Buttons & Rainbows

New Direction

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:24:00 +0000

After much inner-debating with myself I have finally reached the decision to change the name of my business from Buttons & Rainbows to Sara Ortiz Workshops. In the course of any creative endeavor you must listen to yourself and know when to let certain things go in order to make the project better. Buttons & Rainbows is a part of a different time. I will probably use the name Buttons & Rainbows in the future for creative products.

My husband is always telling me I'm constantly changing my mind and for a while I believed him. I felt like a failure because I couldn't focus on one thing. But then I realized that changes can sometimes be evolution. Creativity has a mind of it's own. Sometimes we may not like where it takes us at first but I think that if creativity is your guiding star then you will never be misled.

So please follow me over to my shiny, brand-new blog Creativity on a Mission.

Practicing "Bigness"

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Jennifer Lee from Artizen Coaching suggests that you should step into your "bigness" in order to connect better with yourself and your creativity. Many times, especially in today's political and economic climate we tend to deny ourselves of many things. Having limited resources can force you to be more creative but limiting yourself out of worry or guilt or low self-esteem can be extremely detrimental to your creativity.

Practicing "bigness" can be done in many simple ways.

When you are working on a project spread out all your material on a big table.
Throw your clothes around your bedroom with no regard for tidiness.
When planning something use the entire paper, write big and doodle big.
Practice yoga: it opens up your body and mind.
Eat a whole box of chocolates (or insert your favorite sweet here) without feeling guilty.
Take an entire hour, or day, or week for yourself; call in sick and curl up with a good book.
Speak your mind and speak it openly and boldly.

Practicing "bigness" might seem to you like just being selfish or over-indulgent. We humans tend to hold many things inside. We don't talk about certain things because they are taboo, we don't speak our minds because we might offend someone and we don't take time for ourselves because we are supposed to be strong, responsible and selfless. Being strong, responsible and selfless are all very good things to be but if you are being those things because you feel you are expected to then you are probably denying your true self from coming out.

Jennifer Lee points out that holding our true selves inside or practicing "smallness" takes more energy then practicing "bigness". Your true self is strong and doesn't like being pushed to the side. It takes more energy to keep it in check then it does to let it out.

And why shouldn't you show your true self? Even if you are a loud-mouthed, opinionated, bossy, know-it-all (all descriptions that have been given to me at one point or another) you have every right to feel good about the fact that you are outgoing, you speak your mind, you are a leader who knows how to get the job done. And if you try to force that wonderful, colorful person into a cave you will only be hurting yourself.

Show the world who you are and show it in a big way.

Digging deep to find creativity

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:52:00 +0000

It's sad that creativity is not a respected skill in most circles. Even in America where innovation is king and most companies spend thousands of dollars trying to come up with the next big thing, creativity in it's truest form is looked at like a childish game. Many companies, especially design companies, ooze creativity. They have creativity hanging off their buildings like rainbow slime. Indeed, the work they do is creative and it's actually the industry I started out in but that isn't the scope of what creativity can do.

Creativity is what helped to create these things, it's not what is created.

Creativity is much more than marketing or coming up with a new, hip way to position text and an image on a flier. Creativity isn't just the packaging that makes you dig into your wallet and fork over money for a thing you probably don't need. Creativity is deeper than whatever it is that makes you want to buy something because you think it will make you cool. True creativity isn't marketable, measurable, or trendy. I think many people feel they aren't and can't be creative because they think that this is all creativity is. They think that creativity is drawing and taking pictures and designing a pamphlet. These things may be the result of creativity but these things do not hold creativity. Creativity is what helped to create these things, it's not what is created.

Creativity is probably the only actual renewable resource we have. And the greatest thing about it is that it has the ability to multiply. You can inspire someone to be creative and in turn they inspire two more people and those two people each inspire two more people and so on. The other greatest thing about creativity is that being creative is easier than most people think. The hardest part is getting past insecurities and fear and misunderstanding.

Breaking through insecurities, fear and misunderstanding
The first step in breaking through the habits and thoughts that hinder us from being more creative is to realize where you are right now. Think about what you do for a living. Even if you do something most people think is the farthest from creativity you might be surprised how many creative things you are already doing. You might think that creativity is contained in a little box and only certain people who know how to enter the box are creative. You might even think that creativity is only present in a handful of professions or activities. If this were the case then how did we get to the moon? How did humans figure out the wheel or the Eiffel Tower? How did scientists develop vaccinations? None of these people use paint and brushes to work yet they have created many of the things have made our lives easier, safer and more enjoyable.

I challenge you to think hard today about your work, jobs, projects, hobbies and life to try to find creativity hidden somewhere. I know it's there. As soon as you find it try to be more conscious of it every day. Work with it and try to think of ways to make it even more creative. After a while try to find some other piece of your life that may be hiding a little creativity.

A lot of being creative isn't about going outside yourself but digging beneath all the layers to find the creativity that's already inside.

Let me know what you find.

How to handle too many ideas.

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Many creative people have lots of ideas. They have so many ideas that they can't possibly finish them all which most of the time leads to feelings of failure. I have felt this way most of my life. I think that because I have these ideas about projects, or a book idea or something to research then they all must get done. I put too much on my plate at the same time that most of it doesn't get finished. This un-finished feeling has led to me just assuming I can't do some things at all. I won't finish them anyway, right? And if I do feel highly motivated to take on many projects at once none of them turn out as best as they could have been. I spread myself too thin and therefore aren't able to give each project the attention it deserves.

If you have too many ideas you don't know what to do with and like me, this has led to feelings of failure or despair in finishing anything at all then you probably have also tried many ways to figure out how to handle all these ideas. You have probably tried any number of project or goal tracking software, counseling, list-making, prioritizing and have also probably spent many hours trying to figure out your own way of managing your ideas. All this is done in an attempt to finally feel successful and feel you have accomplished something.

I have tried many techniques to finally and forever manage my ideas and projects so that I accomplish what I want but am not spreading myself too thin and going crazy. Here are some things I have tried:

Acknowledge and make a list of all the things you have accomplished.
Even though it may seem like you have so many things to do and you only get 1% (if that) of them done you have accomplished many things. We tend to remember more of the negative things in our lives and forget the positive ones. Think back to the previous day and list everything you accomplished. Even if you do a task every day and so it doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment (exercising, reading, or any of the daily tasks you do at work) write them down anyway. If you are working on a project now and accomplished one of the tasks yesterday, write that down too. Accomplishments don't have to be grand to count.

Figure out how much time you really have to work with.
Many times we think we have more time than we really do so we plan more things in a given time period. In order to start feeling successful and get all your creative endeavors accomplished you need to figure out how much time you have to devote to those projects. You are only one person. You can do a lot but you can't do it all.

Print off a week from an online daily planner or tear one out of an old planner or simply use Excel or pen and paper. Make sure the planner you use has enough room to write and has the hours listed. It also helps if it's one day per page. Then write down all the things you do in a typical week including how much time it takes you to do each. Include things like getting ready in the morning, exercise, travel time, work time, picking up the kids, etc. For right now leave out all the extra projects and hobbies you work on that have nothing to do with work. Only write down the tasks you need to do.

Notice where your "pockets of time" are and how much you are stuffing into them. Are you accurately measuring how much you can accomplish? Realizing that you might be packing too much into a short amount of time can go a long way to lift the feeling of failure.

Break tasks and projects down into more manageable pieces
Usually when you start to work on a project you write down a list of tasks that need to be done in order to finish your project. Many times though we either don't break those tasks down enough or we are too vague. Say you want clean and organize your bedroom. Your task breakdown might look like this:
1. Go through everything
2. vaccuum
3. buy storage containers
4. Put everything away

This list is a good start but it could be better. For instance, "go through everything" is vary broad and vague. Go through everything and do what? The task can be changed to "Organize everything into a "keep", "maybe", "pitch" and "donate" pile. The tasks can be broken down even more into (1a) Go through closet, (1b) dresser, (1c) main area. "Buy storage containers" can be broken down into (3a) figure out what my storage needs are, (3b) list ideas for storage containers and (3c) buy storage containers. Task number 4 "Put everything away" can be broken down too but you get the point. Each of these tasks could be completed at the same time each day until the bedroom is cleaned and organized. Look at your project and the task list and try to break down your tasks even more.

These are just some of the things I have tried to get control over my ideas and lead a more productive life. I hope some of them help you to finally get a sense of accomplishment. I will list more techniques soon.

If you have any tips or suggestions of things you have tried please comment and I will include them in future posts on this subject.

How to Brainstorm for better results

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Brainstorming is where creativity begins. For me, brainstorming is the best part of solving a problem or planning a creative project. There are no wrong answers or boundaries in the brainstorming stage. Anything can happen. You aren't limited by budget or resources or how much time you have. Brainstorming is used to jump-start creative projects or problem solving but many people don't understand how to brainstorm or even know why brainstorming is so important to the creative process.

I took a class on photography in college and we were taught to take many pictures of our subject from many different angles because the first pictures we took weren't going to be that great but the more pictures we took the better they would become. The same is true with generating ideas. The first few ideas you have about how to solve a problem probably won't be good or very helpful. But the more you brainstorm and look at the problem from different angles the better your ideas will become until you get to the best one and are able to solve your problem.

Brainstorming doesn't always need to be a means to an end. You can practice brainstorming on its own to really focus on the act of generating new ideas. Here are a few of my favorite kinds of brainstorming exercises. Practice these a few times to help get your brain ready to start solving real problems.

101 Uses - The following exercises force you to think of as many uses as you can for the item. Just when you think you have thought of every use possible another idea will pop in your head.
1. List as many uses as you can for a paper clip.
2. How many ways can you use crayon.

Imagine If - Imagine Ifs allow you to forget about boundaries such as money, resources or abilities in order to open up your mind to more ideas and possibilities. This kind of brainstorming exercise is great for planning an event or starting a new business.
1. Imagine if you could have any super ability. What would that ability be, why do you want that ability and what are all the things you could do if you had that ability?
2. If you could create the Ultimate Amusement Park, what things would it contain?

Symbology - Symbols play a big role in creativity. The following exercises help you to realize your current symbol language and open your mind to more symbology.
1. Draw as many different symbols or images for the word "inspire".
2. List adjectives that come to mind when you hear the phrase "to think".

Push yourself to the limit by starting one of these exercises and when you get to the point where you can't think of anything else set it down and come back to it the next day. You will be surprised how many more ideas you come up with by just taking a break for a day.

These exercises can also be used again and again by simply replacing a word or two. For example, "Draw as many different symbols or images for the word "inspire"." can be changed to "Draw as many different symbols or images for the word "apple"."

You can also challenge your friends to see who can come up with the most unique ideas. To do this you pick one of the exercises and set a timer. When the timer goes off everyone compares their answers. Any duplicate answers are crossed off and the person with the most answers remaining wins.

Happy Brainstorming!

The power of a Creative Mantra

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:13:00 +0000

I just discovered the almost magical power of developing a mantra and saying it over and over as a way to generate a positive outlook. Many people have proposed this exercise before; I'm not claiming to have invented something new. But most of the time the mantras are a little superficial. Like "I'm a beautiful person." Or "I am a successful person."

These mantras are great if you honestly are struggling with thinking you are beautiful or being successful. But a mantra should be something deep and meaningful to who you are and what you are going through in your life. A mantra should break past your subconscious to the heart of you.

Here are steps to come up with your own deep, meaningful mantra by using a little creativity and following the steps of the Creative Process.

1. The Drawing Board: As with any creative endeavor you must first figure out where you are currently before knowing which way to go and where you want to end up. So the first question to ask is: Why do you want to write a mantra in the first place? Think about your life and all the struggles you are going through. Are you having problem communicating with a loved one? Do you want more respect at work? What negative things do you think about yourself or your abilities on a regular basis?

Write all this down on a piece of paper as one word or sentence descriptions.

Here's my short list:
I want to feel better about my abilities to start a business.
Negative thoughts: unfocused, unproductive, average looking, can't accomplish my goals no matter how hard I try.

2. Incubation: Take the negative thoughts you wrote down and think of a word that is it's opposite. So for me my opposite words will be focused, determined, hard working, productive, beautiful and I accomplish my goals. Create a new list using these positive words.

Now start putting your positive words and other phrases together to form one or two sentences. Keep the sentences short and simple. I love working with threes and I think it works best when writing a mantra that you have three different parts to the mantra.

For example, I started with just writing, "I am a productive person." Then I added beautiful to make, "I am a productive, beautiful person." For your mantra to work best it needs to be as succinct and descriptive as possible so I changed "person" to "woman". So now it's "I am a productive, beautiful woman." But I still felt there was something missing. I thought about it some more and realized that the biggest thing holding me back is the fact that I always think that no matter how hard I work I will never accomplish anything. I have so many unfinished projects I think I'm doomed to never succeed. So I finally ended up with, "I am a productive, beautiful woman who takes steps toward her goals every day."

Work on your mantra for a while trying to build it little by little like I did if you are having trouble. Move on to the next step if you are especially have trouble.

3. Eureka: This step will help even if you had no trouble writing your mantra. Walk away from your work for a while and get a clean piece of paper and crayons or markers or whatever art material you are most comfortable with. Go in another room (or put your work in another room) and turn on your favorite music. Listen to the music and notice how it makes you feel. Do certain images or words pop up in your head? Breath deeply and try to push everything else from your mind. Focus only on the music, your breath and the art material you have in your hand. When you are ready, begin to draw. If you want you can even keep your eyes closed while you draw. Keep drawing at least to the end of the song. If you wish to continue feel free to draw for as long as you want, getting more sheets of paper or trying different material to draw with. Take it a step further by working with clay.

Pay attention to the things coming to mind. Could they add to your mantra at all? If they don't add to your mantra don't worry. This exercise is just to give you a break. But sometimes when you're mind is brooding over something working on something else could trigger an answer or idea.

4. Critique: Come back to your mantra. If you were able to write a mantra before you did the Eureka exercise look at it again. Does the mantra still speak to you? Did you have an epiphany while doing the Eureka exercise that could make your mantra better?

If you weren't able to write a solid mantra, the Eureka exercise should have helped at least a little. Look at what you drew, try to remember the thoughts and ideas that floated through your mind as you listened to your music. What song was playing? What kind of music did you choose to listen to? There could be a clue there as well.

If you are still stuck or don't seem to like your mantra yet then put it away and go about your daily routine. Don't think you are a failure or that you are never going to be able to write a mantra. I believe that whenever someone is having trouble with something it's because their brain is cooking up a really great solution. Let your brain do its thing and come back tomorrow.

5. Test: When you have a solid, meaningful mantra that speaks to you on a deep, personal level the only thing left to do is test and see if it works.

Start by saying the mantra over and over in your head. Start slowly at first so you get the words just right. After a while you should memorize it. Try to say it out loud. It might seem uncomfortable to you at first to be talking to yourself like this but trust me, that uncomfortable feeling will wear off soon. After you speak your mantra out loud a few more times you might try adding emphasis to certain words or change the inflection of your voice. Get into it by using hand-gestures or stamping your foot. Give yourself over to the energy that's being generated by repeating your powerful mantra.

You might start to feel that you are more alert and maybe a bit anxious to do something. When I got to this point I couldn't wait to start working in my office. I felt I could do anything. If your mantra is meaningful enough and you are raising enough energy you should try to do something with that energy immediately. If you just sit down and don't dispel the energy you might get a little light-headed. If this happens just remain seated and breath deeply, it should past quickly. Nothing to be worried about.

To dispel the energy try exercising or working on an art project or going for a walk. Because you have memorized your mantra the positive effects of it will be with you even after the energy fades.

If you don't have this same experience don't worry. Your mantra may be fine but you just aren't feeling it right now. Try again tomorrow. If you still aren't feeling it maybe you should try the Drawing Board, Incubation or Eureka stages again. It will be hard if this is your first time going through a process like this. It's a skill like any other and requires patience. Even if you have gone through the Creative Process before you might still have trouble with this exercise. Don't fret. Creative break-throughs are sometimes elusive. Take a break and try again.

Repeat your mantra any time you feel down or you are starting to think those negative thoughts. "I am a productive, beautiful woman who takes steps toward her goals every day."

Creatives are great but we aren't Superhuman

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000

It's really eerie that today's quote fits so much with what I'm going to blog about.

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carrol (1832 - 1898)

To be creative you must have ideas and most Creatives have so many ideas we don't know what to do with. If you are like me and Mr. Carrol you tend to believe that every idea is not only the best idea in the world but that your ideas will work out flawlessly too. This thinking has led me, more than once, (and in the past hour even) to feel as though because I've come up with an idea then its my responsibility to see that it is accomplished.

This leads to a lot of guilt.

Although I do sometimes daydream about flying around with a cape trailing behind me, I am not Superwoman. How I wish I were, though. A lot of the ideas I have are for the various non-profits in town about how to raise money or market the organization better. I learned quickly that if you have a good idea everyone likes you are the one that will be in charge of said idea. I've learned to keep my mouth shut most of the time. Every so often, more times than I would like, my brain is too fast for my jaw to snap my mouth shut and another idea gets out and with it comes another responsibility.

When I am successful at keeping my idea to myself I still feel guilty. Businesses and non-profits get to the point sometimes where they are drained of all ideas and creativity; they are parched. So to me keeping an idea to myself is like keeping an ice-cold glass of water from a person who's been in the desert too long.

Coming up with ideas is the passion of all Creatives but we can't do it all. Try not to feel guilty if you keep an idea to yourself because you are worried you might be expected to be in charge of it. And if there is an idea that's too good to keep to yourself don't feel guilty about asking for help. If it's a good idea that will help your business or organization then you should be thanked for coming thinking it.

And if help doesn't come just explain that no matter how many times you've tried you just can't get that cape to work.

This is not a discussion about Health Care Reform

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:33:00 +0000

As I listen to this never ending debate about the Health Care system I am constantly reminded of my neighbor's son. "But mom, I want it now. WAAAAA! No I don't want lasagna, I want spaghetti! WAAAAA!" When you're a child you only know two things: When you are getting your way and when you are not.

Have you ever tried reasoning with a child? I know there are some parents who try to take this approach and I commend them but you need almost super human abilities to successfully reason with a child. Logic and common sense just aren't a part of a child's thoughts yet. And I'm beginning to think that this is the case with many adults as well.

I've had many debates with friends and family and many have ended with them thinking that because I didn't agree with one aspect of their belief then I must not agree with them at all. Those discussions end pretty abruptly.

One such typical conversation might go like this:
Me: So what do you think of this new Health Care reform bill?
Them: Oh, I don't know. I want everyone to be able to have access to health care.
Me: Yeah, I do too. But is this really the way to go? I mean, a lot of people are worried that the public option could eliminate the private option completely.
Them: So you like the system just the way it is?
Me: No, I just don't think this is the best way to go.
Them: Well, it sounds to me like you don't want poor people to have access to health care at all.
Me: No I didn't say that either. There's just got to be a better way to get affordable health care to more people. Like regulating the insurance companies for instance.
Them: Let's just agree to disagree.

Thinking about these conversations makes fire spew from my ears. It's like trying to reason with a child. Since when does adding your opinion to a discussion mean you disagree 100% and the discussion is over? This really isn't even a discussion or a debate. I'm not sure what to call it but whatever it is doesn't help a situation nor solve a problem nor does it help lead to a better solution. I've talked about Anti-Creativity before and these "Not-discussions" are part of what Anti-Creativity is.

With something as important as Health Care I would hope that the politicians, the media, Congress and the president himself would practice a little creative thinking to figure out the best way to solve this and every other issue they come across. And solve it in a way that benefits most people, not just "their" side.

If someone disagrees with something you believe don't take it personally and for god's sake don't throw a tantrum. Practicing your creative ability is as much coming up with and communicating your own ideas as it is listening to other's ideas and finding the nugget to add to your idea to make it that much better.

Get Out of the Planning Pits

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:42:00 +0000

Each project has a planning and action stage but I think there are some people who spend their entire life in a planning stage. The planning stage is the safest stage you can be in. Planning means that nothing is final. There are probably no expenses yet and certainly no commitments. There's no possibility of failure which is why people are content to stay. And they justify the fact that they can't move on with the project because of "this" or "that". "There's not enough money." "No one will like it." "I won't be good at this." "I might fail."

And that's all it comes down to. After you peal off all the other layers all that's left is fear of failure. Sure you tell yourself that you aren't moving forward because you don't have enough money or enough help or enough time. But if you are honest with yourself I'm sure you will find that fear is the only thing keeping you back.

Consider this: Don't be afraid of doing something because you think you might fail. You will fail anyway if you do nothing. Planning doesn't make things happen. Doing makes things happen. Get out of the Planning Pits and take action.

The Biggest Question

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Pondering over deep questions you aren't faced with everyday helps you think outside the box. Questions we think are are too big for us little humans to answer are an excellent tool to help us figure out the easier questions. And just maybe you might find yourself coming up with an answer to one the "big" questions.

Try thinking about the following questions today or make up some of your own. Get friends, family and co-workers involved in trying to come up with an answer.

1. How big is the Universe? And where is Earth?
2. Are we the only intelligent species in the Universe? If not, what are other intelligent species like?
3. What would your life be like if aliens landed on Earth? How would it effect the city you live in? How would it effect the world?

These questions are all about Outer Space but "big" questions don't have to be. "Big" questions simply are about life outside your usual existence. They can be "what if" questions or "what would happen" questions. Try thinking of the "biggest" question ever.

Fluff & Circumstance

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:59:00 +0000

In a country where we want "it" yesterday and long detailed conversations have been whittled down to "OMG IMO he was DDG!" you would think we would have mastered the skill of concise speaking or "saying what you mean and meaning what you say." But really all we have done is been able to cram more blather into less time.

Effective communication is a key ingredient of creativity. New ideas hinge on the ability of one person being able to clearly communicate with someone else. People who are working on a problem exchange ideas constantly and need to be able to express their thoughts so the work runs smoothly. Likewise, if you are struggling with something you might ask another person for help. The better able you are to communicate to others the quicker you will be able to solve the problem and furthermore, come up with a more sustainable and effective solution.

But something I call fluff is always getting in the way and begins the breakdown of creativity. Fluff is all the extra stuff that's not really important to solving the problem at hand but for one reason or another some people find it necessary to bring into the mix. It's even worse when there's an over-abundance of fluff while defining the problem. Einstein said, "A well defined problem is halfway to being solved." It's almost impossible to reach the best solution when the heart of the problem is clouded by fluff. Fluff keeps you from seeing the path to the solution. Fluff can be anger, resentment, immaturity, money, a budget, the deadline, power, fear, pussy-footing, being PC, the insistence of getting "it" done now. All of which just hides both the heart of the problem and the best possible solution.

A lot of what I'm hearing on TV and from friends and family about the situations our country is trying to work through seems to be riddled with fluff, especially during processes of defining the problem. Most of the time it seems as though politicians and other leaders don't even care what the problem is or how it came to be. Their constituents and lobbyists just want a fix. Now. The politicians, only paying attention to the fluff, end up leaving the best solutions on the floor.

All I hear anymore when I turn on the news or listen to one of our political leaders speak about something is fluff. It's a wonder they can form words with all that fluff in their mouth. So as a citizen listening to all this fluff how am I supposed to make an informed decision about something? Fluff is not truth or information or details. Fluff is bullshitting your way through a high school paper and has no room in a country that is trying to solve some very complex and important problems.

Sometimes in our own lives all the voices coming at us from every direction cause us to rush and leave behind the best, most creative solution. Being creative is being able to get to the heart of the problem and see the problem and solution clearly. You know when you have reached a creative solution when you have cut through the fluff. Demand this creative process from your politicians, families and friends too. Fluff doesn't weigh much but it's holding all of us down.

Distance yourself to increase your creativity

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:33:00 +0000

I just read an article on Scientific America called An Easy Way to Increase Creativity. Scientists have found that the farther removed someone is from a problem the easier it is for them to solve the problem. Likewise, if someone is given a puzzle or asked, for example, to come up with a list of uses for an object, that person is more likely to think up creative answers.

Even simply telling the person that the problem is proposed by a group of people geographically far away helps. This phenomenon has to do with something called "psychological distance". If you are very close to a problem either because you have been working on it forever and know it inside and out or its a problem that someone close to you is going through chances are you have gotten stuck. Why? Because when you are so close to something your brain is only thinking and seeing the superficial or literal aspects. When you start to back away you begin to see the abstract qualities. This would explain why a person who just joined a group is able to solve problems easier and see things that the others don't (even though they may have been in the group longer.)

The cool thing is that you can distance yourself from any problem or question simply by changing the parameters of the problem or question. Here are some steps to try:

1. Imagine that a person or group of people from another country are the ones who are struggling with your problem.
2. If you are working with a tangible object set it down and look at it from down the hall or across the street or even upside-down.
3. Ask a friend or family member who lives far away how they would solve the problem.
4. Imagine you are trying to solve this problem in the distant future.
5. Travel to a neighboring town or state to try and solve your problem.
6. Find someone who you think would be the last person in the world to help you and ask them anyway.

And above all be open to the answers you and others come up with. Chances are you will find answers that at first seem silly or stupid but these are most always the best answers.

I wonder how many problems our country could solve if these simple techniques were used?

Creativity as a Commodity

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:07:00 +0000

There are some people who say that creativity is starting to become a highly sought after commodity. With the economy and other changes to the way companies do business they need employees who can think on their feet, designers and marketing directors who can create a sticky campaign and website to entice more people to buy. So it's no wonder that these companies are drooling for people who are "creative".

But I think this is a very narrow view of what creativity is. Creativity isn't the end product. It's not the advertisement screaming at us to buy "it" before time runs out. It's not the graphic designer who regurgitates the style or layout of every other ad in the market because that's what is "trendy" or "hip" or "marketable". I hate that last word, "marketable". If you are always doing what's "marketable" how will anything new and meaningful be created?

Creativity is much deeper than that. Creativity is a process and not something that can just be pooped out or copied. Creativity sees what's not there, it solves problems, it combines two disconnected ideas to make a even better more meaningful idea. Words like "trendy", "hip" and "marketable" are the complete opposite of creativity.

It is so frustrating to me that companies don't see that if they just chill out, relax, take a deep breath and let their employees, all of them, not just the graphic designers, work within the process of creativity their company will be infinitely better off than if they spent a million on an ad campaign.

No, creativity is not a commodity, you cannot put a price on it. Creativity is both free and priceless at the same time. But creativity should be valued more than it is now by everyone in any industry. And those people who are creating within the Process should be valued as well. These Creatives are the people who are going to save the economy. They are going to cure cancer and fly us to Saturn, not those regurgitating graphic designers.

If Creativity falls but nobody hears it, does it still make a sound?

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:31:00 +0000

I'm reading a book called Creating Minds by Howard Gardner. The book focuses around 7 Creatives and tries to answer the question, "Where is creativity?"

Gardner says that their are 3 criteria for someone to be "creative".

1. The person must regularly solve problems or create product.
2. Their work must be done in a particular field and
3. The work and the Creative must be accepted by others in the field as being creative.

So, according to Gardner, Emily Dickinson wasn't creative until after her death when her poems were finally published and accepted by society. The hermit who paints masterpieces in his log cabin in the woods will never be creative if no one ever finds his paintings and shows them to the world. This is hard for me to accept. For me creativity is a highly personal thing. You don't need anyone else to justify the fact that what you are doing is creative. But even as I write these first 3 paragraphs I'm starting to change my opinion.

The logic that someone isn't creative until society accepts the person as such reminds me of the age old question, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it still make a sound?" It does seem like an easy question to answer. Sound occurs from vibrations, from atoms and particles moving around and bumping into each other. So in that sense if a tree falls and no one is there to hear it the tree will still be moving atoms around in which case it will still produce vibrations. But if there are no ears around to pick up the vibrations, then the vibrations don't get turned into sound.

So, if the hermit works night and day for 40 years creating masterpiece after masterpiece but no one ever sees them how do we know and how does he know for that matter if he's being creative?

This leads me to think that there are two kinds of creativity. The Internal Creativity that soothes your soul and reminds you who you are. The creativity that doesn't need acceptance from anyone else to know that it's creative and special. And then there's the Creativity that Gardner is talking about: The External Creativity, the creativity that benefits society and that speaks to others and reminds them who they are and inspires them to make some of their own Internal Creativity.

Even though I now agree with Gardner more than I did when I started this post I get the feeling from what I've read so far in his book that he is disregarding the Internal Creativity completely. Anything created to benefit humanity is obviously more important then that which only benefits the individual, right?

Right?

If your true passions and Internal Creativity are trying to speak to you but you are too busy focused on benefiting others and aren't there to hear your Internal voice does it still make a sound?

Maybe that's why my country, America, is having such a rough time right now. Not a whole lot of people know who they are anymore or know where their passions lie. They don't know what gives them life or makes them feel at peace. Our politicians are too worried about getting the next round of votes. Our companies are so worried about what the masses want that they hardly innovate. Graphics designers are hired by companies not because they are creative and will push the box but because they will design what they are told to design. Market studies and surveys that try to answer the question, "Which graphic or color makes you want to buy this product" are dictating what is "creative" or "innovative". Government regulations are dictating what companies can and can't do even if those companies are actually trying to produce a more efficient product.

Gardner's theory that society dictates what is creative is good...in theory. But most of the time society isn't a very good judge.

Don't ignore your Internal Creativity. Nurture it and let your External Creativity grow out of the creativity deep inside you. Individuals who know who they are and are truthful to themselves are of more benefit to society then Philanthropists who can't tell you what their favorite color is.

Public Ownership of Creativity

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:04:00 +0000

The death of Michael Jackson, as well as 4 other celebrities this past week, has brought to the forefront, at least for me, the discussion of public ownership of creativity and/or Creatives. Fox News covered Michael Jackson for almost 24 hours straight, even with more pressing matters such as the disguised Cap and Trade bill that was being debated in Congress. (My husband covered the political side of that if you care to read, here and here.)

But why is it that whenever a celebrity is going through some drama the media feels we need to know and why do we sit in front of our TVs watching? Is it really our business what the autopsy reports say? Do we really need to know every detail as it unfolds? My husband was watching Huckabee the day after Jackson died and Huckabee criticized the mentality of "public ownership" of celebrities. And I have to say this is true of creativity as well.

I'm suddenly reminded of Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand, the author, creates a world where all the brilliant and creative minds of the day are looked upon more and more like servants to the people. While Creatives tend to be lovers of humanity and strive to help mankind in any way they can there is a fine line between a giver to the people and an servant of the people. It's fair to say there are far less Creatives in this world then their are "non-Creatives". Non-Creatives can and have enjoyed the bounty of the Creative's endeavors for years but when a Creative's passion is mutated into service to the masses they cease to be creative any longer.

This obviously applies to the person doing the creating as well. The minute musicians, actor, artists, scientists or politicians bend to the whims of the masses is the day that they stop being Creatives. The same goes for any other Creative who has an innovative idea but "waters it down" to appeal to the masses. It also pertains to any company who changes its ideals or products to be more "marketable".

I'm not sure how I feel about the "Creative Commons" movement and the notion that creative products should be given to the public after a certain amount of time. Are these things, after so many years, even creative any more? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes that for something to be creative it has to meet certain criteria, one of which being what I'm going to call "the right place at the right time". No one will argue that Mickey Mouse was creative in 1928 when he appeared in his first cartoon. But is Mickey Mouse still creative in 2009? I'm inclined to say, "No". Is someone who wants to use Mickey Mouse in a work of art as a symbol being creative? This I'm not sure about.

In the end, I'm appalled at the idea of the public owning someone or something just because they are creative. I'm also skeptical of the notion that something creative 20+ years ago can add any creative value to something created today. I go to art museums and read old books to get a sense for what creativity was like during that time and to respect how far we have come. I appreciate paintings and inventions for what they are and what they were at the time: products of creativity. Works like the Mona Lisa or the rocket ship are able to stand on their own as testament to the human creative spirit. And so, too, should current Creatives and their creations. Respect them, learn from them, be inspired by them but let them stand.

Fight for your Creativity

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:28:00 +0000

I've wrote about Anti-Creativity and how it appears in the form of blame-throwing and self-righteousness. But it appears in another way through the act of de-valuing creativity.

When I first started to seriously focus on my home business my husband and I would argue about how I spent my time at home. He couldn't understand why the dishes weren't finished when I had been home all day. And I tried to explain that I had been working all day even though I wasn't in an "office". I got this reaction from many other people as well. I work part-time for my dad and it seems as though some of my friends and family only view my time in my dad's office as "real" work and my creative endeavors I do at home are just a hobby or something.

I'm sure I'm not the only Creative who has experienced this or has become exhausted from defending my creative projects. It is extremely difficult to have faith in or value your dreams when it seems as though everyone around you doesn't. I do agree there are times when some lofty goal needs to be put aside for something more "important" but my argument has always been this: If you have a dream or goal how do you ever expect it to become reality if you don't view it as being important and always put it aside? One of my husband's arguments is that if it's not making money then it should be put at the bottom of your list. Again, I understand the importance of surviving and sacrifice but if that's all you are ever going to do then you will never achieve your goals.

I wrote a few days ago in my post, Drained, about saying, "no" in order to have more time to yourself to relax or do something creative. I know what you are thinking: "If I say no someone will be upset with me." Or, "I have said no before but I just felt horrible afterward." These feelings also come from the fact that we as a society so often de-value creativity. We as a society have no problem with telling someone "no" if we have "real" work to do. And if we are told "no" by someone because they have work to do we feel as though we have no right to object. It's understandable in a society in which we are working harder and longer than we have ever worked before that most people wouldn't have time for anything other than work. We just don't have time for stupid little things like creativity. And this is something we just have to live with, right?

Or is it?

I hear time and again employees quiting their jobs to pursue something more creative. Parents are complaining that creative thinking isn't taught enough in school and teachers are complaining they don't know how to bring creativity in the classroom. Friends and family say they wish they had more time to learn how to knit, play the piano, paint. Every day I hear, "I can't draw, or dance" or "I'm just not that creative". But I also hear the pang of longing in their voice that wishes they could do those things.

On the news, I hear that people just want our problems solved in a sustainable way. They are bitter that politicians and other government agencies are simply putting band-aides on every cut. People want real solutions, not more political games. All these things I think are really a cry for more creativity in every aspect of our lives.

I think people are really crying for implementation of the creative process, they want creativity to be taken seriously and to be taught to our children. They want people to remember that if it wasn't for all the Forgotten Creatives over the years we would not be who and where we are today.

Fight for your Creativity. Stand up and let everyone know how important creativity is in all our lives and especially for our future.

Say "NO" to Anti-Creativity.

Twitter!!!

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:33:00 +0000

I am fast falling in love with Twitter. It has all the best parts of blogging and texting.

Follow me and receive creative tidbits, tips and inspiration.

By TwitterButtons.com

Drained

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Sometimes life can drain you to the point where you are just slithering along, eyes half-closed. What was is Bilbo Baggins said? "I feel like a jelly sandwich spread too thin." Or some such statement. Correct me if I'm wrong, I too pooped to look it up.

Anyway, what do you do when you are too drained to even replenish yourself of creativity? One of my favorite things to do is to just say, "No!" It doesn't take a lot of energy or time but the good feeling you get will stay with you for a long while. Say no to that "one more thing" your boss wants you to do before you leave. Say no to your spouse when they ask to pick up a forgotten ingredient at the store. Say no to anyone who asks you to help them.

Yes, you may feel as though you are being selfish and you may get some nasty looks but let's face it, if you are always saying, "I'll rest after I do this" then you are never going to rest. And rest is a huge part of being more creative. Some forms of creativity take a lot of time and energy and you need to be well rested in order to do your best.

A surprise you will find after saying "No" for a while is that you or those you say no to will be forced to cope with the lack of help they are getting from you. So, if it's your spouse that's missing tomato sauce for spaghetti night then he or she will be forced to figure out how to use what you already have to make dinner work. What about butter, Parmesan and salt instead? What about having your children decide how to solve the dilemma? Being forced to use what resources you have is an excellent way to boost your creative ability. (One, I think, the government needs to practice a bit.) This is a very simplistic example but the concept works for many more situations.

We all have that person who just cannot make decisions for themselves. Either they don't have enough self-confidence to make a decision or they just don't like to think. If you tell them "No" to whatever it is they are asking of you, they will be forced to figure it out for themselves. Granted, they may just go to the next person for help but at least you now have more time to devote to your own creativity.

As a creative individual I believe it is not only my duty to become more creative myself but to also help other to be more creative as well. Forcing people to think for themselves or come up with a way to solve their own problems by refusing to do it for them is one of the best and easiest methods I know. In the end it help both parties: I don't have to do the task, which frees me to rest or do something creative, and the other person is (hopefully) learning to enhance their creative and thinking skills.

The Importance of Nature

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:43:00 +0000

I'm getting ready to go camping for the weekend and it got me thinking about how important nature was to creativity and art hundreds of years ago. Before computers, advertisements, art schools or museums people only had the elements of nature to look to for inspiration. Plants, leaves, the setting sun and rocks were just some of the beautiful images ancients had to spark ideas.

Now think about all the stimuli we have today: billboards, magazines, TV, music, books that instruct you how to be a "better" artist or how to draw Manga. Sometimes it seems as though every inch of the planet and our lives are covered with things that spread our attention to the limit. And that complicate the act of creativity.

Too much of something becomes its opposite. Too much stimulus tends to lead to indifference or inertia. To finally achieve creativity you have to cut through that commotion and noise, what I like to call "Fluff", to find the "sweet spot". The "sweet spot" of creativity is finding a balance between stimulus and simplicity. Many creative acts are "wild", "crazy" or sometimes downright "stupid". But true creativity is born when you finally figure out how to chisel the "fluff" from your idea or creation and show it in its natural and raw beauty.

Creative Break
Try escaping to nature this weekend. Go to the park or woods, or if you can, go camping. Pay attention to the trees and the bark on the trees, the veins in the leaves and the rocks on the ground. But also pay attention to what is missing: all that sticky fluff.

How to Slow Time

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:09:00 +0000

When I was younger I remember time was like mud. I found myself always sitting around doing nothing and wishing the clock to tick faster so I could move on to something more enjoyable.

Now that I'm older and have many projects going on at once that it seems like only minutes from the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed. Why can't the principles of "time" be reversed? The less you have to do the faster time goes. The more you have to do the slower time goes.

Or maybe I should narrow that down even more: Time should move slower for the fun, enjoyable, meaningful things so you can actually enjoy those things.

I guess though now that I think about it time does move slower for me when I'm fully focused on one thing. And it only speeds up when my mind is split between many things. I guess that's the key: You can "make" time "slow down" by giving your full attention to one thing for a longer period of time.

So, whether you are writing a book, playing with your kids, taking a walk or smelling the flowers try to extend the activity further than you normally would. Even if you feel like you are done with the activity push it further, focus on it for a little longer. Or you could set an extended time-frame to do a certain activity and use every minute to explore or participate in that activity.

This will take practice. You are changing a habit and changing habits are hard. But after a while you will notice that just simply focusing more on the activity and ignoring the "fluff" will automatically encourage you to fall deeper into the activity and enjoy it more. And miraculously time will slow down at least for a little while.

What are your thoughts about this?

Enjoy slowing time.

Which Came First

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:31:00 +0000

I'm looking at today's quote, "We must reform society before we can reform ourselves", from George Bernard Shaw. I don't know that much about George but this quote has rubbed me the wrong way.

Which came first: individuals or society? And which one ultimately influences the other? Do they influence each other equally?

My question is this: How can we even begin to desire to reform society if we are not already starting to reform ourselves? I'm not quite sure that came out exactly the way I was thinking it in my mind but hopefully you get the idea. And I'm not quite sure how this connects to creativity but I feel that it does somehow.

More questions than answers today, I guess.

Thanks to Safi at StockExchange.com for the above photo.

Creative Politics: Oxymoron?

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:13:00 +0000

My husband and I like to debate things from philosophy, religion, politics, ethics, psychology, the Universe and anything really. This might be a bit controversial. In our society we don't talk about these things, especially religion and politics. It is understandable why you wouldn't talk about religion or politics at a wedding or funeral or birthday party. Talking politics or religion can get pretty heated and can be sort of a party killer. But if we don't ever talk about the things we are most passionate about how are we ever going to understand each other. How are we going to understand ourselves?

As a result of liking to debate each other, my husband and I have also gotten in many conversations with family and friends about both religion and politics. One such discussion ended with the loss of a friend of mine. We had been talking about politics because of the upcoming elections when one day she told me she couldn't be my friend anymore because of my beliefs. And even though I still haven't gotten over the hurt from losing her as a friend I still believe we gain more as a society from talking about our beliefs than we do from keeping silent.

To me, debating and thinking about things like politics, philosophy and religion is a lot like being creative. What are the criteria for creativity? Thinking about something in a way no one thought of before? Coming up with a new concept or idea? Communicating those ideas or concepts in such a way that others understand them? Thinking of something in a different way than you have thought of before? Every one of these events occur when we are involved in creative thought and can also happen when we debate religion or politics or philosophy. Every discussion is a new opportunity to spark a new or different thought in someone else and also be inspired by their thoughts in return.

In the end, it matters less what we all think, what we all believe or who we voted for in the last election. What matters more is that we keep talking. Creation doesn't only result in the formation of something tangible. Creation happens inside our brains all the time. The thoughts in our heads are where creation begins and we are each other's catalysts.

Create a Direction for your Creative Life

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to my Blog!

I just realized that today that my blog is one year old! I can't believe I'm still working on something a year later. Well, this gives a slightly new outlook on this post.

Are you doing a lot of creative things but sometimes feel you are journeying toward a blank space with no direction?

It's great to do creative things every day. It's even better if you are doing those things for creativity's sake alone. But you mustn't forget about your overall dreams or goals.

Anyway, I have been writing this blog for a year now (yeah!) and I'm thinking I need more of a direction. What am I trying to teach or show? Am I trying to answer a question or add more questions to the world? What is my personal motto?

Every once in a while you should stop and figure out if you are still on the general heading of where you want your life to go. Tapping into your creativity and doing creative exercises can help determine this as well as get you back in line (squiggly lines are fine).

Revel in the Past: Try one or both of these exercises to help you get in touch with what's been going on the last 2 years.

1. Think back to the last year or two. Write down words or phrases that come to mind. Try to fill up an entire piece of paper.

2. If you are into music find songs that remind you of the last 2 years and write down some of the lyrics. If you are into doodling draw pictures and shapes that remind you of the last 2 years.

Examine the Present
3. What is going on right now in your life? List all the major things you are dealing with right now. List the people who are in your life now who weren't in your life last year. Are you doing the same things you were 2 years ago? Are you closer to your goals?

4. How about you personally? Examine your emotions. How do you feel about what's going on right now in your life? Do you feel content, mad, jealous, ill at ease, doubtful? Find the best words to explain how you feel about your present life, don't settle for just happy or sad.

Look to the Future
5. If you could change one thing about your life right now, what would it be? Why?

6. Now think about your life in 5 years. How is your life different because of the change you made in number 5?

7. What small steps can you take right now to begin that change?

You can actually repeat steps 5 - 7 for each thing you want to change about your life.

So go create your own direction.

Change of plans

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:49:00 +0000

I was going to show you how to make a Creativity Talisman but I have realized that the pattern I chose is a bit too complicated for me to explain in a post. So I'm going to come up with a design that's easier to give instructions for and hopefully post that some time next week.

For now though I'd like to talk about a book I'm reading called Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. The short story is that we humans tend to think too much about most things. We let our emotions and unimportant information get in the way of relationships, solving a problem or just being creative. But if we were to learn how to only pay attention or focus on the very few important details then we would find that we can think without thinking, or create without thinking.

We tend to put a lot of value on the amount of work that goes into a project or how much research we put into something or how long we sit and discuss how to solve a problem or how many people's opinions we need to listen to in order to solve a problem. We think that in order to do something well we need to research every aspect or do studies or get a 10 person committee together. In the end, all that research and opinions just creates more noise to sift through.

This same thing happens when we try to create something. We get hung up on the details, or how we think the end product should look like that we forget and ignore things like our intuition, common sense, and the little whispers.

In a world ruled by the internet where children are being exposed to computers at an earlier and earlier age with a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, more information is not always better. We should start putting more value on efficiency and to trust ourselves enough to listen to our inner creator.

Listening to the Quiet Whispers

artsee83@gmail.com (Sara_Ortiz) — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

We all like the tangible. We like what we can feel and see and hear. We like these things so much so that we begin to drown ourselves in textiles, sights and noise. All of which are stimulating. (Lord knows I need music blasting in the morning to get me up and moving.) And I'm not about to tell you something you've never heard before but it begs repeating until it sets in: All this stimulus covers up some really quiet, patient but wonderful and nurturing whispers.

That paint brush that's been buried in a box in the back of the closet, the model airplane still in its box, that song that you've been dying to dance around your living room to, all these things are whispering you back to a more quiet time.

For many people creativity is a hard thing to grasp. You can't see it, you don't know where it comes from or how to command it when you need it most and you can't bottle it in a pill form and sell it on infomercials. Creativity is a weird, misunderstood thing we humans have. But it's one of the most wonderful, life-changing gifts we have too. It deserves to be listened to and played with.

For me it helps to make what's called a talisman. A little figure or doll to help remind you of a goal or a quality you want to bring into your life. I will be making one next week and show you how to do it as well and it will probably require a sewing machine (I got one for my birthday but I haven't used it yet so I'm anxious to try it out). But to tie you over you can make your own right now in about 10 minutes.

1. Look through a magazine or online and find a picture that speaks to you. Open your mind and try not to force yourself to find it. Trust your first impression of it and don't pick something because that's what you think you should pick.

2. When you have your image, cut it out in any shape you wish. Make sure it's big enough because we are going to poke a hole through the top.

3. Strengthen your image by pasting it on some scrap cardboard or a cereal box that's been cut into the shape of your image.

4. Take some pretty paper or material and cut it into the shape of your image and paste it on the other side of your cardboard.

5. Poke a hole in the top with a needle or scissors. Make sure it's big enough to get yarn or ribbon through.

6. Find a strip of yarn or ribbon and cut it about 12 inches or longer. When you decide where you want to hang it you can cut the yarn shorter. Poke the yarn or ribbon through the hole.

7. You can hang it on your rear view mirror, corkboard, keychain, doorknob. Or you can choose to not poke a hole through it and frame it or just lay it somewhere instead. You can also cut the original image into a rectangle or other long shape and use it as a bookmark. If you choose to use it as a bookmark it might look nice if you cut strands of ribbon or yarn and knotted them through the hole to make a tassel.

Enjoy your Creativity Talisman and check back next week to see how to make one out of material and felt. There might even be some embroidering fun too!

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