download chapter TEN of DYCS here⇨
Week TEN: What’s Next?
“Creativity is intelligence having fun”
~Albert Einstein
As I am writing this week’s notes I am feeling a mixture of emotions.
- I am sad that our time together every week is coming to an end L
- I am overwhelmed with gratitude for your willingness to jump in with both feet and discover your creative squeak
- I am excited to see what you will create next in your journey, because I know for you this is just the beginning!
- And I am abuzz with all the final bits of wisdom that I want to share with you!
Over the last ten weeks you have looked at different strategies to making creativity into an integral part of your lifes.
You’ve asked why, looked at your hesitations, your past stories of limiting beliefs, how to create new habits, drawing techniques, drawing what you see, typography, playing with paint and things you have in our homes, you’ve become fearless and less likely to be hesitant in any creative practice you have in the future!
At the beginning of our time together, I said to you that my greatest wish was that you would discover your own love for being creative and that you would take what I have to share with you and that I hoped that you would leap into your own creative practices.
I hope that I have managed to inspire you to do just that!
And just because this is the last ‘formal’ week of ‘Discovering your Creative Squeak’ it doesn’t mean this is the end.
So what next?
I have one last set of Reflection, Action and Fun exercises for you to do as part of our weekly workshops, I have included a list of resources that you can utilize as well as some different creative challenges that you can do in 5 – 10 minutes a day for a week or a month.
My final bit of advice to you is this:
Don’t stop telling your story – be it through art, writing, music, gardening, cake baking or stick figure drawings. Everything you create is an expression of your true self.
10.1 REFLECTION: Do what you Love
Time: 5 – 10 mins Equipment: Notebook and pen.
For our final reflection exercise, I want you to spend 5 – 10 minutes thinking about what you would love to explore next.
Ask yourself which of the exercises from the last ten weeks did you enjoy the most? Doodling? Art Journaling? Or making marks with everyday items? Something else?
Write the ones you enjoyed down in your not book.
Which creative techniques do you want to try next? Did you prefer drawing or smooshing paint or art journaling?
What is going to make you the most excited about being creative everyday or every week?
What pinterest or facebook tutorials have you seen and maybe saved that you are intrigued by and would love to try?
Open your notebook and write down your thoughts.
Little Bitch Buster:
If you little bitch pops up during this exercise, maybe by saying there is no way you could do that technique, or don’t be crazy you really think you could do that, try some of the techniques from week five.
Don’t censor yourself – just write them down.
Seven years on in my journey I am still referring to this list and growing and learning.
Decorate your page to make it stand out in your notebook!
10.2 ACTION: Create a ‘TO DON’T’ List.
Time: Unlimited Equipment: your notebook, papers, paint and pens.
You can spend as much time on this page as you want but what I want you to create is you’re very own TO DON’T list.
If you are anything like me you have at least 5 to do lists running at the moment – I have the ‘to do’ today, the ‘to do’ this week, ‘to do’ this month, what ‘to do’ this year, what food I need to buy, LilliBean Designs ‘to do’ lists etc.
So one day I was feeling totally overwhelmed and I decided to make myself a TO DON’T list.
This was a list of things that I didn’t want to do, feelings I didn’t want to feel and thoughts I didn’t want to think.
To start let’s make your page no so blank and glue down some papers and smoosh some paint and let it dry.
On a separate page write down anything you don’t want to do. Your list can include ANYTHING you don’t want, including eating green vegetables for dinner!
Once your page is dry, using coloured pens or a black sharpie, transfer over your top five or so things that you don’t want to do.
Include the ‘TO DON’Ts’ that really resonate with you.
You don’t have to limit your list to just one area of your life – you can include just those things that are in a creative capacity or have an overall TO DON’T list, including everything on your list.
OR you can do three or four pages with different lists – a home one, a work one, a personal one, a creative one, a kid one….
The options are endless – it is your choice.
You list may include some things that mine had on it.
MY CREATIVE TO DON’T LIST:
- TO DON’T: look at a painting I create and see something ugly. I will learn something from everything I make
- TO DON’T: Think a painting is a mistake. I don’t make errors on the canvas; I make marvelous mistakes that can be turned into beautiful creations.
- TO DON’T: Let the little Bitch tell me I am unworthy, uncreative, or just stupid.
- TO DON’T: Listen to other people. I will not let them tell me that I need to find a ‘real’ job and isn’t it time I stopped playing.
- TO DON’T: stop exploring different art techniques and playing with different mediums.
- TO DON’T: Say yes to everything. Every market, every commission, every opportunity. I will only say yes if it is something that aligns with my core goals and desires. (CAVEATE: if my hesitation comes from a place of fear or uncertainty I will not say NO I will instead leap! EG Appling for big scary markets!)
My personal list had things like:
- TO DON’T: Eat green vegetables. You don’t like them. You never have. Find another source of the vitamins and nutrients.
- TO DON’T: Just because you have children, you are not allowed to neglect yourself. If you aren’t well you can be a good parent. etc
Take a photo of your lists and use it as your screen saver on your computer or phone, print it off and put a copy on your mirror or your fridge or frame it and put it on your wall.
Your TO DON’T list isn’t set in stone. It can and should be updated as regularly as a traditional to do list!
10.3 FUN: Create a LilliBean Designs Style portrait.
Time: 10 minutes Equipment: notebook and your pen.
WHAT! Not the pen again! Sorry this is the last time I will torture you with this rule!! But again look at my second ‘TO DON’T’ point on my list: There are no mistakes in art 😉
However, in laying down this rule no one is going to judge you or tell tales if you do decide to use a pencil. However – I would really love if you resist the urge to erase any of your lines.
NOW there are many, MANY ways to draw faces.
This exercise is just my interpretation of this exercise, so definitely go and explore other techniques and styles till you find the one that fits you best.
This portrait exercise is just for a simple face looking straight ahead. And all measurements are approximates – there is no need for rulers.
I have created a little video that you can follow step by step with me if you want or you can use/ download the written PDF instructions at the end of this section.
Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have regarding these instructions!
To watch the video – click on this link or on the video image aboveThis video was too large for Vimeo – so it is only available through my google drive site.
There is no password for this video.
You can download the video as well so you can watch it when ever you want:
The link for the google drive download is here
download DRAWING FACES PDF⇨
10.4 FUN: Draw a portrait everyday.
time: 5 – 10 minutes equipment: pen/ pencil and notebook.
For five to ten minutes draw a very quick portrait. Draw from your imagination, a photo, a magazine, a celebrity, a TV show.
Don’t overthink the portraits or be critical of the end result the purpose of this exercise is to be comfortable with faces; they don’t have to be realistic or even proportional.
Just draw the faces for a week, and experiment with different pens, markers or pencils. Fine or medium pens, HB, 2B and 2H pencils, try with a sharpie or felt pen.
Thank you so much for trusting me with your Creative Squeak journey – you have totally inspired me. I want you to know that I am always here.
I will always want to hear how you are progressing, if you are struggling creatively, where you are on your creative journey. Tell me. I totally want to know.
Pop into our Facebook group – share with us your art works, what you’re loving, hating or exploring.
I can’t wait to see what you create next!!
Much love 