Becoming more creative, day 3

     So far in this series we have talked about taking risks, putting in time, and learning to be more observant. Today's concept is about doing something different, rather than the same way we always do it. Humans are creatures of habit, but creativity involves doing something new. Nita Leland, the author of the book I'm loosely basing this series on (The New Creative Artist, a Guide to Developing Your Creative Spirit) says, "Change is the stimulus to creativity. Habit is the enemy." In order to grow as an artist, we have to start doing things differently. She claims that anything we do differently in our lives will encourage creativity, because it makes you more aware of what you are doing, instead of doing what you always do. Take a different route around town, use a new spice when cooking, accessorize an outfit differently, all of those are creative things. Another quote from the book, "Creative living brings energy and awareness to art that can't be drawn from any other source." And it's a relatively simple thing to do to get started. When applied to artwork, you could start simply by trying a different technique, or different color scheme than you normally use. It doesn't have to be anything drastic to get your mind going in a different direction.
     I'm still working on this too, but here are two quilts made from the same photo, one using applique for the crane, and one using thread sketching.
    So, your challenge for today is just to change your routine somehow, to start training your brain to think differently from what you usually do. Not too painful so far, right? :-)

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