I was reading one of my favorite blogs (The Frontal Cortex) and a discussion/review of a book on the Value of Arts Education. Some researchers determined that kids in an art class learn "persistence in tackling problems, observational acuity, expressive clarity, reflective capacity to question and judge, ability to envision alternative possibilities and openness to exploration." For many of us that information cause us to say "DUH!" It is still validating to see research prove what any art teacher already knows, particularily as arts education gets cuts in many schools. You can read the book here if you want more information: Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education

CREATIVE SPLASHES

By artist Cheryl Smith Hissong

Before you jumpstart your creativity, give yourself some time to simply relax and unwind. Forget about your expectations while you drink your favorite beverage and listen to your favorite music. Then simply begin wherever your spirit takes you.

Who says you need a brush or rubber stamp? Paint with your fingers or use objects with interesting textures - leaves, pine cones, shells, corks, food grater, corrugated cardboard, forks, combs, coins, feathers.

To help break you out of the habit of producing the same art in the same way, pick up some chalk and create a masterpiece on the sidewalk or driveway.

Throw an art party for children, or patients in a nursing home. Open your mind to things you might otherwise miss, while sharing yourself with others.

For a variety of backgrounds and pages, use plastic shopping bags, cardboard, random paint swirls, abstract shapes, sheets of tin, fabric (old clothes are great for this!). Weave patterns from drinking straws, ribbon, twisted paper, twine or rope, yarn, photo negatives, or strips of tape from broken videos or cassette tapes.

Create your own illustrated novel or short story, using bits and pieces of text, pictures, drawings, paintings, etc.

Create an altered book in a non-traditional format. Create pages and hang them in a row along the wall, create a mini-book that nestles inside a niche of a larger book, use a flip-chart, use CD's or vinyl records, use (record) album covers, bind your pages with unusual materials, use playing cards or a 3-ring binder. If your walls are in need of a fresh and creative change, cover your walls with decorative altered pages.

Use creative materials - found objects, zippers, buttons with their companion button holes, snaps, pockets from jeans, corks, paperclips, telephone wire, food labels, bottle caps, pull tabs, aluminum foil, toys, wire from an old spiral bound notebook, old report cards or school pictures.

The world's newspapers are full of bad news. For a change of pace, create an altered book based on an old Anne Murray song, whose words include "We sure could use a little good news today." You can make up stories or include clippings from various newspapers or magazines, or print out good stories you find online.

When all else fails, be gentle with yourself. Even when you strive to create the best work possible, allow yourself to create for the sheer joy of creating. Realize that the true value in being creative is in the act itself, not just in the finished work.

Cheryl Smith Hissong is a writer and author currently held hostage by her Creative Muse (CM). Together, the two of them have explored many creative paths, and have taken the scenic route more than once. You may contact Cheryl (or her CM, depending on who grabs the computer first) at himpact@cei.net.

This column was reprinted with permission from the author.

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As an addition to my post on Therapeutic Metaphors, I ran across an article from Seed Magazine on The Future of Science is Art. The article is long and complex and it would be best if you read it all yourself. One part really stood out to me regarding the use or need for metaphor, to understand science and ourselves:

"As a result, the history of physics is littered with metaphorical leaps. Einstein grasped relativity while thinking about moving trains. Arthur Eddington compared the expansion of the universe to an inflated balloon. James Clerk Maxwell thought of magnetic fields as little whirlpools in space, which he called vortices. The Big Bang was just a cosmic firecracker. Schrödinger's cat, trapped in a cosmic purgatory, helped illustrate the paradoxes of quantum mechanics. It's hard to imagine string theory without its garden hose.

These scientific similes might seem like quaint oversimplifications, but they actually perform a much more profound function. As the physicist and novelist Alan Lightman writes, "Metaphor in science serves not just as a pedagogical device, but also as an aid to scientific discovery. In doing science, even though words and equations are used with the intention of having precise meaning, it is almost impossible not to reason by physical analogy, not to form mental pictures, not to imagine balls bouncing and pendulums swinging." The power of a metaphor is that it allows scientists imagine the abstract concept in concrete terms, so that they can grasp the implications of their mathematical equations. The world of our ideas is framed by the only world we know."

The article goes on to say that while the use of metaphor may be necessary it can also be dangerous. We may think of the universe as a garden hose but it is not a garden hose! This paradox is not difficult for artists or creative people in general because we know that our creative projects are not perfect. That may worry us more knowing they aren't! Ever been blocked creatively? Betcha it was due to a little perfectionism issue...

Creative people also strive to perfect their projects/art/metaphors. We are ever searching for new words, techniques or ideas to be more creative.

Here's something (or someone) I stumbled on to on youtube on how to keep an art journal. It's sort of funky but that makes it all the more fun. I especially like how she gets perturbed by peoples attitudes about not being able to do art...check it out:

What have you done, that you feel is pretty creative, in your holiday decorating? One of the ideas I came up with was to take old LP's ( if you are older than forty you remember the ancient black records ) and use some glitter paint to make some Christmas trees, star shapes, colorful round ornaments, and bits of shiny holly on one side. Then I took a little Christmas ribbon to hang them up on the wall. They are great conversation pieces.

Share your creative holiday decorating ideas by clicking on the speak/comment link below!

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"A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art."

PAUL CEZANNE

What are your thoughts about this quote? How does emotion drive or stall your creative energies? Is Art more IQ or Emotion or a combination of both? Share your creative reflections in this community...