Creativity is Contagious

“Creativity is Contagious, Pass it On.” Albert Einstein

In case you’re just checking in with my blog, I’ve been enjoying the process of nurturing my creativity this summer. I hope my enthusiasm is contagious.  I’m using Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way to direct my journey and hopefully take you along for the ride as well. Oh…did I mention it’s not exactly just a ‘relaxing, you do nothing but just look around and enjoy the scenery’ ride? No…you have to do the work …you have to take action!

Cameron has a few basic principles she wants us to engage in on a regular basis in order to get more in touch with our inner child. (The part that many of us have left behind, and thought if might be too late to call it back)

The first creative recovery principle is journaling- every morning, 3 pages of ‘stream of consciousness…whatever crosses your mind’ thoughts.  I gave you some ideas and encouragement for that in last week’s blog. So no more excuses….you’re doing it, right?

The second principle is going on a weekly ‘artist’s date'. Have you been doing that? Did you go on your date this week?  I talked about the artist’s date a few weeks ago but heard from some of you that you’re somewhat confused as to what an artist’s date is actually supposed to look like, so I thought I’d let the author herself explain.  Here is Julia Cameron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mUxbOUSLZM

 

 

For those of you who learn better with a visual picture, here is an example of a how one person used her creativity to document her artist’s dates in a slide show…

 

 

I love this creative idea of collecting memories of our artist's dates, don’t you?  In fact it gave me a great idea ….I’m going to have my college students do something like this in one of my fall classes I teach. Creativity is contagious, isn’t it!.

So let’s all make a plan, make a date and then do it… and encourage a friend to do the same.   

Home work assignment: As an exercise for your morning pages (taken from The Artist's Way). List twenty things you enjoy doing (examples: rock climbing, roller-skating, baking pies, riding a bike, shooting baskets, ready poetry...etc)  When was the last time you let yourself do these things?  Next to each entry place a date.  This list is an excellent resource for future artist dates.

I’d love for you to share some of your experiences from your artist’s dates. Post on the blog or email me at: http://smallsteps4bigresults.blogspot.com/