Urban Art Binge
Igniting your passion for creativity
  • Binge Blog
  • Workshops
  • Enrol
  • About
  • Tassie Trip!
  • Media
  • UAB Exhibition 2012
  • UAB Exhibition 2013

Top 10 ways to Inspired Creativity

3/4/2013

5 Comments

 
Having recently returned from a 6-week trip overseas and been distracted by one or two other life changing experiences around health (I took on a 5 week juice fast) and relationships (I fell in love and got engaged!), my 6 weeks out of regular studio practice, has turned to 2 or 3 months! 

It struck me that as I build my relationship with my studio practice once more, the tools, tips, tricks and self-talk I use to get me back into the studio are the same ones that I used at the very beginning of my practice and may well be of use to you.

If you are someone like me who is inspired but somehow finds the day passing without taking some action towards the expression of that inspiration then these top 10 tips for getting you back in the studio are for you:
Picture
Picture
Picture
1. Cultivate Gratitude for Where You Are
Take stock of where you are and take a moment to appreciate what you have achieved in your learning and creativity so far.  Acknowledge whatever feelings are there whether it's excitement, regret, anticipation, disappointment or even pressure it is valid to feel all of these.  However, recognise that you don't need to honour, nurture or indulge any of these feelings.  What's important to remember is that you are a new creative being in each moment and in this moment you are choosing yourself exactly as your are.  This is the most empowering place to come from.
2. Gather Art Making Materials that Inspire You
Get hold of some materials that inspire you to create that you can't wait to work with.  Ask yourself while in an art store what the materials are that inspire you?  Is it colourful luscious paints or chunky sticks of charcoal; is it the textured grain of 600gsm watercolour paper or the inky promise of bottles of pure colour?  Whatever it is, treat yourself to one or reconnect with existing materials you have  - these are all signposts to your inner creative source.
Picture
Picture
'Reflections', Ink on Paper, A3 by Jo Underhill
3. Build Some Sketching into Every Day Activities
Make a commitment to yourself to draw every day, even if just for 10 minutes - this could be taking a few minutes on your morning walk to capture something or maybe sketching your lunch before you eat it, perhaps even dashing off a few sketches of people passing on the street as you sip your morning coffee. 

The act of sketching or drawing reconnects you to what you like to draw, what you are good at drawing and what inspires you.  It is good to remember that just drawing alone can be the pathway to the inspiration for a whole body of work - stick to an exploration of something for long enough and something will come up.  Try a 7 or 30 day challenge to draw every day and see what emerges.  Even sketching ideas first thing in the morning upon waking or last thing at night can be very revealing.

If drawing is not your thing perhaps it's about taking a photograph each day that inspires you or even spending some time collecting images to collage.

4. Prepare your Creative Space
Whatever your space may be, whether it's a little desk in the corner of a room or a large purpose-built studio space make sure everything is where you need it so you don't spend time rummaging and searching for things. 

If you don't have a creative space, it helps to claim one and make it a dedicated creative place.  This adds value to what you are doing and stakes a claim for your creative energy to manifest.  It also means you can walk into that creative space at any time without being put off by having to set something up and then pack it all away which interferes with creative flow.
Picture
Picture
Picture
5. Gather and Collect Inspiring Visual Stimulus
Books, photographs, images of other artist's work, your own sketches, magazine images and even inspiration from books about mixed media techniques and painting or sketching can all be rich sources of inspiration.  Whenever I am stuck I go to my bookshelf and pull out some books that appeal to me in that moment.  I flick through them and suddenly get an idea for what I want to play with or how I want to progress a canvas. 

Pay attention to what you are gathering too as these are signposts to inner creative voice and will be steering you toward manifesting it. 

Other magazines like Artist Profile, Frankie or even nature inspired magazines like National Geographic can be useful too in terms of what others are doing and can trigger ideas that form a launchpad for your own to catapult from.
Picture
6. Set a Goal For Your Practice
Having a goal and something to aim for in your work is really helpful.  When I was first starting out, my goal was to discover who I was creatively and whether I really wanted to paint full-time.  This took the pressure off needing to produce something and shifted the focus onto a curious engagement with painting and drawing itself. 

It can help to also set smaller practical goals like finishing a canvas or to discover one new technique each week for a month.  You may want to to fill a diary with drawings and see what happens, what emerges or create an abstract painting or small study each day.  For a while I just painted a swatch of colour and doodled and out of those experiments, I had enough inspiration to keep me going for a couple of years! 

Whether it's working through a book on colour theory or just being gentle with yourself when creating - make sure it INSPIRES you.

7. Get Connected to Your Creative Uniqueness
It was Oscar Wilde who said, 'Be yourself; everyone else is already taken' and realising this about our creativity is probably the most powerful thing we can ever do for ourselves.  Recognise that you have a unique contribution for the world and that you are on a journey to uncover it and share it. 

My favorite video on creative genius is Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk see below - it's about 20 minutes but really worth watching and very entertaining. 
8. Make a Creativity Date with Yourself
Taking time to be with ourselves in our creative space is as precious and nurturing to our creativity as date night with a partner.  Value yourself enough to block out some time in your diary regularly to focus on your creativity.  One of your goals may be to just show up in your creative space for 30 minutes a day or an hour 3 times a week.  It doesn't matter what the time is or how long, when you are starting from scratch it's getting in there that counts. 

Make a commitment to yourself to honour this and connect it back to what's important to you in relation to making your art.  What does it give you?  For me I get a sense of peace, it's like a meditation, I feel a sense of joy when I start painting with colour and a sense of being home, I just have to think about luscious thick oil paint in dusty pinks and greens to make me feel like I just want to get in there and start playing!
Picture
9.  PLAY!
Once you have made it to your creative space, just play.  I often begin my studio session with some non-dominant hand drawing to music with no pressure on outcome.  If I am nurturing some new work, I just play.  Each surface layer is built up of layers of playful engagement that are spontaneous and easy.  It may help to remind yourself that if you don't like something you can always paint over it later.  By allowing this side of ourselves to be engaged we create space for wonder and joy and for new ideas to emerge.

10. Be Gentle and Avoid Self-Judgement
Gentleness in self talk is imperative at this playful stage.  Self-talk that is gentle, compassionate, kind and supportive will only nurture your creative practice.  Remember you are giving your inner creative child to play, they will not be able to come out and serve you if they feel like they are in trouble for something. 

Really notice if and when you are being self-critical.  Often we are more self-critical when we are stressed about something and give ourselves a hard time.  Drop the resistance, notice where it is in your body and breathe into it, see if in that moment you can bring something positive or gentle in.

Removing any judgementalism from your creations is especially important in the early stages of creating work as we have a tendency to self-censor ourselves and shut down our playful, creative exploration when we do this. 

By allowing ourselves to get into our creative space armed with all the things that inspire us and gently encourage ourselves to create, we allow possibility to enter and creativity to flourish.

Picture
Picture
Picture
5 Comments

drawing. eating. sharing. laughing... eating... drawing

24/3/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Jeff & Kurt - New found mates. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Quirky boats moored off the City Botanic Gardens. Sketches by Travis D. Hendrix, local artist extraordinaire. Travis' skill and experience has been a gift amongst this group. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Paul Harris, a practicing fine artist, has a very distinct style. He works with many layers and the density of line. He has stretched himself in this drawing course to really learn the value of white space in helping his images to breathe. This is a beautiful sketch from the Botanic Gardens, playing with shapes, shadows, texture and contours. Excellent Paul! Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Alee Lee, finding beauty in the everyday. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Gentle Jen Ramsey's style is feminine and strong. She's on a journey to discover the artist within and we're loving watching her blossom. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Cathy Mardon, what a star! Here she's using the masking technique to frame her image.. though whoever said one must colour within the lines was a sham. You're playful and experimental attitude is awesome Cathy. Urban Art Binge 23.032013
Picture
Magic Maureen Beesley. Just look at these confident lines! Watch out for this one... Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Rosetta Cook drawing the view of the Brisbane River/Kangaroo Point Cliffs from the Gardens. Notice here how she's used the bleed of the 0.4 Artline pen to create extra depth in the canopy shadow. We're also loving how the minimal foreground is leading the eye through the composition. Nice one Rosetta! Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Nothing by halves, these bingers know how to put on a great spread. Sharing food is an essential part of the conversation here at UAB. We love the diversity and richness that each person brings to the table. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Brisbane's Story Bridge, by Kathryn Illiff. Kathryn has been enjoying developing her own very quirky style. Whether it be capturing people or birds on the fly - to buildings, bridges or boats, her hand is unique and we love it! Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Christine Erskine-Smith's watercolour and ink sketch of two beautiful boats off the Botanic Gardens. This lady's linework has come SO far in the last 6 months. Sometimes it's hard to recognise progress within ourselves and such is the beauty of creating works amongst the company of others. Hoorah! Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Angela Cowan has an eye for the subtle and emotive qualities of drawing, capturing moments that many would overlook. Just beautiful. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Kurt Marschner drawing the views from the Botanic Gardens. An open and warm man, with a passion for learning and sharing, thank you for your energy Kurt. Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Jeff Cowan - learning.. learning.. learning.. loving it! Urban Art Binge 23.03.2013
Picture
Thank you to you all. I have really loved spending these last 7 weeks with you. Your energy brings me life. Em x
1 Comment

Find us in the BRISBANE NEWS this week on page 7!

13/3/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
2 Comments

Sketching Expedition Map: Brisbane Cultural Precincts

15/1/2013

0 Comments

 
Continuing the success of 2012's on-site sketching sessions, participants will soon be joining Emily Fong for weekly sketching sessions at various locations around Brisbane. The sites have been choosen to expand observational drawing skills and introduce concepts and ideas whilst exploring our city and exposing budding and experienced creatives to an abundance of inspiration. For more info or to enrol click here.
Picture
Map not to scale, for illustrative use only.
Sites for the series include*: 
  1. Grey Street at Southbank
  2. Anzac Square, between Ann & Adelaide Streets
  3. St John's Cathedral, Ann St
  4. The Botanical Gardens, Alice Street
  5. New Farm Park, Brisbane Powerhouse
  6. Brunswick Street Mall & China Town
  7. QAG/ GOMA, Southbank

*Please note that sites may change and are dependent on weather and accessibility
Picture
0 Comments

UAB: Exhibition Opening Friday 7 December

3/12/2012

2 Comments

 

Gorged On Creativity...For Now
Friday 7 December
6pm - 9pm
Juggler's Art Space, 103 Brunswick St, Brisbane
ART, FREE SKETCHING, LIVE MUSIC, FIRE TWIRLING AND STREET FOOD AUSTRALIA yumminess!

Picture
This painting was delivered by Maureen Beesley today much to our delight for the exhibition. It is a portrait of Emily and I from one of our dress-up life drawing sessions and we LOVE it! Urban Art Binge: Maureen Beesley, Inspiration, 45 x 45cm
Gorged on Creativity...For Now, marks the end of an amazing collaborative year of teaching.  The exhibition has been part of the plan since the inception of Urban Art Binge over peppermint tea in a Stone's Corner cafe in January 2012.

Gorging on Creativity was our mission for the year, that we would work with Brisbane's creative community to inspire, share, teach and give as much as we could of what we had learnt ourselves, through our respective creative practices, so that people felt inspired, satiated, stuffed full of ideas and above all inspired to create. 

This exhibition therefore is more than just the sum of it's binge-block parts.  The show reveals as much about the nature and spaces of Brisbane as it does our creative participants and as our art-binger's drop off their artworks today, created through the 6-week blocks of art classes throughout the year, our excitement about this, builds. 
 
This beautiful and exploratory exhibition documents a growth and vibrancy of our city that is echoed by the growth and vibrancy of the UAB participants who sketched and painted their way through the year with much courage and curiosity.
The exhibition is a testament to the creativity, inspiration and vibrancy of Brisbane as told through the eyes of the Urban Art Binge students of 2012.

The show opens with live music and sketching.  Street Food Australia will be serving up a tasty feast with the Juggler's bar open from 6pm. 

Art works will be for sale on the night as well as gift vouchers for 2013's program.   
2 Comments
    Picture
    'UAB Blocks have been the best art sessions I've undertaken'   C.E.

    Archives

    June 2016
    November 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Classes Brisbane
    Brisbane
    Cultural Precincts
    Drawing
    Emily Fong
    Expedition
    Jo Underhill
    On Location
    Sketching
    Teaching Drawing
    Uab
    Urban Art Binge

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.