Day 24: Collaboration!

Today I want a talk about team-work-creativity. Yes, that's right, working together to produce a super inspiring creative masterpiece!

Who do you know? Dancers, musicians, painters, writers, actors, sculptors, photographers, animators, makers, breakers....Creativity attracts creativity, so get it together guys and gals. See what will happen if you combine your creative talents and passions.

This idea was given to me yesterday (of course) where there was lots of websites I could sign up to and collaborate with other artists. You know what I thought? 'What a FANTASTIC idea,' that's what!

Want some examples? Check out INFRA, a collaboration piece between contemporary dance choreographer, Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie.

or

Take a peek at this collaboration animation by David Ellis and BLU.

So, why don't you mix it up a bit. Dancers, get in contact with musicians. Artists, talk to some animators etc etc.

It's like my dad always says, 'two heads are better than one.' (I'm sure someone else said it first, but I'm going to give him the credit today!)

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?

Day 21: Eco fashion

All you who are into fashion and textiles listen up. I wanted to find something inspiring for you guys and gals to get your fingers busy with. Lucky for you I did!

Check out Julia Barbee. She has her own eco fashion label called 'Frocky Jack Morgan.' She takes old clothes and makes them into new fashions. She's got her own website and there are loads of videos on You Tube where she shows YOU how to create fashionable new clothes out of old stuff. There's one video where she talks all about wedding dresses for all of you who are interested! (There's also a blog featuring her wedding clothing line too!) So much information...!

So, if you're into fashion and want to create, use what you've got and help the planet out as you go! Brilliant.

See what you can do...

Day 20: Light

Recently I have been thinking about light as creative matter. Is light creative? Perhaps it's just a scientific element of our planet and so cannot be creative.

But can we use light in creative ways? Well, that's a different question all together...

Take stain-glass windows for example. They are coloured glass which would be nothing if it wasn't for the light streaming through to make it look incredible. I love stain glass windows! Type in 'stained glass windows' into Google and see if you are inspired by their beauty. It amazes me how light changes the appearance of things.

A great artist to look at is Matisse. He designed and made a chapel just before he died. In it are the most beautiful stained glass windows. He loved to experiment with colour, so if you love playing around with colour, then definitely check him out.

What about artificial light? Light bulbs, strobe lighting, neon. Lots of visual artists have experimented with these. Neon is commonly used in text based art (check this out on Google too). Perhaps there is something here that interests you.

Creative thinking is so wide...I think light can definitely creep into it somehow...what do you think?

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...