Feelin' Good with all these Creative Past Tips!

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for August 20th through August 27th
Brain Drain
Creative expression may seem to spring from the movement of a paintbrush across the artist's canvas or the vibration of the vocal chords through the singer's lips. But the origin of creativity lies much deeper; it's actually the percolation of the unconscious that bubbles up onto the canvas or into the cancert hall. To tap into the source, slow down, tune out the static, and rest the brain. Go to the local Zen center(or your bedroom closet), meditate for an hour, and note the thoughts that struggle to the surface. Take a nap and write down what you dream. Or be your own analyst - lie down, close your eyes, and just start talking. CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for July 30th through August 6th
Change Your Limitations
Whatever your medium, surrounding yourself with the tools of someone else's trade can jiggle your creative energy. If you are a writer, get yourself a set of watercolors, promise yourself that no one will ever see the mess you make on the paper(or off it), and paint the dream you had last night. If painting is your thing, keep a lump of clay someplace where you can give it a pat or pinch on your way to answer the phone. If your voice is your instrument, buy, find, or make yourself a drum, take it to a deserted beach at midnight, and pound it while you howl at the moon. Remember: Where creativity's concerned, the sky isn't the limit, it's the point of departure. CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for July 16th through July 23rd
Be Open to Adventure
What do scaling a cliff, starting a painting, parachuting out of a plane, buying a kiln, and running a marathon have in common? They all have courage as well as commitment. Summoning the courage to try something new in the physical realm--something exciting and a little scary--helps strenghthen the same muscles that boost us to new creative hieghts. Dreaming of rafting down a river or trekking up a mountain? Say "yes" to that fantasy. Prove to yourself you can do it. You'll have the exhilaration of that success to draw on later, when you're gathering the confidence to make that scrapbook page about the mountain you congured.

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for July 10th through July 16th
There's a moment, just after takeoff, when you can look out the airplane window and make out the familiar landmarks of your life: the college campus, the freeways and bridges, maybe even your own house. You're close enough to the ground to see, but far enough away to view it all from a different perspective. Sometimes that kind of distance-literal or metaphoric-can do wonders for your creative process. Even if you can't afford a plane ticket, you can always afford a change of scene. Take a walk. Ride the elevator to the top floor of your city's tallest sky-scrapper. Drive to another town and be a tourist for the afternoon. Things may look different from there.

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for July 2nd through July 9th
You probably won't need an elaborate ranch like George Lucas built to house his many creative endeavors, but you definitely derserve-and more importantly-NEED an inspiring work space. Even if you live in a studio apartment with five cats, carve out a corner or cardboard box that houses your art supplies. This space not only legitimizes that "little creative hobby" of yours, but also provides a comfertable space in which to do it. And then all that's left is to do is, well, do it!

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for June 25th through July 2nd
You're half way through writing the best song you have ever wrote. Suddenly Bruse Springsteen saunters into the room, takes the pen out of your hand, and informs you politely but firmly that you'll never be the supre star he is, so you'd better keep your day job and get that European tour fantasy out of your head. What do you do? Tell Bruse, politely but firmly, that you're not waiting for his approveal or anyone else's. You're doing what you love to do. And you're doing it as well as you can--on good days, a little better. Then ask Bruce for his autograph, tell him you'll save him a seat when you play Paris, and go back to writing that song.

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for June 11th through June 18th
If you are like most creative people, you thrive on a steady diet of stimuli. So keep the ingredients close at hand, make yourself a cookbook of inspiration. Attach to it's pages newspaper articles, postcards, quotations, and song lyrics that summon your muse out of hiding. Don't forget the lock of hair that you saved from your highly productive, magenta Mohawk era, and the photo of the admired one whose accomplishments encourage your own. Then, the next time your imagination gauge is hovering near empty, pull out your special recipe book and fill up on a rich and enriching feast of images and ideas.

CREATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK for June 4th through June 11th No one knows better than you do what inspires you and gives you confidence. You can make the most of that knowledge by making the most of people, places, and things that have a positive effect on you and your creativity. Especially when you're feeling vulnerable, choose what you do carefully and wisely. Go out of your way to spend time with people who mirror your best beliefs about yourself. Make time to hang out at your favorite beach, park, shop, or neighborhood. Surrond yourself with trinkets and treasures that remind you of your strongest, most confident times. Before you know it, you'll be in the middle of another project.

Creative tip for the week of April 30th
There is nothing like experiencing the joyful and uncritical creative process of making things in the company of children. They rarely have performance anxiety or feel pressure to achieve unattainable goals. They don't sit at a piano banging away while fretting that Mozart was pre-pubescent when he composed his first symphony. Nor, do they stare at the finished product thinking they should've used more red paint and less yellow to portray that sunset. There is as much to be learned though the unencumbered creative process of a child as there is in studying with a great master.