UNLOCKING CREATIVITY

            Here’s something that might help you the next time you have a dry spell of creativity. It’s a simple solution that can lead to some interesting and creative art no matter what your medium.

I’ve done this many times over the years and it’s usually an easy and quick boost. I can also get some interesting results from people that I’m teaching no matter the age or skill level.

            First, go to your stash of favorite books, (not magazines not picture books or albums or comics) books that use ‘real’ words in ‘real’ sentences. Most people have at least one ‘real’ book in the house that can be used for this. No, graphic novels don’t count either.

            Second, take this book back to that place where you usually are most creative, your chair, or table, or studio room. Now find out how many pages are in the book. Got that? Now pick a number between 2 and whatever number is the last page of the book. Got that? Let’s say it’s 459. Remember it.

            Third, pick a number between 1 and 10. I’m going with 3. You pick your own, and remember it. Open the book to page 459 and find the third paragraph down on that page. Got it?

            Now I want you to make something based on what you have just read. I’m not expecting a masterpiece and not necessarily a whole and complete piece of finished art but something, a little sketch or painting based on the words that are on the paper at that point. If it helps, you can expand to utilize the second or fourth paragraph as well, but don’t get carried away.  

            Personally I utilize my bible for this exercise most often but have used J.R.R. Tolkien books and books by C. Cussler, as well as others. It’s really up to you and what you find. And I find that this exercise more often than not will flip the switch to your creativity and get things moving again. A long time ago I knew an artist that used this method exclusively for her creative endeavors. She would take her book out with her and have other people pick and choose the numbers that she would then go home and turn into art, sometimes good and sometimes not so good.

Try it, you might like it.