Creativity Week: Step No. 3- Innovation

Creativity Week

Step No. 3> Innovation

Dare to be different. Dare to be eccentric. Dare to be a non-conformist. DARE to innovate.

After working on Steps No. 1- Inspiration & No. 2- Perspiration, Innovation can be a scary part of the process.

You might think you will fail. But, to be innovative it's essential to fight the fear.  You've got to explore. Explore ideas that are different...outside the box...upside down...on its side. DARE to look for things in a different light.... Dare to.....

Learning how to explore the unknown is essential in the creative process. Throw away all inhibitions. Forget all the things that are holding you back: 

excuses. fears. pre-conceived notions. rules. plans. 

It's time to turn off the main road...try the untried.  

Exploration is the perfect time to ask: 

What if...? 

My 100 Creativity Exercises are full of these...challenging you to really explore your creativity. ideas. thoughts. techniques. even the rules!  Without exploration, we can never have anything new. 

Now...a bit about *new* ideas...lest you think INNOVATION means creating the wheel again...no. that's not it.  In fact, most *new* ideas aren't even new. We are just building on the work of others. Originality comes from within...when an artist embraces the fluctuations, imbalances & disturbances & just goes with it to see what will come of it.

So, back to exploring so we can create something new.  This is something I created in an exploration exercise during my daily 100. 

I had been exploring the idea of using common supplies & objects to create something with a question in mind: What if I went out of my comfort zone using found objects & techniques that are not my norm.

This is what I came up with...an old shoe box that I cut into...added found objects: twigs, pebbles & glittered, painted, mod-podged & ....voila! I ended up loving my little creation using Rhonna Designs Spring Circus & Easter Sayings Printables! Who knew? I did this exercise before I had a bunch of deadlines...perfect way to combat my fears, get new ideas & explore! And I loved the final projects I made for my deadlines....it worked!  

I feel like processes like this can really ignite something in me...it gets the sparks flying so fast, I can't stop! I just want to continue creating & then...naturally...I want to share that spark...these new projects, techniques, ideas....& then it grows- burns brighter & just sparkles!

This is the part of the process from which Spark the Event was created.  The whole idea of Spark is to share your creativity with others.  Margie, Liz & I knew that when we hoarded our creative ideas, it did us no good. In fact, when we don't share our creative ideas, we lose them.  You share your SPARK & it ignites!  We all *sparkle* as we share the creative ideas & processes we encounter.  I have said this before, but, “I believe all ideas are sprinkled from heaven…it’s up to us what we do with them.”

It's not OUR original idea....it comes from someone much higher than us that shares His ideas & creation with us. 

When we acknowledge that & have that attitude of sharing our spark, creativity will wash over us & fill up every little bit of us...our creative cup will run over. 

Don't be afraid of someone stealing your ideas. Don't be afraid of someone's talent. 

Don't be afraid of someone's creativity.  

They will be blessed with creativity & ideas & you will, too. 

There's room for everyone!

The ideas will come to you as you follow this process. I know it may not make sense in your head...but, it will in your heart. You need to let go, acknowledge where all inspiration & creativity comes from & embrace that inherent desire to create.  

Then, your creativity will sparkle! ignite...and you are ready for the Creation!

...to be continued...

Creativity Week: Step No. 2- Perspiration

Creativity Week

 Step No. 2> Perspiration.

You gotta put the work into it.

"Perspiration is the best form of differentiation, especially in the creative world." - Scott Belsky

As 'creatives' we want & need to be differentiated from other 'creatives'.  It's easy to copy someone's creative work. Anyone can do that. But, come on...how creative is that? It's not as easy to create your own work, though...& really do something different, is it? This is something I'm always striving for when create for Rhonna Designs...I want my designs to shine through...somehow differentiate myself from other designers.

So, building on Step No. 1- Inspiration, today we are focusing on PERSPIRATION during the creative process.  I've found that there are 2  things you need to do to really, really work at this...& that is firstly:

Gather the things that inspire you.  This is one of the best steps in the process.  If you are a writer, gather  works of literature that you are drawn to.  If you are a singer, gather pieces that move you. If you are a photographer, gather photographs that inspire you. If you are a blogger, gather ideas for great content. 

You get the picture...the *gathering* process takes time. It may not be done in one minute, hour, day or even week. But, it must be done. Inspiration boards are how I gather my inspiration. Sometimes, I'll have a color scheme I'm working on...& I'll need to gather pieces that inspire me to create with that color scheme. 

Source: Uploaded by user via Rhonna on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Rhonna on Pinterest

Source: creamylife.com via Rhonna on Pinterest

This is one reason I LOVE my Pinterest boards...they are online 'inspiration boards' I can 'PIN' or gather things to that inspire me.

Case in point...lately I've really been 'craving' getting back to calligraphy. I took classes, taught classes & have spent hours & hours practicing...but, it was over 20 years ago! So, I've been working at getting inspiration- being still as I get that inspiration & then gathering ideas, tools, quotes & such to work on my calligraphy again.  I'm rusty. *ahem*  So....the perspiration has begun.

I spent hours & page after page of parchment as I perspired over this reunion of my love affair with the calligraphy pens, nibs, inks, parchment.....& guess what? It wasn't until AFTER about 10 pages of practicing, that I *remembered* the tricks & keys I used to teach...it's all about wrist/hand flourishing AND pen pressure/sensitivity.  WOW! It took me that long to gather & perspire! I had a ton of pages I'd gathered...but, was any of it worth saving?...worth building on?

I needed to....

Once you've gathered your ideas, it's time to sort out the very best. I sorted & sifted through all those pages. And, of course, the last few were my best. It was obvious when the *spark* lit! 

So, I had all of these good ideas, but I needed to sort through them & throw the bad ones out. THAT is how to get the REALLY good ideas! *wink*

now...it's time for Innovation.

...to be continued...

Creativity Week: Step No. 1- Inspiration

Creativity Week 

Step. No. 1> INSPIRATION. 

Inspiration must come first.

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you."~ Pablo Picasso

And in order for it to find you, you must open the door to get those inspirations.

So? How do you open that doorway into inspiration?

Well, inspiration is tricky work...you can't force it.

It requires work, hard work. But at the same time it requires stillness. Yes, it seems to be an oxymoron, but inspiration is found everywhere & in anything..you just have to look....and when you do, it will find you.

Whatever your creative passion; writing, painting, sewing, singing, acting, blogging, running....

we know that inspiration is the essential catalyst to any sort of creativity.  But first...

Daily exercise. Seeking inspiration daily teaches your brain to think differently...see things differently...play differently...work differently.  

One of my favorite things about my 100 Creativity Exercises is that it teaches you HOW to work through these daily exercises. And as you exercise your creative muscle everyday, you get a work out.  

But, they key is: You have to do it. 

You have to actually exert yourself & work hard to open the door to those creative inspirations.  

For example: one of my creativity exercises challenges me to look at things upside down to creatively solve a problem or see it in a different way. 

Ok...at first this may seem like a waste of time, or you may say: "That isn't really going to make me more creative."

1. You're wrong. It will make you more creative if...

2. You just do it. As silly as it may sound, this is tried & true. I've been doing it for 20+ years. It works.

but YOU have to work for it to work!

You can't just sit there & expect the inspiration to find you with a closed door...no, you have to OPEN the way for it to find you.

Yup...go after it with a club. 

Work that creative muscle every. 

single. 

day. 

What are the results of consistent exercise? 

A well-toned-well-oiled machine. And that's what you will get with your creative muscle...your creativity will become a machine. One that is ready to stay still & listen for inspiration.

Sit still & listen. After exercising, it's always good to stretch out that muscle, cool it down so it doesn't cramp up or get injured.  The same goes for creative exercising...once you've done one of the creative exercises, you will need to sit back...listen. look. think. and stay still.  THIS is what opens the door for inspiration.

Like this: One day after my creative exercise (it was very simple: just take a photo of what you see out your window) ,  I took the time to 'cool down' & fiddled with my top ten fave iPhone apps. It wasn't forced, it was just a fun, relaxing way for me to take my photo to a new level.  

Then, it came...the visual colors, textures, & feel of the photo started to inspire me. I was getting inspiration for some of my new designs. It came at an alarming speed...just washed over me. 

Now, if I'd just done the work (or creative exercise) & just zipped on to my next item in my daily schedule w/o taking the time to be still & 'cool down', that door for inspiration would have been closed.

See how you need to be open to the work AND the stillness?

Let's say you go on an 'inspiration' trip....same thing. It won't do any good if you just go & see, hear, or do...you will need to take what you got out of the work & let it simmer, percolate, or marinate. This is critical in letting that inspiration come.

This is when it all comes together...you get that inspiration. You're ready to really dig in...you're ready for perspiration!

...to be continued...

Creativity Week: Inspiration, Perspiration, Innovation & Creation

This week's Creativity Team Tuesday is a little different...instead of focusing on what my Creative Team created with Rhonna Designs, I wanted to take this whole week & focus on what Creativity does for me, for my team, for YOU! 

While I was at Snap, I had the chance to talk to a lot of women...one thing I heard a LOT was: "You are so creative!"

then came the comments ....

"I wish I was more creative."

"I'm just not a creative person."

"How do you find time to be creative?"

"You must have been born with creativity."

I came home with my head spinning, my mind running with ideas & got so excited to share Creativity Week with everyone here on my blog!

  I want to share some of my thoughts I've been having about CREATIVITY! & my creative process...not the actual execution of my art & designs, but HOW I get to where I feel creative & can actually create!

because...let's face it...I can't live without it!

This week's posts will go hand in hand with my 100 Creativity Exercises Workshop on my site. And, we'll talk about creativity in general...whether you are a writer, painter, seamstress, vocal performer, actor, blogger, runner....YOU can be creative in your own area of interest.

In my 20+ years of focusing in creativity, I've found that there are 4 essential components to it all:

inspiration. 

perspiration. 

innovation. 

& THEN 

creation.

So...join me this week....inspiration WILL find you! 

Snap re-cap: Don't miss next year!

The whole idea behind my blog & my site is to Uplift & Inspire! 

My blog is a place for me to share ideas to uplift and inspire, 

while my site is the sole place to buy my designs to uplift and inspire. 

I've come to the point where my health is getting better & it's time for me to kick things up a notch. So, this is why I decided to attend Snap The Conference! I'm so glad I did...

it was scary. 

**Believe it or not, I do still get a little shy/scared/unsure when I go out of my comfort zone. And a blogging conference definitely was out of my comfort zone. **

But the thing that drew me to THIS particular conference was their tag line: 

'Creativity at your fingertips.' 

You know I have to have a creative exercise everyday....so this was 15 min. away from me, right down the street....

I. Had. No. Excuse.

(quatrefoil tag by me found HERE)

I'm so glad I did. 2 of the first people I saw were some of my all time inspiring people: Shelley of House of Smiths  & Karen from Graphics Fairy!  This was the beginning of 3 days of being uplifted & inspired by...

the classes, 

the people,

the venue,

the laughing,

the sharing,

the crying,

the dancing,

the eating!

Not only did Rhonna Designs sponsor....

(& Snap girls...be sure to look on the BACK of that cute, frameable quote to see your 50% off coupon!)

.... but, as luck would have it...I had FOUR of my Creative Team members were there! We all decided to go at various times & when we found out that we were ALL going to be there, we were so excited! It was amazing...someday I'd love to have my entire team together!

Each came on their own or with friends, but we had FIVE of us there! It was so fabulous to glean from THEM...to really talk, laugh & even cry! I love them all & was so happy to get to share some time with them!

Sadly, we were all never together...funny, huh? But we DID get a few pictures together!

The Queen Bee Market was there & it was sooo fab! I loved it!

And our closing key note speaker was Dr. Matt Townsend who had us laughing & crying. He shared my FAVE quote & really hit on the fact that all of us are changing lives...& when we do that, we can change the world. What he said really resonated with me. I loved it!

& the finale:

We had a party rock in the big barn...dancing til we couldn't dance anymore...shakin' wigglin' movin' & groovin'...

so.

much.

FUN!

So...for those of you that missed it this year...my word of advice: don't miss next year!

I know I won't!

and...remember...check out the Blogger's retreat: Breathing Space...I'm loving these bloggers!

Breathing Space....

Ahh....don't you just love the time you have to stop. & take a breath. I feel like I don't get that time very often...so, when I do....*ahh* I'll take some breathing space...

For you Utah Locals....check this out! I'm so excited! Breathing Space Retreat is designed for serious bloggers who want to meet other bloggers, learn fun stuff, and have a fabulous time. 

It's a big slumber party all wrapped up into a super fab weekend...I'm going...are you? 
Register HERE & hoping I'll get to take it all in & just *breathe* with you!

Fresh Living Utah...today! DIY paper flowers

Excited to share some of my DIY paper flower tips on our local KUTV's Fresh Living Show today using Rhonna Designs digital downloads!

I had fun sharing some ideas on how to print off your Rhonna Designs on vintage text/dictionary/music paper to change the look of these easy DIY flowers!

Here, I printed off the Chevron background  (recolored following THIS tutorial)  onto plain Epson Photo Matte paper & the exact same design onto some old vintage music paper I got at a thrift store. (entire book was .50)  See the cool difference? Now, don't get me wrong..I love both effects, here, but the flowers I created above were with vintage dictionary, text/book & music papers mixed with my Follow Your Heart collection with My Mind's Eye!

 

Notice the different paper flowers in this bouquet. 

Here's a little DIY for you....

1. Download your fave Rhonna Designs printables.

2. Print out on any kind of paper you'd like..here, I've done it on vintage papers. Just stick them right into your printer & voila! Cool superimposed look!

3. Cut your flowers. 

Flower idea No. 1: Use a die cut & cut out various sizes & shapes; scalloped circles, flowers, circles)

Flower idea No. 2: Cut out a strip of your paper with Fringe scissors, roll around a skewer stick & glue.

4. Create. Use your imagination & layer your flowers around various 'middles'...i.e. on the show I talked about party picks w/ the honeycomb ball shown below. *I bought a whole pack at a party store.*

or long jeweled flower picks, pearl top pins, or even a bamboo skewer w/ a pearl or glass ball glued on top!

I LOVE milk glass & I just stick some floral foam or styrofoam in the bottom (w/ some hot glue) & then stick the various flowers in to create a bouquet!

How fun is that? This is how I created the flowers for my Spring Wreath...remember THIS DIY tutorial?

If you're a little unsure about digital downloads..here's a FREE printable template you can use (you'll need to sign in to your Rhonna Designs account to download) & you can play with it until you are DYING because you're having SO much fun & just HAVE to have MORE Rhonna Designs! *wink*

Thanks, again, KUTV Fresh Living!!! Loved it!

now...off to SNAP conference! I'll be pinning,  Instagramming, tweeting & facebooking, so follow along!