Doodles on the plane. Letting the turbulence inform the line quality. #tinyanddaily #smalldailyacts #doodles #doodlesofinstagram #originalart #creativesandboxway #creativesandbox

Here’s what I learned (or re-learned) from today’s Creative Sandbox session: I don’t like working this way!
Why? It’s too much execution without discovery!
I get BORED!
I want to be in discovery phase, following curiosity, as much as humanly possible. THAT is why I love improvisation.
THAT is why I CHOOSE to improvise in so much of my creative life, as much as possible: my visual art, my music, my teaching, my podcasts… It’s why I was drawn to jazz as an art form, and to improv–why I perform improv (and yes, it’s scary, but it gets less scary the more you do it!) Because that not-knowing-what’s going-to-happen-next? THAT is where the fun is!

That is where the CREATIVITY is!

That is where I SURPRISE myself, and if I’m not surprising myself periodically, then dangit, what is the POINT? I WANT to be surprising myself!

I have not yet figured out how to work with these watercolor markers and Pigma Microns together in a way that doesn’t involve tedium… I will keep working at it and let you know if I figure it out.

#creativesandboxway #creativesandbox #creativity #visualjournal #watercolormarkers #winsornewton #pigmamicron #doodle #doodles #doodlesofinstagram #originalart #originalartwork #dailyart #dailydoodle #dailyartist #dailycreative #dailydoodle2017 #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram

“Do you feel fear when you create?” she asked. Yes. All the time. And right now, my anxiety is mounting as my two speaking gigs approach. So! Much! Fear!
I know she was referring to the fear of the blank page, the fear of making an ugly mark that I don’t like, but ultimately it’s all the same thing. Fear is fear.

Will I forget what I intended to say? Will my technology not work? Will the audience be bored? Will my break-out activity be fun for them, or bore them? Will they all leave the room in disgust?
And: will my ukulele break a string? Or just break? Will I have a wardrobe malfunction? Will I get sick? Will I lose my voice?

The anxiety and fear piles up in my chest like bricks, rising higher by the day.

But this is part of the process. This is just how it goes when you do something new.
All those questions are the voices of my gremlins, trying desperately to get me to STOP, to not leave my comfort zone. Trying to keep me safe. Trying to keep me from growing.

Because all growth and creativity happen OUTSIDE your comfort zone. So gremlins will use every trick in the book to try and keep you from leaving!

I just smile, thank them for their concern, and keep right on going.

I do my daily doodle, and get on with rehearsing, creating my slides, and preparing for my trip.

That’s the Creative Sandbox Way. ?

#creativesandboxway #doodle #fear #originalart #originalartwork #doodles #doodlesofinstagram #dailyartist #dailydoodle2017 #dailydoodle #dailyart #abstractart #minimalism #blackandwhite #pigmamicron #visualjournal #creativity

All good things must come to an end, even the Friend of Calligraphy Spring Retreat, alas. I’m back home, so no more uninterrupted create time. Back to my 15 or 20 minutes a day in the Creative Sandbox.
Do I wish it were more? OF COURSE!

But there are so many other things I ALSO want. Like flying across the country to deliver a keynote for a convention of professional photographers.
That’s pretty cool, too! I wouldn’t get to do that if I spent all day painting, because I couldn’t craft and rehearse a keynote AND spend all day painting too.

So some days I work on my speech, and other days I go on retreats.
Thankfully I only have to wait til September for the next retreat, because that’s when I’m hosting my Create & Incubate Retreat! Squee! (There are still one or two spots left: http://bit.ly/1RjktHI)

Meanwhile, I’ll make time for Creative Sandbox play every day, even if it’s just a little.
Yes, we love our big chunks of time, but small daily acts have the power to transform lives.
Don’t ever forget that!

#doodle #doodles #doodleart #doodlesofinstagram #originalart #originalartwork #doodleartist #creativesandboxway #creativesandbox #doodlecam #blackandwhite #pigmamicron #visualjournal #artistsofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #dailyart #dailydoodle #dailyartist #dailycreative #dailydoodle2017

Adding color! Altered book page spread — book page poetry:

courage,
courage,
be prepared for
opportunity.

#bookart #bookarts #bookpagepoetry #alteredbook #blackoutpoetry #whiteoutpoetry #originalart #originalartwork #abstractpainting #abstractart #doodleartist #doodlesofinstagram #retreat #watercolor #watercolorground #zillerink #creativesandbox #creativesandboxway #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram