Oh Muse, Send Forth Ideas Suitable for Framing

Today I took my kids to the library. They played on the computers and I went looking for something useful to read. I love to browse the library. But with 2 young children in tow I needed to just get something quick and head down to the kids area. Luckily, the book I chose had some really great advice on fostering creativity. During this time when I've challenged myself to come up with 10 new designs by the end of the summer, my creativity needs to be fostered in large amounts.

Here are some of the tips I plan on using in the coming weeks. I hope you find them useful as well.

1. Read several very different books and articles at the same time. By doing this, you'll make connections that never would have occured to you otherwise. Combine a bunch of concepts into one effective idea.

2. Boil your ideas down to their essence. Make them stunningly simple.

3. Work on projects in stages and give yourself time to "incubate" in between stages.

4. Collect quotes and metaphors that inspire you.

5. Pay attention to the pop culture trends. And not just the ones directly related to your area of expertise. You never know where inspiration will spark. Remember point #1.

6. Declutter your mind. New ideas don't have a chance to enter your brain if the space is already full.

I also learned a little bit about a technique called "mind mapping" that I'm using right now and will share with you next time.

If you have any tips for fostering creativity, feel free to share them here.

By the way, this set of tips I got from the book titled "Web Marketing for Small Businesses" by Stephanie Diamond. I've just started the book but it seems to have a lot of really useful information in it if you're trying to get a small business started.

Balancing Act and Setting Goals

This is the first sentence of my first blog. As in my life, I have a lot to say but struggle with focusing on one thing at a time. Like many of you who might be reading this (I hope someone is reading this) I have a lot of balls in the air. But besides my family, art, painting and design are my passion. And I let a lot of other things go just so I can paint.

I have set a goal. By the end of summer vacation I want to have completed 10 new designs/paintings. Recently I wrote down my ideas and organized the concepts in groups. And I have a few drawings started.

I am experimenting with new techniques and process.

And I have stocked up on canvas.

As I go through the process of creating new designs, I will share my progress and let you in on snippets of what I’m working on or show you where I get some of my inspiration. In the mean time please become a facebook fan, add me as an etsy favorite and stay tuned.