for us all to watch it every morning, just to remind us to embrace our wonderful creative selves!

Author Orna Ross provides a list of 7 Characteristics of the Creatively Intelligent.

Mark McGuinness discusses What Daily Meditation Can do for Your Creativity at 99%.

Manuela Boyle ponders whether writing copy for a day job helps or hampers your personal creative writing in Copywriters: ghosts of their writing selves? on Write for Your Life.

Alex Cornell asked 25 creative people for their tips on Overcoming Creative Block at ISO50.

Ken Robert at Mildly Creative talks about pursuing the things you’re drawn to even if you don’t understand why in It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense.

Hope you enjoy these posts as much as I did!