I know it seems counter intuitive but by reading, or looking at art we admire – using it as a spring board it can take your own vision to a different place. I sometimes will take an article I liked a great deal – pull out the parts I found spoke to me and re-write the article around those sentences with “my voice”. Same thing with art – especially photography. I love to find photos others have taken and look at it and think: “ok how would I do this differently?” doesn’t mean better or worse just a way to help me see with my own eyes. The photo exercise is great when I don’t have much time. I have one of those “photo a day” e-mails from national geographic. I am by no means a photographer – but this little exercise everyday as my pc boots up and warms up – as I sip my tea – makes me use that part of my brain and soul.
Another fun thing is to look up a random word in Wikipedia and think of a creative way to “display” the word for the day. It increases my vocabulary and makes me do some goofy – childlike – craft activity. I do this when I find my day is running away with me. It’s a little time out. My colleagues now know that by three or so – they can come over and see what the word is. The other day it was goofy —- wrote the word pen out of pens on my desk. It made us all laugh. It’s not great art – but it is creative.

Other wise I write. I dance. I act. But no – I haven’t always done these, and no I’m not Anais Ninn, Ginger Rogers or Scarlett Johansson…. But it amuses me, frees my spirit. I would also add … be ready for it to change over and over. For example – I have a sudden desire to explore underwater photography and Flower Arranging – Ikebana to be precise. One creative outlet usually breed another. So it’s not about making time for A creative project – but making time to BE creative.