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August 31, 2005
conscious and subconscious creativity
Maybe creativity isn’t purely about getting into a space of certain formula. Maybe it is more like a meditation, that if you sit there long enough and quietly enough, that the answers come to you. My illustrator friend Inari feels that creativity comes through her from an external being. I wonder if that external being is just a deep part of self that needs to be reached.
Hence the expression ‘creative block’. You are blocking that voice.
Inari feels that she needs 90 minutes to get to her most creative place and I guess ‘hear the voice’.
I put this into practice. Normally I procrastinate and avoid ‘doing’ the creative work - telling myself it is simmering in the back of my mind and then with a matter of minutes to go, I pull something out. It seems for months now that my work has lacked what I consider ‘creative genius’ and I haven’t put the true hours needed into it. So, I tried. I went to a cafe, ordered poached eggs and sat with my pen and sketch book. And slowly, as usual, some ideas came. However when I felt like I didn’t have anymore, I waited longer. I just sat with it and sure enough… more came… more clever things…. and so on… and 90 minutes later, I had a sketch book full of concepts and a greater confidence than I’ve felt in ages.
So what is this?
Is it about making the time to tap into your potential? Or being tuned into the answers arriving from elsewhere?
And another thing, relating to my picture..
You know when you are on the phone and doodling away on paper and not thinking about what your doing? And then after the conversation you look at the marks and think they are suprisingly wonderful? I think it’s because you didn’t consciously set about doing anything in particular and so while you are concentrating on conversation, you hand is expressing the subconscious. If you then ‘try’ it doesn’t seem to have the same magic. I’ve been trying to do this, attempting to draw with my sub conscious. It’s really hard. But I started in PNG by doing ‘patterns’. Just little random shapes, drawing lines with no ‘plan’ and no purpose… and some really interesting things happened…
I think a part of it is liking it because you don’t feel like you did it.. so it seems fresh and different. But tapping into this ‘other’ takes practice.
Posted by nat at 9:01 AM | Comments (2)
August 23, 2005
The formula
Creativity is a chemical reaction that occurs in your brain.
It requires specific elements to be generated.
My particular equation is:
S+L+C+N-St = CM
Sunshine + Loneliness + Coffee + Nature - Stress = Creativity Maximus
What is your formula?
Posted by nat at 2:13 PM | Comments (2)
August 18, 2005
Boating on Beaufort
Monday afternoon non-work activity. When the street was flooded, we made use of the canal!
Ingredients:
One takeaway (recycled plastic) coffee holder
One chopstick (previously used to stir paint)
A flyer cut into a flag shape
2 staples.
Instructions:
Join, and sail!
Forced credit: Photographs by Mik Efford of Mik World
Posted by nat at 10:24 AM | Comments (3)
August 15, 2005
Memories like Flowers Decay
PNG exists only in my mind. Clouded by everything happening here, did it ever happen? Those 6 weeks are just a flash. My photographs take part of me back, to wandering around gardens of exotic flowers, twisting limbs around fruit shapes, shaking soft hands and meeting beaming smiles. I can’t seem to integrate this life into my current one. I don’t want to lose it. Photographs are the triggers to take me back, a gift of the universe.
Posted by nat at 8:18 AM | Comments (2)
August 9, 2005
Thanks
Life just threw up on me!
Posted by nat at 1:08 PM | Comments (1)
August 3, 2005
Finding players
Ex-pat social activities are a new experience for me. This was the fruity flavoured twister that we made for my housewarming party in PNG. I invited lots of nationals but due to shyness, babies and lack of transport, none of them came. So the ex-pats need each other to play with.
Posted by nat at 7:21 AM | Comments (0)
