It strikes me that we are at a time where creativity and the creative process has never been more necessary or important in our individual and collective lives.
The human race is in big trouble. Many refuse to acknowledge this and simply choose to bury their collective heads in the sand!
We are being given every wake up call imaginable….and still we choose to ignore the unpleasant truths as we continue to remain wilfully ignorant about our circumstances.
In this post I want to talk about How the creative process works…..and how through it we can find some of the answers to the terrible mess we find ourselves in.
Creative thinking is a simply and beautiful process. Initially the seed of an idea is sewn. This is an exciting moment…….one which must be recorded because although we think at the time we will never forget this brilliant idea…we can and we will unless we make note of it.
The seed then enters into an incubation period which can be short lived, or take years to come to fruition.
The seed of an idea has no real form……it floats in our minds like magic. 
As we go about our daily lives, just like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being revealed, the seed sprouts ideas that give us more information…..This can happen at any time.
It’s vital to record these ideas, because even when we think we couldn’t possibly forget a moment of inspiration……we can, and do, which is why it’s important to always have a sketch/notebook at hand.
Like a ghostly apparition sometimes the answer seems almost within reach – but then it disappears and returns to incubation…giving us just a glimpse of what it might be. This moment can be both frustrating and exciting. We must wait for more information to be revealed.
Ultimately we hope to experience the ‘Ah Ha’ moment. That exquisite time when the completed jigsaw puzzle is revealed in our mind’s eye……At this point, we can see and feel the rhythm and flow of the concept. Finer details are revealed as we commence work.
The more we exercise and practise our creative thinking, regardless of what discipline we are involved in, the easier and more fluent this process will become. Playing is a key element in revealing vital clues.
watercolour/gouache
Today our world is filled with man made turbulence, however if we spread our wings like the hummingbird and soar above it all – I believe that we open up the channels of creative possibilities hidden within each one of us.
It is through these channels we can find solutions and answers to our problems. First we must acknowledge the problems and then we tap into our individual and collective creativity to solve them, and most importantly always remember to carry the note/sketch book to record each idea as it is revealed.
I am taking a few weeks off from social media. A period when I hope to refresh my mind so that it can open up to new possibilities.
Janet
I dipped my toes into the virtual world about 18 years ago when living in Wales. At that time, the WDA (Welsh Development Agency) decreed that every town, village and hamlet would have something called a tele-cottage…..This is where I learned the basic first steps of how to use a computer.
Without a real plan, I signed up for FB very early on (thirteen years ago) and began writing a blog about the same time…..It didn’t take long for me to recognise the potential of this medium….especially for visual creatives.
Through social media I was able to share my images. It gave a platform for my magical hummingbirds, in ways that I could only have imagined before.
Other elements of my work took on different forms after the advent of social media.
During my workshop in Olhao Portugal last month, Dora Keogh, suggested that I make some web cam videos….
Watercolour taken from sketchbook notes – of one of my favourite Olhao trees. 
There is so much more to write on this subject which I will share in future posts.
After working with a group for the first week, fellow artist and good friend Bonnie Halsey Dutton 
watercolour
I With its courtyards, communal areas and excellent studio space, plus shops, cafes, markets, Lagoon all within a few minutes walk from the school – plus of course the wonderful Margarida and Joanna who take care of all our needs….what more could an anyone wish for.
The studio. 
The 150 year old Olive Tree that meanders from one of the courtyards up through the three levels of the school. You can see the blue of the roof top pool through the tree. 
watercolour
This has been one of the best years I can remember. I have visited places, friends and family I love and along the way enjoyed wonderful conversations and much laughter. I am so grateful for this moment in time and that I have been able to focus on what is truly of value in my life.
As we go about our daily lives, just like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being revealed, the seed sprouts ideas that give us more and more information…..
Ultimately we hope to experience the ‘Ah Ha’ moment. That exquisite time when the completed jigsaw puzzle is revealed in our mind’s eye……At this point, we can see and feel the rhythms and flow of the concept. More details are revealed as we commence work.
The more we exercise and practise our creative thinking, regardless of what discipline we are involved in, the easier and more fluent this process will become. PLAYING is a key element in revealing vital clues. Working on more than one piece at a time can prevent us from getting stuck!
I posted these two photographs of my wonderful Grandmother and her Great Granddaughter, my daughter, because they show so clearly that within a relatively short period of time…..how our world has changed. How the lives of women have changed…..
When I went through my Aunt’s papers, I was delighted to find that her passport only expired last year – which means that she renewed it when she was 86. She also volunteered helping ‘old people’ when she was in her eighties and early nineties. What an inspiration.
I have been surrounded with strong, and unusual woman all my life – from my Grandmothers, to my Mother and Aunt Peggy.
Nearly ten years ago, Peggy lost her only son, my cousin James – aged 57….and although I know it hurt her terribly she never complained. Although Peggy was not a religious woman in the conventional sense, she was deeply spiritual and believed that eventually she and James would be reunited…..
A Benton
I will be painting, writing, celebrating life and enjoying the company of dear friends during the next few weeks……
Once again I have been reminded through the untimely death of a good friend of the importance of making the very best of every moment we have.
Not to put off what we really want to do….but rather to take on life’s new adventures with a sense of excitement.
Not to wait for the perfect time to do something, because there never is a perfect time…just today.
“Follow your Bliss” – another quote from Joseph Campbell.
And so today I follow the example of the magical hummingbirds, soaring above all the madness and drinking from the sweet nectar of life……..:)
A bientôt
My Life as an Artist (2) 