Day 153: Documenting journies...

Over the pass few months I have had a few thoughts about how you could document travel in a creative way. To begin with, it was for my art project, but then I stopped doing art at uni, so it kinds stopped.

But, the other day when I was walking back from work in the dark, I started thinking about all the rubbish that I could see on my journey and how, if I collected it all, I could put it together and call it 'Upper Bristol Road.' It would be a way to visually represent my journey home.

Then, I got thinking about lots of different ways I could record my travels. Here's some I came up with:
All the leaves I pass on a journey.
A sound recording of a journey.
I could use a camera placed around my neck to show what I see as I walk
For a bus journey, I could take a finger print of everyone who gets on the bus to record the route through people rather than a map of where it goes. (This one's more tricky, but more interesting!)

Unfortunately, I don't have time to explore these creative ideas at the moment, which is why I thought I'd share them with you instead. Feel free to give them a try and use the ideas in your own creative work.  Sharing creative ideas moves thinking forward. Post up your own ideas and let me know how it goes.

Catch the idea, let it go and then follow it. That's my advise for today!

(If this subject interests you look at the artist, Richard Long. Here's his website.)

Day 142: Paris and Centre Pompidou

Ok, Ok, I can't keep it in any longer. I spent the last weekend in Paris with my lovely boyfriend and it was amazing! There, I said it. Now you all know. Cleverly, I managed to keep my blog going daily, but that's another story.

As you would expect from a creative person such as myself, I did in fact do some creative things whilst I was there (as well as climb the Eiffel tower and stuff that's not so creative!). It's hard to chose a favourite, but if I had to recommend somewhere I would choose The Pompidou Centre. It's a contemporary art gallery with loads of stuff attached (like cinemas), but the cool thing about it is, there is other things exhibited like furniture and architectural structures, so there really is something for everyone.

Perhaps the coolest thing about it is the glass escalator that goes all the way up the side of the building so you can see the whole of beautiful Paris. As Sam quite rightfully pointed out, it kinda looks like something out of a science fiction movie!

It was incredible, so if you've got a share afternoon in Paris, make sure you check it out! If not, then check out the website to see what cool things are going on...

Be inspired wherever you are, whatever you're doing...

Day 132: The sound of...music

Today I found myself walking back to my house in the beautiful sunshine. It was lovely. But, I had a headache (not so nice). If you're familiar with headaches, you can imagine that the bright sunlight made it worse, so I was forced to look at the floor for most of my journey.

You know what? Looking at the floor made me concentrate on things other that what I saw, which was amazing! So often I notice visual stuff and fail to notice what's going on with my other senses.

So, just for you, here are all of the things I heard on my journey home:

As I walked down the road I caught snippets of conversations through open windows and down alleys. The crunch of broken glass beneath my feet put me on edge. Traffic rumbled in the distance, interrupted by a screeching song bird and another and another. The traffic turned into a roar as I approach the busy road and all other sound was lost, except the high pitch alarm of a shop unattended on a Sunday morning. Eventually I moved away, down a side street and the crackle of autumn leaves sounded refreshing in comparison. My own trousers swished, almost in rhythm with my breathing, in and out, in and out. The local radio blared out from somewhere and the rattle of keys round the corner told me I was nearly there. My gate creaked on its hinges and I was home.

So, there you have it, a journey in sound. Have a go the next time you leave your house. What will tickle your ears on your travels...?

Day 113: Busyness: how to be sneaky with time!

Ok, I have a question for you all, how do you fit creativity into your busy lives? How do you find time to make...think...be...creative when you have a thousand-and-one other 'more important' things to get done?

As you have probably guess, I am a little busy this week and I have a feeling it's only going to get worse! I don't know about you, but when I'm busy with stuff, all I want to do is something creative to calm me down, relax my soul (or something like that!). But THERE'S NO TIME! ARRR!

Well, my friends, don't stress if you are feeling like me right now. What we need is...a plan. I warn you it's sneaky, which makes it feel better, I think. The plan is to steal time! It's not as hard as it seems, honest. Basically, there are moments in everyone's day which I like to call 'dead time.' For example, when you're traveling. If you're on a bus/driving/walking your brain is free to think, listen and, most importantly, be creative! So use that time to think, listen to music, an audiobook or download something from iplayer to listen to. You can even read, but not if you're driving please! Sneaky, huh!

Or, if you've put dinner in the oven for 20 mins or your mum/dad shouts up the stairs and says it'll be 15 mins, stop what you're doing and use it to be creative.

Or, get up as soon as your alarm goes off and use the time you would normally spend in bed to do something, that's what I've done this morning and, I have to say, I'm feeling good about the day already!

I have started knitting this week. It's great 'cause you can pick it up, do a bit and then come back to it. I'm not really that great at knitting, but it gives me a little bit of creativity in my busy day. Yay for knitting!

So, be sneaky with time and see where you can fit in creativity for the good of your soul!

Day 65: Verity

Today's blog entry is dedicated to this gorgeous girl, my sister Verity. She's in New Zealand an has been for nearly 2 years now so I haven't seen her for AGES!

What's your sister got to do with my creative blog? Well, just look at this picture! She screams out creative to me. What she wears, the things she does, the places she goes...she's definitely a creative thinker!

She has been really supportive about this creative endeavor of mine from the start and has been a constant source of creative inspiration to me. That's why today's blog is for her, on her birthday.

Happy Birthday sis!

Think about someone you know who supports you in your creativity. Go give them a hug or something. We wouldn't be anywhere without support! Perhaps do something with your creative talents for them today...just something little...

Day 51: Six weeks of summer

So now it's the holidays! Woop woop. You know what that means? Six weeks to get creative!

Ok, it might be a bit unreasonabe to ask for 24/7 creativity for the whole six weeks, but my point is that you now have some space. No homework, no revision, on going to school every day. So what are you going to do with all that time...?

Well here are a few suggestions for the creative thinkers out there;

Look back in your notebook (or whatever it is you use to unload all the ideas from your head). There are probably loads of creative ideas in there that are just dying to be explored. What better time than now. Find one idea that really excites you and role with it. See how far it takes you. Now really is the best time to start, 'cause you've got six weeks ahead of you (potentially) before routine kicks back in and you lose time/momentum for it.

Or, look in your local paper, library, the Internet for creative stuff going on in your area and sign up. There's bound to be loads of stuff at this time of year. Get involved in whatever it is you fancy. You never know where it might lead you or what new friends (contacts for all you networkers) you will meet.

It might be that some (many) of you are going away/have loads of other stuff planned for the summer and the thought of being creative just doesn't fit in. Well, think again my friends. Creativity is everywhere! Whatever you're doing, keep an eye out. Take that pad with you and see what you find, hear, touch, taste, on your travels. Nothing is a wasted experience when you're creative.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is don't waste your summer away. Use it. If creativity is your thing (or you want it to be your thing) then embrace the time you have and get creating. Whatever you do this summer, be inspired by it!

Day 23: Creativity is EVERYWHERE!

So much creative input, I don't know where to begin...

...well, today I've been to London (as I said yesterday) and I DID go to somewhere new. It really is true, if you're on the lookout for creativity it will come and practically hit you in the face. Get ready for a creative burst...

The reason I was in London was to go to a creative fair thingy for students/graduates. It was held in an abandoned building, which was originally a big factory/warehouse (probably). It's amazing what you can do with an abandoned building. What would you do...?

I went on the underground to get there, of course. You know the little maps you can pick up? They've always got different pictures on. Check them out at: http://art.tfl.gov.uk/

It turns out there are sculptures all over London. It's one of those things I knew but never really realised if you know what I mean!

The diversity of people was inspiring too. I saw a punk, and a lady with dreadlocks down to her bum. Oh, and all the arty types too (like this girl who was wearing bright red tights and high heels to match, cropped blonde hair wrapped in a scarf, accompanied with big red stud earrings). Inspiring characters...?

Watch this space, there's loads more to come...! Woop woop!

Day 22: Go go...

If you need inspiration where do you go? Do you go to your bedroom, on a long walk, to a gallary or a gig...?

My advise for you today is 'go'...

Preferably somewhere new. It doesn't have to be far. Go down that road you've never been down before, into that museum in your town/city, to the woods near your house...

Maybe you could venture further a field. I'm going to London tomorrow, which I do quite frequantly, but I'm will make it my 'mini mission' to go somewhere I've never been before and I encourage you to do the same. Find out something new, and write it down in your notebook.

I'll let you know what I find...

Where will YOU go? How will you be inspired?