Being creatives we all get lost in the blank pages of our oh so faithful sketchbooks, before putting pen to paper we’re filled with anticipation of the ideas we have within our creative minds that are yet to spill across our page. As they begin to fill with endless inky pieces of potential and piles of scribbled sketchbooks are formed over time they can often become lost sat within a draw of your studio out of sight. Although sometimes it’s breaking out those old books that can help you creatively in ways you don’t always quite realise. So here are a few reasons to brush the dust off your sketchbooks and reminisce a little in past potential you’ve made.
- They’re proof of how far you’ve come: Your sketchbooks are filled with your thoughts and scribbles and it’s these that also make them memories of your creative growth. You might one day find yourself thinking “My illustration/design/painting/photography isn’t quite as detailed or good as these creatives” and sometimes we take for granted just how far we have come on our creative journey. So look back on your own childhood, high school, college or university sketchbooks and see just how far you’ve come, just how hard you’ve worked and you may even surprise yourself with how talented you really are. In turn this is sure to boost your belief in yourself and blow your little inner critic away.
- Fruits for new inspiration : If at times you’re feeling lost for ideas or aren’t quite sure where to find your inspiration for a new and exciting project then flipping through the pages of your sketchbook might just help you find it. Sometimes we can forget where we found our fruit for ideas but in that little sketchbook may be a scribbled motif that can help you grow a collection of beautiful patterns, illustration for a book, painting and much more. Recycle your old ideas and make them into something amazing and new because your style and skills are forever growing it’s sure to look different than it did before.
- Rediscover old techniques: I remember during college days we were encouraged to experiment as much as we could with a vast array of arty materials and techniques to expand on the potential of what we create. Combining watercolours, print making or markers with ink might have helped you to create a beautifully detailed project or give you a texture or effect you’re looking for. It’s little things like these that may just be the finishing element needed for an upcoming project or simply for you to try something a little different.
So it just goes to show how good your sketchbooks can be after all and gives you an even better reason to treasure them and not throw them away. Image by designer illustration Elizabeth Caldwell you can find out more about her work here .
I recently signed up to take an 8-week online class with one of the magazine industry's top writers. Sure, I've been freelancing for 10 years, but lately, I haven't felt like I've made an effort to really get out there and write the stories I want to write. So I gave myself the proverbial kick in the pants and signed up.
It is the best money I've spent in quite awhile.
Why? I'm constantly reminded that journalism and even writing in general is a tough business. You have to be prepared. You have to research. You have to make connections with the right people. And even if the timing isn't right, you've hopefully made an impression on an editor so you nab an assignment later.
I have been taking a few of those lessons for granted.
I'm reminded that despite the hard work, writing is fun. Researching new topics, learning new ideas, and experimenting with words drew me to this profession in the first place. This class is challenging me to take those new ideas to the next level and take a look at my "dream" market.
I'm submitting my query this week.
I'm reminded that sometimes, even seasoned writers need to break out of their comfort zones and be open to different possibilities for publication. News stand magazines, online publications and websites, email newsletters - the publication possibilities are endless. I should never run out of possibilities for seeing my story in print.
I have a renewed mindset and I'm ready to conquer the world. Or at least Newsweek.
Have you taken an online writing class? How has it helped your career? Don't forget WOW! offers a plethora of classes.
by LuAnn Schindler
Okay. I’m going to admit something here. I have been experiencing a slight case of writer's block the last little while, also known as writer's burn out. I’ve got the ideas, I get ready to write then I sit down and….nothing. Zero. Zip. And it frustrates me. Sound familiar? But I don’t give up. I mean, I leave the computer for a bit to re-group but I never give up. You can’t! Writing is what we do and for many of us, including me, it isn’t just something we just enjoy doing; it’s something we need to do.
A great piece of advice I read from a fellow author over at Astraea Press is that we need to write through the writer's block. It doesn’t matter if you’re journaling, scribbling random thoughts on a pad of paper or putting a few paragraphs up on your blog, you need to write through the arid times we all encounter along our writing journey. I know it can be tough. Believe me, as a mom of four kids (two with special needs) that often distract me from my writing, ideas can run thin when I finally get back to the computer. But I always try drawing inspiration from what’s around me. It sounds cheesy but inspiration for writing ideas truly are everywhere.
Here are a few ideas:
· take a walk around your neighborhood
· go to the mall and hang out in the food court (there are some very interesting people and conversations going on!)
· take a bus ride (always interesting people/situations/experiences on the bus!)
· go to the playground with your kids
· listen to the rain and write out the first thing that comes to mind
· review your favorite book or movie
· visit a fellow writer/author’s blog and see what they’re chatting about
· put on your favorite CD and let your mind wander
· take characters from your favorite TV show or movie and see if you can create a new scenario for them
· phone/email a friend and see what’s inspiring them
· read the paper
· look at old photographs
· ask a child to tell you a story
· visit with an older relative or friend who remembers stories of the "good old days"
· go to your local museum or art gallery (I’ve gotten ideas from both places!)
· visit a local garden show, terrarium or botanical garden
· check out local family "hot spots" like amusement parks, the zoo or city park
These ideas just touch the surface. The point is to turn to everyday experiences or people to draw inspiration from. I’ve found always found everyday people doing extraordinary things have inspired me the most in life and in my writing. And be sure to choose activities that tap into as many of the five main senses as possible. The more of our senses that are woken up, the more your creative juices bubble up to the surface.
When your writing well runs dry, fill it back up with the inspiration floating all around you.
When I was a little girl my brother would tease me by saying I should read the dictionary–to be as smart as him. I would scoff and return to whatever it was I was doing. Who knew I would actually end up a reference book junkie, the compulsion for books only exceeded by my pen fetish? Charity book sales, used book stores, The 99 Cent Store, garage sales… I am compelled.
Among my more odd specimens are old medical dictionaries and legal manuals; mythology, psychology, geomythology and quantum theory; studies on the Quabalah, a library of Wiccan and Druidic knowledge and several books on Buddhism. I must say though, that my favorite references are
The Old Farmers Almanac and
Pocket Ref by Thomas J. Glover.
More than just places to find an answer, these pages entice a question and spur my imagination. In the Farmers Almanac I can hear people in the fields discussing the best phase of the moon for planting their next crop. I can learn how to predict the weather or find delicious tidbits of folklore and trivia. Thomas’ Pocket Ref offers a primer on knots and their uses; Morse code and Braille alphabets; a perpetual calendar; every type of conversion table you could ask for and a chili pepper hotness scale. Actually, the amount of information in the Pocket Ref is mind-boggling; it is by far the most fun I have had for five dollars.
Sure, you can find just about any information you need on the Internet, but a book can answer the questions you don’t know you have.
What’s in your bookcase? Are you an information junkie? Has an encyclopedia or other reference book ever spurred a project? What are some of your favorite reference materials? Let us know!
by Robyn Chausse
Born of gods and water nymphs, the muse is cousin to the sprite and faery. Can you imagine the ego of a god and the playfulness of a sprite? Eesh!
People think their muse isn’t talking to them. Usually they just aren’t listening; either that or they ignored the muse for so long that now they are getting the mute-muse treatment.Like any pixie, the muse wants--above all else--to be wanted…and heard. Think “demanding two-year-old” that’s what you’ve got there whispering your stories to you. She wants you to listen when she’s ready to talk and to take it down verbatim (you can put it into proper human language when she isn’t looking).
Any pixie will tire of the game if it is always on your terms. You want a good story; you want it in words, in your head, between the hours of 9am and 3pm. You want, you want, you want…. remember who you’re talking at… a god-nymph. Muse wants to talk in pictures and colors. She wants to show you your main character in the face of a cloud. She wants you to find the rhythm to your poem in the laughter of a fountain. Have you ever been “working” in the yard (nymphs hate it when you think of caring for their homes as work) and been scratched by a rosebush or whapped by a branch? Your muse is laughing at you. This is her way to get your attention. We pixie folk don’t mind if your head is in the clouds but we do not like it when you’re surrounded by a grey-matter storm. So here are some tips for those of you who have forgotten:
Pixie, Sprite, Faery, Nymph, Muse…we can’t be all serious all the time, it depletes our energy. We live on laughter, passion, play, tricks, rebelliousness, chaos... oh, and we love to dance with the elementals, you know, rain, wind, sun…those guys.
Don’t be so mental--be creative; color (preferably outside the lines), or doodle. In fact, doodle a picture of your muse--you know--vanity points.
Ignore the rules; get up at 3am for cookies, milk and muse-chats.
Keep plenty of colored pens around, your muse might be having a terracotta-rose day and here you are trying to write in black ink…blech!
I think you get the idea. When you insist on wearing all of that adult human responsibility stuff it really turns off the muse. She wants you to remember that is just a role you are playing, the real you is a free spirit just like her.
Want to share your musings with Sprite Bobbins? Jot a note in the box! (She’d love to hear all the gossip about your muse.)
by LuAnn Schindler
Writers discover inspiration in the strangest spots. Actually, stretching intellectual limits beyond the typical-article-idea mill will result in increased sales. It may also mean you guide your creative juices in a new direction and work in a new genre.
One of my favorite ways to increase the bottom line and develop timely stories and articles includes perusing lists of monthly holidays and celebrations. Some are sponsored by organizations promoting an idea or cause while increasing awareness; others are fun days that may only be celebrated by a handful of observers.
But, for writers, these celebrations are the perfect fodder for a researchable and marketable idea, and sometimes, they allow me to write something for fun...and still get paid!
Need examples? Let's take a look at some of February's celebrations. The second month of the year isn't just a time to celebration Valentine's Day or the Super Bowl.
- Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month - Sponsored by House Rabbit Society (HRS) and Petfinder, the group encourages the adoption of rabbits that have been rescued. Possible story angles: interview someone who adopted a rabbit for a local paper, create a list article showing why rabbits make wonderful house pets, write a children's story about an adopted rabbit.
- National Cherry Month - Why not write a health article touting the health benefits of cherries? Have a great cherry recipe? I do. I had my recipe for Cherry Pie Cake published in a cookbook. Or what about settling the argument about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree in an article or prose piece for a children's magazine?
- Just Say No To Powerpoint Week (February 7 - 13) - Pen an article for a local newspaper showing the pro's and con's of using PowerPoint in the classroom. Or submit an editorial piece of work to a business magazine that shows how the presentation software is misused in the business world. Or, why not write a how-to list that shows the best methods for creating a presentation for an educational outlet.
- Cowboy Poetry Week - (February 23 - 28) - Know any cowboy poets? I do, and let me tell you, they have many funny stories about rural life. Interview one for a writing magazine. Or better yet, try your hand at penning the poetic form.
- National Condom Day - February 14 - The American Social Health Association recognizes this day for promoting healthy choices. How about a factual article with relevent examples for a teen magazine. What about a comparison of condom types and brands? Sounds like an good article for both men's and women's magazines.
- National Tooth Fairy Day - February 28 - Use the tooth fairy to explain why dental hygiene is important. For a children's magazine, why not compare and contrast mythical do-gooders (the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc.). Write a personal essay about when you figured out how the tooth fairy made the money-for tooth trade.
Don't feel limited to writing something in your usual genre. Use these creative and informative celebrations to build a lucrative database of ideas!
Lexi is 4 months old today and has been with us for a week...she's really an awesome dog! She is starting to eat like a hound!
.jpeg?picon=893)
I like to blog about the every day.
So many ideas come from walking in our neigbourhood.
Your list is great!
Great advice, Chynna! I use walking for inspiration...and gardening. There seems to be something so organic about working in the garden. You can't help but get the creative juices flowing.
Thanks for the reminder!
So glad you included riding the bus, one of my favorite tricks! I stick my MP3 player headphones in my ears but leave them off to avoid suspicion and can sketch wonderful characters based on the people and conversations observed during morning and evening rush hour bus rides. Something everyone experiencing a block should try!
Great article! Your list could go on and on, makes us realize that we can always find inspiration anywhere, anytime – from the simplest of things to the most complicated ones. As long as you’re sensitive enough of what’s happening around you, you will never run out of things to write about. Writing is about life so we’ll always have a handful to draw inspiration from =).