Stickman.com

Whatever you're doing, STOP!

Check out drawastickman.com. All you need is a mouse/touch pad and a few minutes and there you have it, a creative, fun treat for you to enjoy.

Anyone can enjoy this, however creative you think you are.

Good old fashioned drawing...with computers!

For some reason, mine's a bit grumpy. It's just how he came out. There's a character waiting to be created...are you up for the challenge?

Caravan for sale on ebay...apparently

I love the way life can inspire stories...if you pay attention.

Yesterday I had two missed calls on my phone with answer phone messages, so naturally I listened to them. Both of them were from a northern man asking me about my caravan, you know, the one I put on ebay.

Hang on...ebay? Caravan?

Then a lady called me too, asking about my alleged caravan. What the heck was going on?

Firstly I've never been on ebay and secondly, I have definitely never owned a caravan.

But what if I did and I've lost all memory of it...

What if I told them I did and had a big bartering war with them, running off with all the money...

What if someone set me up with a stolen caravan...

What if I met real owner and he turned out to be a killer who lures people in through ebay...

Life is the biggest inspiration. All we gotta do is pay attention. What happened to you today?

Ralph Allen Writes presents Rebecca Tucker

Unfortunately Ralph Allen Writes 2011 competition is now totally come to an end. Winners have been announced. Prizes have been given. Anthologies have gone on sale. I certainly have learnt a lot from it and I think the pupils involved have learnt a lot too. Being creative is not easy, you know. It takes a lot of work but all the pupils who entered the competition are now published writers, which is amazing!

There was one girl, however, that missed out on the opportunity to be published. I'm putting it down to some computer malfunction. So here for your pleasure is a story that's definitely worth a Creative Thinkers post. Rebecca Tucker's chilling tale, Trapped Forever:

“Beware of the ring! Do not put it on your finger or you will be trapped forever!” The fortune teller’s voice was cruel and emotionless. As Harry walked out of the tent his face was as white and blank as an icy lake. He felt quite taken aback! Didn’t fortune tellers normally say what you wanted to hear?

            Over time, Harry’s family moved house, into an extremely beautiful Tudor building. After the family had settled in, Harry discovered an archaic basement. Feeling curious, he decided to explore the dusty rooms. Harry found a small box and, feeling inquisitive, chose to look. Harry opened the lid of the tiny container and found a ring with a grinning skull. Feeling rather disappointed that it was just an old ring; he put it on his finger. After all it was pretty cool!

            Suddenly, Harry found himself falling through the clouds and realised that the ground was getting closer. Harry hit the floor with a thud. He looked round the room, flooded with light. It was as empty as an abandoned cave. Without warning the light in the room got blindingly bright and it filled with fire, closing in on Harry like a hungry tiger…

            Harry woke up. Thankfully it was just a dream! Rubbing his eyes he noticed someone standing at the end of his bed.

            “Happy birthday!” his mum exclaimed. “I brought you breakfast, it’s your favourite!” She held out an enormous pile of pancakes.

            “But my birthday’s a week away!” Harry answered.

            “Don’t be daft Harry!” his mum said, handing him the pile.

Harry stopped arguing and ate his breakfast. He had to admit, it was lovely!

            At school that day everyone was unusually nice to Harry: Mrs Turner had given him chocolates for winning a maths quiz, his mum had made him a special birthday lunch, Mr Wood had given him a cake with pink icing and a candle and his class had sung happy birthday to him!

           

Walking home, a sudden noise made Harry wake up from his daydream and, as he looked up, he realised that he had no idea where he was. The sky was filled with beautiful stars and Harry felt himself turning as he tried to see them all. The stars became a blur as Harry turned faster and in their place were terrifying ruby eyes.  As he watched, unable to move, Harry saw several monsters’ heads appearing out the darkness, then their bodies and, last of all, their hideous red tails. He heard a murmuring growl that grew into a furious roar of victory. Harry shut his eyes and covered his ears, hoping desperately that they would go!

            Without warning everything changed. The dreadful scarlet creatures were replaced by a flaming ring of fire, out of which emerged terrifying, headless zombies, dripping with blood.  Suddenly, Harry remembered something someone had said to him years ago. “I am trapped forever in my dream…” Harry realised as the Zombies closed around him, ready to kill.

To order a copy of the Ralph Allen Writes Anthology please email me. They are only £5 each with proceeds split between Ralph Allen School funds and Cancer Research.

Day 363: A view to...anywhere

This is the sight out my window this morning. Pretty dull. It's raining and it's wet. There was some kind of commotion a minute ago with reversing cars and horns. That's about as exciting as it gets. Sometimes there's people walking past on there way to the park, but not on a day like today.

Wouldn't it be cool if every time you opened your curtains there was a different scene there. One day it could be a city-scape in lights, the next it could be misty mountains. Maybe you would see a volcano explode one morning. That would wake you up! Or you could be next you a raging river or the savannah in Africa. A giraffe could meet you on that morning!

It would certainly beat my window scene.

What would you want to see out of your window? Take your imagination on holiday with this one...

Day 361: Embracing Randomness

Today's challenge is to search for inspiration, but in a way that might lead you anywhere...

1) Think of two random words, the first that come into your head will do. For example, mine were 'life' and 'pogo'.

2) Go to Google Images, type in words and see what comes up!

Here's some of the cool/hilarious pictures that came up on my random search:

So, there you have it, 'Life Pogo' a slightly confused (rather frightening) dog, a plant-boy and some sort of knitted sheep?

What will you find...

When you find that little piece of inspiration you've been looking for, jot it down and see what becomes of the randomness...

Day 350: What if...

Today's challenge is to think of a 'what if' scenario and then create a story from it. Like,

'What if all the planes stopped working tomorrow and everyone had to turn their gardens into vegetable patches?'

'What if Elvis Presley walked into your school/collage and announced his death was a hoax?'

'What if an elephant started talking to you when you went to the zoo?'

'What if you won a life time supply of chocolate from Cadbury's?'

Use one of these or come up with your own 'what if' to play with...see what you can create.

Day 348: Pixie Play

Isn't this just the coolest hut you've ever seen? I found it in a little connecting garden in Bath near the newly renovated Holborne Museum.

It's amazing what you can make from a few reeds and some patterned material. Who do you think made it and what for? I sat in it for a while and you can see through the material. I felt like some kind of pixie or something...

What could you make today?

Day 346: Creative Revelation!

This is actually last Thursdays post, but like I said the goo monster!

That's right folks, today I have had a creative revelation! It's one of those things that I knew really, but never spent time thinking about how amazing it is. I find revelations usually are like that.

Anyway, at school this morning the little Saltford primary kids and I were learning all about fossils; how they are compressed over thousands of years, but have to be in the right kind of earth to form...All very interesting, but then we made a poem based on fossils. We read through a famous old poem by Alexander Pope and picked out the images he'd used to describe a grotto filled with fossils.

That's when it dawned on me; creativity can come from anywhere and can combine anything. Today we were learning a bit of chemistry, science, history, english, but took elements of all those things and created out of them. We made a poem.

What do you love? What do you find interesting? Use it to inspire your creative side. If anything and everything can inspire creativity, then surely everyone can be creative! Amazing, huh?!

So get creative with the things that inspire you!

Day 345: Problems with the Goo Monster

Ok, so something weird has been happening on my Blogger page. For some reason, a post I'm pretty sure I put up last Thursday has suddenly come up as a mere draft! This means that technically I'm a day behind on the old daily blog challenge thingy, but as it's not really my fault (I don't think) I'm not really counting it. I will however put two posts up today to rectify the situation.

Why do things have to be so confusing!

Anyway, as a creative person I like to think that a massive goo monster has somehow wormed his way into the system and left these disgusting, messy slime trails all over my blog and that's why it's not functioning properly. There's no way to deal with it. You just have to let it go on sliming things up and pick up the pieces in it's wake.

I like to think of it with big warts that puss and fizz as it rolls along, slowly decaying the bits of computer software is creeps over. It doesn't have any legs, kind of like a big fat, green slug thing. With no regard for anyone or anything in it's way, it ruthlessly wrecks apart everything we try to achieve.

And that's what's causing all this confusion. Fact.

Day 344: Bournemouth's Knitting Library

Check out what's been going on in Bournemouth Library...

This isn't any ordinary rose bush, it's a knitted rosebush!

Bournemouth have turned a home of books into a garden of woollen flowers, birds, pots and vegetables. Isn't it amazing what a bit of imagination can create?

Check out this link to see more inspirational creations.

What will inspire your imagination today?

Day 343: McVitie's Hobnob Medley

Now this is what I call creative advertising. It makes me want to rush out in my dressing gown, slippers and wet hair to buy some right now!

I won't.

But the principle is there.

Day 338: Ryan Woodward

Here is a Animation by Ryan Woodward. Just watch it and follow it's emotive story.



Music, dance, animation, art, all in one video.

What does it inspire you to create?

Day 337: Show me the Monet

The BBC have just started showing their new arts programme, Show me the Monet which is basically the x of the art world. People who have been making art quietly in their garage, as well as professional artists have come from all over the country to get in on the change of having their work on view at an exhibition at the Royal Collage of Art in London. Those artists will try and prove to a panel of judges their work is the one.

Could you do it? Would you be brave enough?

Follow the real talent of the British art world by watching the first episode on iplayer. Real people, taking their creativity seriously.

Will you be inspired?

Day 336: Mr Men Google doodles...

It's been one of those days where I've visited Google a lot to get this and that for my assessments I'm finishing. A pretty boring job to be honest, but Mr Roger Hargreaves has cheered up each visit. Everytime I go to the google homepage, there is a different on of these:

Mr Men have taken over Google for the day! These three are my favourite, I think (although it's hard to choose). When I was a kid I remember going round my grandparents and choosing which one I wanted them to read to me. Little Miss Tiny was my favourite.

It must be cool to think you affected so many lives of children through your wonderful stories and illustrations. Thank you Mr Hargreaves.

Take a look on the Google homepage and see which one is your favourite...

Day 334: London Town

Today, I am walking the streets of London, and I'm setting myself a personal challange to spell out 'London Town' in photos. Reckon I'm up for it? Come back tomorrow and see!

Where are you on this fine Saturday? What creative challenge could YOU set yourself?

Get active. Get creative.

Day 333: Three is a magic number!

Today is day 333, so the challenge is to do three of everything! Eat three times (which isn't too much of a challenge), make three things, paint three things, knit three things...

You get the picture picture picture.

I am going on a merry trip to London today, so my person challenge is to go to three galleries. I'm also going to see Wicked in the West End too, but I can't afford to go three times!

So, by tomorrow, 3 creative things must be achieved. They don't have to be the same, so maybe think of three different creative things. Get your imaginations rolling...Another job for us creative thinkers!

Day 326: Royal Wedding Creative Competition Winner!

With true creative style, we are celebrating the wedding of the future King of England, Prince William and the beautiful Kate Middleton.

Rebecca Fowler is the winner of the Royal Wedding Creative Competition. She's made this cake for a street party she's attending. Fit for a king, I think!

Day 319: Royal Wedding Creative Competition!

As it gets closer and closer to the Royal Wedding the whole country seems to be getting in the patriotic spirit. Everyone's flying their Union Jack to show their support for Will and his wife-to-be, Kate.

This got me thinking about our flag and how it's used all over the place. You can get posters, t-shirts, mugs, cushions, I've even seen a sofa covered with it! Sometimes its in different colours or using textures. Sometimes there's flowers added or that worn leather look...It's been used over and over again, but the all the creative ways in which its changed astounds me. For a flag, it's a pretty elaborate anyway, so to use that as a base it a difficult one I reckon.

What would you do with it? How would you change it to make it unique? Have a think and a play, then send me your creative flag pictures and your name to emma.fowler@bathspa.org by 28th April 2011. I'll put the best one on my blog on the day of the Royal Wedding to celebrate. Have a go at getting creative and share it with the whole world at the wedding!

Day 318: Working with Windmills

Here is a story all about a windmill. This windmill:

But this story starts partway through, as I, the story-teller can only retell the second chapter of it's life. It was found, broken and discarded outside a house. Its sails had fallen off, its paint chipped and old. The windmill had been forgotten, in a state of disrepair, or was it?

The lady who found it decided it wasn't the end for this windmill and took it home. With a bit of glue and a few coats of paint, the battered windmill was restored to it's former glory and sits in a sunny garden for all to admire.

And now it's found its way onto a creative blog! What a wonderful example of using forgotten things to make beautiful creations. You know what they say, one man's rubbish is another man's treasure. So keep your eyes pealed. You never know what could be waiting for you to restore. It's a great way to get creative and use your talents...

What will you create?

As for the first chapter of this windmills story, well, I'll leave that up to your creative imagination to discover...

Day 310: BP Portrait Award 2011

Today this year's shortlist was announced for the BP Portrait Award held at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The finalists are:

Ian Cumberland
Wim Heldens
Sertan Salten
Louis Smith

They're all from different countries and all came to art in different ways. I think it's inspiring to see how wide creativity really is. It part of everyone in some way, even those people who claim to be without a creative bone in their body (whatever that means!)

Take a look at their entries.  My favourite is Heldens. I want to know what he's looking at. It's like a snapshot stuck in time. Why is he holding a pencil? Is he an architect? The intriguing title, Distracted makes my imagination fly; distracted from what, from who? What or who distracted him...? I'm pretty much ready to make a story inspired by it...

Which one do you think should win?