Discovery: The Results are In!

h/t Corcoran Gallery Washington, DC 2014

Research question: Will regularly planned artist dates spark my creativity?  Influence my mood? Increase my creative productivity?   

Hypothesis:  Julia Cameron has built a very successful platform working with all types of artists to nurture their creativity and remove blocks to their productivity. One of her basic tenants is regular artist dates where the hopeful creative plans activities to feed their artistic side. Based on this research I would expect to discover enhanced creative energy, improved mood, and increased productivity in creative pursuits.

Method:  Planned artist dates were conducted once a week, for four weeks in the month of March.  There were a total of five dates-- one date was virtual and combined with a real life date.  Four were within the Oklahoma City Metro area, and one was in Washington, D.C.

Measurement:  Subjective account of creative energy and mood.  Creative productivity measured by word count and tangible creative output.

Results: This was a fun experiment! My creative energy was enhanced by the artist dates, and so was my overall mood.  I put a lot of thought into each date and found myself anticipating the event throughout the week.  My creative productivity yielded mixed results:  My word count was down (2,003 in February and 1743 in March), but my photography was up- 30 pictures in February (all with phone camera) 102 pics in March (66 with digital camera/30 phone), plus revamping the bookshelf, and an acrylic canvas.

Sneaked Exhibition Photo - Artist Date Paparazzi 2014

Conclusion: The artist dates validated my creativity and increased my sense of well-being.  It is possible that the mostly visual dates motivated me to express my creativity visually therefore using my camera to capture the images.What are the results of your artist dates?  This research subject (me) will continue artist dates and plan to explore this topic further in May through experiential dates about the written word -- with the addition of “morning pages” another foundation of The Artist’s Way.

DISCOVERY: Flirting with color!

Before Pinterest

Before Pinterest . . .  Bookshelves had always been just a place for books.  I love and collect books so storage can be a problem. Fortunately, Sweetness is a gifted carpenter and crafted a wall to wall bookshelf in the room I have designated “the library.” Unfortunately, I stocked our shelves to overflowing with all the beloved books that fit (and sometimes didn't).  They were arranged by topic and grouped by author.  Whenever I wanted to re-read a favorite I knew the general area and plucked it off the shelf. Yawn.

After Pinterest . . .  Strolling through Pinterest one day I noticed many pictures of bookshelves- row after row of bookshelves –just bookshelves- artfully arranged- - and something clicked. It was time to tackle the bookshelf from a new angle. The quest began to inspire a creative approach to storage.  I Googled, Youtubed, and Pinterested the heck out of bookshelves.  Within a weekend I had a new vision of my space. COLOR!

After Pinterest!

Arranging my beloved books by color has led to a feeling of discovery every time I go looking for a book.  In my green section, Frog and Toad is nestled by Jerry Spinelli’s The Library Card and The Complete Guide to Flower Gardening.  Barbara Bush, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Louis Sachar are new “book-fellows” in the blue area. The palette of color has brought new energy to the room.  It is like looking through an old photo album as I reminisce about favorite writers, memorable characters, and incredible stories.

Imagine my surprise and joy then, at the recent unexpected find of Lisa Hoke’s exhibit on the third floor of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Hoke's installation is a massive 15 feet high and over 150 feet wide- a blank wall serving as her canvas of recycled paper products arranged by—COLOR!

I hope you are gifting yourself with artist dates this month.  Consider a trip to the OKCMOA to see Hoke’s work or be inspired on the first floor with the unforgettable photography of Ansel Adams.

If you are craving Spring green- check out the fabulous photos of Jennifer James St. Patrick's Day Parades past and present!

 If you want to borrow a book- come on down to my library, you never know what might delight your inner artist! 

Mindfulness Mondays:Truth and love

OKCMOA Chihuly 2014

  

Spring encourages us to see our world with new eyes.  Change is always happening around us if we are looking for it.  Continue to nurture your creative spirit as the season changes.










MY CREATIVITY ALWAYS LEADS ME TO TRUTH AND LOVE

Mindfulness Mondays

Jellyfish at San Francisco Aquarium 2012

"An affirmation is a strong, positive statement that something is already so." (Shakti Gawain)

Prepare yourself to spend time with your inner artist this month.  You will meet resistance, but persevere.  Your creative spirit will thank you.




I am willing to experience my creative energy.