Creativity and conflict
March 23, 2008
Ah, remember the days when the summers were carefree, MTv was still cool, and whatever was on the news really didn’t matter? Well, those days are over. Oh, not just for you and me, for your kids, for their kids, for their grandkids. And it’s been over longer than you think… Read more
Artists Embedded within the Military-Industrial Complex
March 20, 2008
In 1961 U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the “unwarranted influence…by the military-industrial complex.” By the time Eisenhower uttered his speech the military-industrial complex (MIC) was 20 years old. Beginning in 1941 after the
Hollywood’s Anti-War Inactivism
March 19, 2008
What’s happened to Hollywood? Or rather, what’s happened to the society I live in today? Two days from the writing of this article is the 5 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Whether due to that or some other reason, there has been a surge of anti-war “activism” in Hollywood in the form of movies. And everyone from Susan Sarandon to Reese Witherspoon is jumping on the band wagon. Read more
Integrating Sculpture Materials in Drawing
March 6, 2008
Artists, dating back to the time of the cave drawings at Lascaux, have consistently looked for new materials to work with and to produce art with. Today is no different. Artists are always (or should be) looking for new media to work with or a new way to use that media and implement other media with it. It has certainly become an age of Mixed Media. It’s part of why Picasso is considered, by some, the most influential artist in history. Read more
The Power of Imagination
March 5, 2008
Down At The Speakeasy…
March 1, 2008
Get Ready For Spring Cleaning
February 29, 2008
Spring is the time of new growth, birth and rebirth, hope and promise. Just like spring cleaning, it’s a great time to clear away creative clutter. Every creative type out there hits blocks of some sort. Whether it’s a true creative block or just the pressures of everyday life that stymie your creative juices, it’s time to clear out the clutter that can cause it.
It’s easy in the fast paced world we live in to get caught up in the doldrums of everyday life and have your passion placed on the back burner. I know it happens to me frequently. So what do you do about it?
I have a few tried and true methods that work great for me.
1. Meditation
Meditation is one of the most highly regarded forms of creative enlightenment. Going back thousands of years, people have meditated to gain insight, deal with grief, and cleanse one’s soul.
Meditation comes in a variety of forms, from relaxing to ambient music to guided meditations.
It allows one to self-examine, reflect, and cope with daily life. Many use meditation as a vehicle for growth of the soul. All of these things lead to greater creative freedom. If you don’t know how to meditate, get some CDs, a book, or just sit quietly for 15 minutes. Zen Habits has a good guide if you want to learn more.
2. Write
Even if you are not a writer, write every day. Get up an hour earlier (it’s not as hard as people make it out to be) and write for one hour, uninterrupted. It doesn’t matter what you write. It can be stream of consciousness, an ongoing story or just what you need to get done that day. Just like meditation is proved to cleanse the soul, so writing is proven to cleanse the mind.
In The Artist’s Way, (a book about finding your creative path), Julia Cameron, an award-winning journalist and writer, writes, “A lasting creative awakening requires the consistent use of…,” what she calls, “…the Morning Pages.” Learn how to become a morning writer…
3. Have Fun
If you’re not enjoying at least part of your life, then how do you expect to be creative in it? Set aside a night every week to have fun. Take that time to do whatever you want. Spend time with loved ones, go to a movie, treat yourself to a sinful desert. The idea is to forget the stress of life for a while.
Cameron describes this as, “The Artist Date.” She recommends that you take at least 2 hours a week set aside to nurture your creative consciousness. This is time for you to open up and be receptive to new experiences and the enjoyment inherent therein. Get some ideas in the article 75 simple pleasures and fun things.
So there you go; three things you can start doing today to spring clean your creativity closet. Get cleaning!
The Points of the Creative Artists’ Code: Fifteen - Room at the Top
February 27, 2008
In this article discussing the 15th point of the Code of a Creative Artist, NDK discusses the myth that there’s not much room at the top of the industry. Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief Read more
Historical Re-enactment: New Kid on the Chopping Block!
February 22, 2008
A lot of my time and effort has been put into researching medieval re-enactment and deciding which group I should join. I kept many things in mind as there were a variety of areas to choose from; certain groups focused more on daily life than warfare, others got really involved with the handicraft side of things. Despite all these differences, the one thing they all shared in common was a unique approach to training and educating their members. Read more
The Plague of Ignorance
February 21, 2008
The Plague of Ignorance surrounds me
A pall,
brackish in its lack of understanding
Who will see
Who will know
And who will then believe
Fortunate I am
that some know the candle
The fierce lux
of an intelligent flame
Coming to full power
for friends
of similar inclination
Friends who know
how to inspire
a nation’s flagging pride
and haunted yearning eyes
And even those who see
Like me
Sometimes are blinded
by the spots
upon my soul
Some see only these
and not the whole
How fortunate I am
that friends
from whom I draw
measures of inspiration
flick the spots aside
And look upon
the whole of my soul and know me
Know me for who I really am
What would I do without you
Great friends
Conquerors of conquerors
Warriors of Reason
Triumphant
over Robots
and Circuits of the Soul
Fortunate I am
that you can see
and join me as we swim
above insanity.
A poem from an NDK Creative Artist poetry collection, Rhymes of Reason.
