I am an unapologetic creativity evangelist on a crusade to spread the word about the potential life-changing capabilities of creativity. Creativity cultivates fun. And it offers a buoyancy to hearts often laden with worry during this aging journey of ours. It’s also good for your health. Aesthetic experiences have a restorative effect, reducing anxiety and stress levels. Creating art for forty-five minutes lowers cortisol levels, regardless of the skill level of the art maker. Studies have found people who took up creative endeavors in middle age suffered less memory loss. I realize the word creativity can be intimidating, especially if we don’t view ourselves as creative. How do you rip off that bulky “uncreative” label and cultivate this quality? It calls for some exercise. The Creativity Corner features “Exercise Your Creativity” practices designed to exercise your creative muscles. Try the “Doodle for Your Noodle” practice or write your own six-word story. 

 

Latest Creativity Practice:

Watercolor Flower Blobs

Yes, that’s right “exercise can be as easy as making watercolor blobs. My friend Ann Goodpasture created the adjacent painting by starting with blobs of color and then adding definition using only a black micron pen. Supplies required: (1) Watercolor paper 140 lbs. or higher (no intimidation required, packaging will reveal paper weight.) (2) watercolor paints either in tubes or trays. (3) micron pen (an 05 is a good size). I don’t want my blogsite to be an advertising platform so I’m not including links. FYI, however, Amazon, Michael’s, Sam Flax (my personal fav), Office Depot/Staples, Blick (another fav, wish we had one in Orlando) sell these supplies. So, go flex those creative muscles ladies (yes, ladies, I don’t get a lot of male traffic to my website. Analytics don’t lie).

  • Doodle For Your Noodle

    Our “Doodle for Your Noodle” exercise is designed to transform stress into neurographic art. All you need is a piece of paper and a marker. The technique links our conscious with our subconscious. Without over-thinking it, start to make organic, flowing lines with a marker.

    The lines can intersect and even flow off the page. Go back and round out the intersection of the lines so that any hard edges are softened. If you choose, you can fill in the lines using markers, colored pencils, or watercolors.

  • Write Your Story in Six Words

    It’s the start of the new year. Spend twenty minutes writing your own six-word story using the following prompt: “What can I do to knock my own socks off in 2024?”

    Six word stories are a two-for-one exercise that not only fosters creativity but also helps develop self-awareness. It is surprisingly revealing what you can learn from crafting a story out of so few words. The constraints of choosing only six words is freeing. It relieves the pressure of writing a perfect and precise story. Examples:

    “I’m going to learn to weave.”

    “Make money. Find love. Keep both.”