Creativity Burst: Painting

Painting

Not sure if it is the pandemic or something else or both, but I look around and see a lot of people painting.

They are painting houses, walls, furniture, rooms, paintings, and more. People have found a color and a brush and are putting both to task freshening up their décor with a fresh coat of paint. It seems like one of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to change the mood of a room a home or a piece of furniture.

Paint it.

Also, the process calls for a creative heart. You get to choose your color. Let’s say your room was dark – now you paint it white. Hello! The whole mood of the room has changed – and vice versa too. 

Painting also often has you taking down your pictures and covering your furniture and that also often gets a creative refresh when you have to choose what goes back up on the walls. Also, you may add other decorative elements to match your new painted walls – pillows, accent rugs, and more.

And don’t think you have to get fancy. White walls are also amazing. Did you know there are warm and cool tones of white that can really change the look of your room. White is anything but boring and will also need some attention to choose how you would like your white to look.

And, if you dare, how about a deep, bold color like red or purple? How about pairing the two together? Sometimes taking a bold step with colors we choose to paint with can be a prelude to other bold steps in our lives.

If it is painting a picture, how expressive. I hear that Paint By Numbers has become fashionable once again. The idea of painting almost feels meditative. One can safely be in one’s space alone or with one’s family and undertake a creative task that is full of color and transformation. Once you are in your new rooms of color, who knows what may alight upon you.

Stay Open and Paint!

Creativity Burst: Create Art

Create Art

Sometimes art can be the best way to process and think through how we are feeling about events unfolding as well as our shared history that has brought us to this moment. We often feel that we must process and come to understand via language and words. However, I have found that sometimes the mind can make connections, enter sad, scary, angry feelings and emotions through the medium of art.

Art allows our right and left hemispheres of our brain connect in a way that often is interrupted by words. Instead of trying to put down in words one’s thoughts and feelings, it may be helpful to pick up a crayon, marker, paint, and any other art medium that you may have and create.

Create what? Well, a mural would be interesting. A mural can often be large in scope and that space can allow for multiple people to work on the piece together. This may also be helpful to engage as a collective. You can also create a mini mural where each person creates a small scale piece and then you come together as a community and put them together to see what arises from everyone’s different artistic expressions.

There is so much street art unfolding across America right now. As places are boarded up, people are taking to create art right on the chip board in their communities or in certain designated areas that are public. Creating a piece on site or bringing a piece to a place like this and hanging it is yet another way to engage with processing the movement that is unfolding through creative expression.

Once our minds can connect and make meaning of the collective pain in America, there may arise new ideas for how to continue to disrupt the systemic racism that has always been present in the country. Creative art making rather than speaking offer a golden key to creating something new. Perhaps it can create a new idea for this world too.

Creativity Burst: Art Mobiles

An art mobile hangs and moves in the wind

Are you drawn to art that may not be traditional? If so, you may want to think about hanging up an art mobile – one that you have bought or made yourself. Given I am not very artsy, I wonder how an art mobile would turn out if I actually tried to make one. I am so fascinated with art mobiles, I may just give it a shot.

There is something about delicate pieces of paper, fabric, or other materials (mix and matched even) hanging off of the ceiling, perhaps twirling, perhaps shining (depending on the material) that not only captures my attention, but also gives me a moment to pause and appreciate how something simple and delicate can capture my mind for a little bit of time.

A little bit of time that may refresh me, have me think of something new, help me see the light of the day through a different filter. If there is an art mobile around, I always remind myself to look up and appreciate it hanging there. To better appreciate and see the space I am in in this present moment.

If I were to create an art mobile, it could be as simple as gathering paper, crayons or colored pencils, scissors, string, and a piece of wire to suspend my creative, colorful pieces of paper from. If you were to add a hook to your ceiling, you would have an interesting art piece made by you. Children love little art projects like this, but adults can also enjoy creating an art mobile for themselves too.

Art mobiles provide an outlet to take one’s mind away from whatever is going on and take in the world in a new way. I may just try making one this spring. Butterflies come to mind — along with the bees, of course.

Creativity Burst: Museum Art Collections On-Line

Browsing museum art collections inspires creativity on-line.
Colorful Art Online

One of the best parts of the Internet? Being able to be transported to places we often are unable to travel to such as museums. It is easier than ever with museum collections on-line.

One of the things I love to do the most is browse museums of art. For me, taking in great art – especially since I am not a visual artist in the least – not only inspires me, but allows my creative side to come out and play. Given I value great art as much as I do, I make time to head to my local museums and, when traveling, visit art museums as I am able to do so.

What I find absolutely amazing these days is that many major museums have on-line art galleries that one can peruse at her own leisure. Some of these museums collections on-line include: MOMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museo del Prado, and The Tate. All of these museums are world class and world famous. Taking a few moments out of your day to head to any of these sites to look at some beautiful pieces of art feels like time out of time.

All of a sudden you are in that Museum taking in great works of art — right from your comfortable spot at home or anywhere else you may happen to be. Amazing, technology!

Within minutes my mind is full of artistic imagery, colors, design, characters, faces, landscapes, and more that whirl in my mind inspiring me to take flight simply by browsing museums collections on-line. A creative burst shoots forth. Perhaps I will be moved to a creative outpouring of some kind — it may not be creating a masterpiece, but it could be rather remarkable for your day.

If you love art and want a simple and easy way to take in an amazing collection, give on-line art collection browsing a try. You may find yourself moved without having to move a bit.