006 Being Bad To Be Good
Process over outcome and how to kickstart your creativity
7 Things to Draw on This Week
It’s been a week of Covid for my family and me and boy did I underestimate it! It’s certainly taken me by surprise and floored me. Thankfully my desire to draw was the only thing that didn’t wane. That, and binge-watching the Netflix series, Anne with an E.
I won’t dwell on how rubbish I’ve felt. Let’s just get on with some weekly inspiration to draw on…
1. A Year Without Instagram
There is no greater time suck than social media. As an artist and creator, I’m always on the lookout to find an alternative to using it. This is a really interesting YouTube video from Creator Florian Coeman about his year away from Instagram including tips on managing phone distractions. Which I think is particularly helpful for artists and creators.
2. Watch Your Thoughts
I’m often on the lookout for an inspiring, mindful quote to inspire my day and students, but don’t always rely on a quick internet search to give you the correct quote attribution. Take for example, this mindfulness quote:
Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.
It’s been attributed to various sources including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Lao Tzu, Buddha, and even the Father of Margaret Thatcher. Luckily for us, the Quote Investigator has done the hard work of finding the source of this quote (and many others).
3. Music To Meditate To
Last week I shared a track that featured the voice and wise words of Ram Dass. Although I do like to meditate in silence, I think the power of music to make you stop for a few minutes and reflect is so powerful. Something I often use when I’m out walking or just need a moment to regroup during my day. This week take 4:29 minutes to tune into the breath and the beautiful melody of ‘Signal’ - the Jean-Michel Blais Piano Version
4. Kickstart Your Creativity
In this Forbes article, the author suggests 5 easy activities to kickstart your creativity. The title is disingenuous and modest I feel - actually, these are mindset shifts that will help your well-being as a creative human being. So much so that I feel compelled to expand on each of these in the weeks to come on the blog. In the meantime read the full article or here’s the summary TL:DR:
Create for yourself first
Try new skills you believe you're bad at
Build a community of fellow creatives
Make time for yourself
Build up greatness gradually.
5. Being Bad To Be Good
Number 2 on the list above really resonated with me. Whilst I adore anything floral and botanical, I used to think I couldn’t draw plants and flowers. When I had my own social media sabbatical a couple of years ago, I set myself the very analogue task of learning to draw flowers and botanicals. It was the thing I absolutely didn’t think I could do and I think I proved myself wrong?!
Of course, there’s room for improvement, but I’m happy with the progress and the delights of the process. If you think you can’t draw/play the piano/fill the blank here, I implore you to try.
6. Anne with An E
During my week of Covid, alongside my fellow suffers, my husband and my daughter, I binge-watched ‘Anne With An E’, loosely adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 classic work of children's literature, Anne of Green Gables.
It’s a delightful series and beautifully shot. It also has the most gorgeous, artistically inspiring title sequence, with paintings created by Brad Kunkle in collaboration with Imaginary Forces. It’s truly stunning. Buzzfeed has a really interesting article about how the sequence was made.
7. And Finally…
I leave you with this beautiful quote from Anne Shirley Cuthbert herself:
“It has always seemed to me, ever since early childhood, amid all the commonplaces of life, I was very near to a kingdom of ideal beauty. Between it and me hung only a thin veil. I could never draw it quite aside, but sometimes a wind fluttered it and I caught a glimpse of the enchanting realms beyond-only a glimpse-but those glimpses have always made life worthwhile.”
- Anne Shirley
Thanks for reading. For more, I write a blog and draw pictures and keep a library of creative exercises for you to try instead of scrolling on your phone.
If you enjoyed this and know someone who might appreciate it, consider sharing :)
Georgie x