Day 19: Vegetable art

Today I want you to be inspired by other people's works of art. Here's how it started;

On the train today I was enjoying a yummy (but cold) 'Innocent tasty veg pot' (by the company that make those smoothies). Whilst enjoying this scrummy snack, I found myself reading all the information on the packaging (as you do). To my surprise, there was a picture of a carrot and three cherry tomatoes which was of course, doubling up as an ice cream cone look-a-like! (picture it for a second). There.

Brilliant; vegetable art!

Turns out there is a page on their website where you can send your OWN veg art! Even more brilliant. So check it out at http://www.innocentvegpots.co.uk/vegart and see if you could do any better...

Day 18: Games, games, games!

SO many of you LOVE spending your time gaming! Whether it's the DS, Wii, PS3, XBox360...you guys can't get enough of it.

BUT, do you ever find yourself thinking, 'you know what, I could do so much better!'

Have you got loads of ideas for games? Well, get on it! Write them all done, start designing. There is a lot of money in designing games (so I hear). Who said it can't be YOU making that money for doing what you love?

I know what you're thinking, 'my creative talents have nothing to do with gaming. I can't do computers, so it's not for me.' Not true. Someone has to right the stories for these games. Someone has to draw the storyboards and come up with the challenges.

If your talent still doesn't feature, then get it out there! Maybe its a gap in the market.

Don't put limits on your creativity. If you want it, then go for it!

Day 17: People watching

Have you ever found yourself waiting for a friend in a park, cinema, shopping centre, train station...? The likely answer to this question is most definitely yes. At these times you end up getting annoyed and spending your time thinking, 'where on earth has my friend got to!'

Well. the next time this happens to you I want to encourage you not to see it as an annoying waste of time, but think, how can I use this time to spark creativity?

Try this; just sit back and watch the people around you. What are they doing/wearing/eating/talking about? Would you do that? People who don't know they are being watched do the funniest/unexpected/realistic things. Trust me, it's loads of fun to watch people doing their shopping or playing footy in the park, chatting on the phone or whatever else you see people doing.

It teaches you about how people react. Add their behaviour to your characters, or try and capture it in art, dance, theatre...Who knows, they could end up contributing to your masterpiece without even knowing.

Nothing is ever a waste of time, not when you're creative!

Day 16: The code...

Ok, I have to put this code on my blog to get more people reading my blog! Thanks to all of you who are already reading. I figure the more creative people I can reach the better! So I thought, as this is a creative blog, why not turn it into a creative challenge!

Here's the task: what would you do with this...

E7DHX293WX4T

I think it should be a code found on the side of an abandoned naval ship, discovered by two boys on a beach in South India or maybe its could be the code left behind by a murder, one symbol on each victim! Oh, the possibilities really are endless with this one.

Anything can become a creative spark...what will YOU turn it into?

Day 15: From object to invention!

If I gave you a piece of wire and said, 'do something with it,' what would you do?

Would you make it into a frame for something useful like a hat (to cover it in fabric) or a bowl (papier mashe)? Would you make it into a sculpture, minimalist or intricate? Maybe a maze for your pet hamster, or a new invention!

There really are so many possibilities with just a piece of wire, so the next time you find yourself with some, see what you could do...

No wire around? Well see what else is lying around your house. The garage is a good place to start or your loft. If you're in a creative frame of mind then go hunting and see what you can create out of everyday objects. Everything can fulfil a creative purpose!

Day 14: You just need a spark!

Today I am talking to all of you people who think you're not creative in any way. Is that you?

Well, I'd like to say that it's just not true. ALL people are creative in some way or another. It could be something as simple as the way you dress. Some people have the gift of putting anything together and looking amazing. Or maybe you're into cooking/baking. There are loads of ways you can be creative with food.

Just because you can't draw or don't have the first clue how to hold a paintbrush doesn't mean you're not creative!

If you think creativity isn't for you then you just haven't found your spark yet. Try photography or making your own cards. Maybe origami could be your thing or making jewellery. Learn an instrument or try your hand at web design. Write a blog or make your own video.

Think outside the box and see your creativity grow and overflow...

Day 13: The good-old-days

What did you love when you were little? What films did you watch on Video (do you remember those!)? What TV programmes did you watch? What toys did you play with? What games did you play?

When I was little I used to play imaginary games. Weren't they the best! I would pretend I was a mermaid, but when I was out of the water (and dry) I could fly like Peter Pan. Logical I think.

I recon I was definitely more inventive then than I am now, so every so often I delve back into my memories and come up with some inspired story ideas. In fact, I used my favourite childhood panda bear (Smilie) as subject for my art this year too.

Childhood fun and games doesn't have to just be memories. Use it to inspire what you do know. What will you find?

Day 12: Saturday!

Ok people, today is Saturday. Well done for pointing out the obvious, I hear you say. Think about it: if you put it into 'text' language it says, 'sat-UR-day'!

This day, and every other Saturday is YOUR day! There's no school so go crazy creating!

What will you do with your day? Music, dance, drama, writing, painting, drawing, making... it's up to you! Use the time you're got to do something amazing...Go...

Day 11: Fancy a game?

What do you do when you've run out of creative ideas? Do you wait for inspiration to come to you or go out looking? Do you have a group of like-minded friends who could help you out or an enthusiastic family member who always has crazy ideas?

If not, don't rule out the apparently non-creative people in your life...

If you've run out of steam, do a Mary Poppins and turn the search into a game! Get a group of people together. One person (maybe you) starts off a story, but only the first sentence (or section, depending on how long you want the game to last). Then the next person has to carry on the story with their own sentence/section...Eventually you will have a complete and most probably crazy story!

Make up your own rules. Add pictures (maybe from magazines) which have to be included in the sentence/section, or silly words. Give the story a theme (ie, zombies or fairytale)...you get the picture.

Have fun creating and see what you can come up with...

Day 10: Creative Memories

I don't know about you, but creative people tend to be forgetful and generally a bit scatty. I certainly fall into both categories. Very often I will be on the way to my studio space (where I do my art) only to find I have forgotten my paintbrushes, purse, phone or whatever else I really need! Are you that kind of person?

I am also a bit of a visionary. In other words, I get an idea which then sparks off another million in my head. They all swim around getting mashed together and then I usually forget half of them (hence why I forget so many physical things like my phone all the time!). Sound familiar?

Well, this is how I try to handle my forgetful brain; carry a notebook EVERYWHERE! You never know when a creative idea is going to fly into your head, so the best thing to do is catch it and write it. It works wonders for me. When I wake up in the night after a dream, it goes in the book. When I'm on the bus and I see/hear something, it goes in the book. Even when you're on the toilet...creativity can strike anywhere, best to be prepared! At least that's what I find. It's a great way to see your ideas growing and moving forward.

So, don't just forget it, write it!

Day 9: Let's Ride!

Today I've spent my time going up and down, round and round, and pretty much every other direction humanly possible. Yep, you've guessed it, I've been to a theme park!

Queuing (for a lot longer than i was on the ride) got me thinking... it's someone's (amazing) job to design all those rides. How cool!

So get your thinking caps on guys and gals. What would your ideal ride be like, look like, sound like...? Loops and swoops? Splashes and sploshes?

Or for those of you who are left with all the bags, why not design something for you to do while you're waiting for all your friends? Oh and one more thing, please design something to do when you wait in the loooooonnnnngg queues! Maybe a slide or two...

Day 8: Old People

Have you ever spoken to an old person (and I don't mean you're parent!)? I mean, have you ever sat down with someone who has experienced 70/80 years of living? That is a lot of stories! I'm talking about folk who lived through the wars, who remember life before TV and films, before cars and blogs!

The next time you are forced to go to a family reunion of some kind, don't just sit there wishing you were anywhere else, speak to your Grandma or your Great-Granddad and ask them about their life. What's the best thing that happened to them? Their earliest memory? What was their childhood home like? They'll love it! And believe me, they are probably the most inspirational people you'll ever speak to.

Got no grandparents? Go to an old people's home. They LOVE visitors, especially young people, so you're off to a good start already! speak to an old lady at the bus stop, speak to the old man next door....

Who knows where they may take your creative thoughts...

Day 7: How are you creative?

''Just because a man glances up at night does not make him an astronomer, you know.'' (The boy with the striped pyjamas, p82)

What are you? A painter, actor, animator, musician...? Well, if so how regularly do you practise your skills/talents? If you get given a box of paints for your birthday, does that make you a painter? No! You've got to DO it to BE it! And the more you do whatever it is that makes you a creative person, the better you will be. Do it a lot, do it as much as you can.

On the flip side, if you DO paint, be confident! Call yourself a painter. If you DO it, then you ARE a painter, musician, animator, writer. It doesn't matter if you're at school or you work at Pizza Hut. That is not who you are!

So have pride in what you do and have confidence to be it. remember, you gotta be in it to win it!

Day 6: Inspirational nature (part 2)

After musing over the delights of the moving world, I came to realise that I didn't give plants a mention. They too can be so inspirational, especially at this time of year when all of the trees/plants/flowers are in bloom. SUCH colour! Whoever said grass is green lied! There are so many shades and tones. Check out how things change colour depending on the light/time of day.

In Spring/Summer, everything looks full and alive, but in Autumn/Winter, there is a transformation. When I was younger I used to hate Winter; the way everything looked bare and dull. But actually trees without leaves show you just how intricate they are. Have you ever tried to draw one? It's so hard!

Next time you happen to be near a tree, stand right next to its trunk and look up. It really is the most amazing view. The way the branches span over you at all different angles, every leaf trying to catch a ray of sunlight.

Or, the next time you walk past a wall with plants growing through the cracks, stop and take a proper look. It's incredible how nature will find a way to survive, even if we cover it in concrete. Plants will grow anywhere and everywhere, whether we want it there or not! (Gardeners, you know what I mean!)

What will you find?