School of Creative Business - Creative Entrepreneurship

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #8 -Analyze Group Influences on Your Life

Strategy #8 - Analyze Group Influences on Your Life

Flickr image by Optikal

I'm a member of Sigma Gamma Rho, Inc. and I clearly understand what it means to part of a group. But what I learn in being in a sorority in college is that group memberships can make stronger and weak. Sigma Gamma Rhomade me a stronger person. I learned to ask for help,speak in front of hundreds of people, to give back to needy organizations and how to promote and brand myself. All of these qualities are good ones, but sometimes we can encounter negative influences on our lives. Strategy # 8 is all about analyzing the influences (good & bad) a group may have on you.

Analyze

Closely analyze the behavior that is encouraged, and discouraged, in the groups to which you belong. For any given group, what are you "required" to believe? What are you "forbidden" to do?

 Every group enforces some level of conformity. Most people live much too much within the view of themselves projected by others. Discover what pressures you are bowing to and think explicitly about whether or not to reject that pressure.

Build a Creative Alliance

  Read more on this topic, The Secret is Out- Build a Creative Alliance , here and if you have group you belong to that's supportive and inspirational - Give them a shout out!!!!

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #7 - Get in Touch with Your Emotions

Strategy #7 - Get in Touch with Your Emotions

Flickr image National Media Museum

OMG, I am the most emotional person I know. I cry at a drop of a hat. I cry when I'm sad, happy, angry, and excited. Getting in touch with my emotions, I have no problems with. What I need to work on is understanding why I am having these emotions, what are they connected to and how can I overcome them when they are the most inappropriate.

Emotions are good and we should express them whenever we can, but we also have to understand the why behind them. So when you feel some type of emotions during the day, systematically ask yourself:

• "What, exactly, is the thinking leading to this emotion?" For instance- if you are angry about something- ask yourself, what is the thinking that is making me angry?

• What other ways should I think about this situation? Can I put a humor spin on it, can I just cough it up as just life experience and learn from it?

• If you can, change the direction of the emotion, your emotions will soon shift to match the new thoughts.

Emotional Artists

An extremely emotional artist is not really the most productive and easy person to work with . If you ever get bad reviews on an art show, then suck it up and learn from it. Everyone isn't going to like your work, it 's their lost, not yours. Just leave the crying and emotional threats at the door.

A few of us may even get emotional when we are praised. (This is me.) When someone complements me on my work, I feel this overwhelming emotion come over me. And I know this is because I honestly don't feel like I deserve it, so instead of tearing up, I try to play down the complement, by saying " Oh- it took me no time to make it, or its no big deal."

Because of strategy #7- I am taking the time to observe these emotions and I'm trying use other comments that reflects  pride and confidence in my work.

 

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #6 - Redefine the Way You See

Strategy # 6 - Redefine the Way You See

Flickr image By Tina Manthorpe

 This strategy is my favorite strategy so far. In this strategy, you are to practice redefining the way you see things around you- turning negative situations into positive situations - dead ends into new beginnings - mistakes into opportunities to learn.

To make this strategy more practical to our everyday lives we have to set up a few guidelines.

• Make a list of 5 to 10 recurrent negative contexts in which we feel frustrated, angry, unhappy or worried.
• Then identify what might be the root cause of these negative contexts.
• Allow the next step to be plausible alternative to solve the negative context- plan for a new response as well as new emotions.

"For every problem under the sun, there is a solution or there is none. If there be one, think til you find it. If there be none, then never mind it."

The quote above explains how I live my life now. I don't worry about things I can not fix and for those I can fix, I try to solve them with the simplest solutions. I swear since I've taken this role to living life, my life seems so much better. Learn to take the high road.

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #4 - Reshape Your Character

Strategy #4 - Reshape Your Character

_{Flickr Image  M. Alfreshaid}

Our parents and other love ones have talked to you and me about how important it is to have good character. And I totally agree that we all should strive to have the best character trait out there, but sometimes as we get older we have to revisit the character we have developed so many years ago. This post today is about reshaping the character we have so long held onto.

Strategy #4 requires you to choose one intellectual trait - intellectual perseverance, autonomy, empathy, courage, humility or any other one you feel you would like to address. You are to focus on how you can develop that trait in yourself.

For this week, I chose - Courage. "The courage to choose love & The courage to live out my dream". Just recently I posted on my Studio 2229 blog - "Good, Better, the Best" my courage to choose love.

The ideal is to focus on your verbal and physical reactions, emotions and thoughts as you introduce a trait into your life today. For example if you choose humility- look for when you admit you are wrong, when you refuse to admit you are wrong, or when you become defensive when another person tries to point our a deficiency within work or thinking.

The point is to pay closer attention to your actions, record them and learn how to better handle such situations. Character development is a good thing, and like when we were younger it made us into better people, by taking the time to reshape your character a little more can only mean that we are to become  better artists and as people.

Take a few moments today and introduce a new character trait into your creative life. Looking forward to hearing your responses.

Don't forget to pass this along to others who you feel would enjoy it.

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Thanks - Peace & More Love,  

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #3 - Intellectual Standards

Strategy # 3 - Intellectual Standards

_{Flickr Image J-Stevens}

For today the purpose of strategy #3 is to develop a heightened awareness of any intellectual standards we might have about what we create. The Critical Thinking Community has noted that there are 8 intellectual standards: clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breath, logicalness, & significance. Each one of these  standards should be analyzed one at a time. And for the purpose of this post, I suggest that you only choose one and incorporate the others later on during the week.

But in any case- the standard you choose for today should be one that reflects your intellectual standard of your art work at this moment. For example if you chose clarity , then pay close attention to when you speak or write, whether you are clear about what you are trying to say.

State what you are saying with explicit and precise words -I have a dictionary with me at all times- but I'm still working on becoming a better writer and speaker everyday.

Elaborate when necessary on topics that may seem unclear to others who may not understand or know your art style- Not everyone is going to know the techniques that you use, so explain a few simple details to allow others to know and appreciate the skills it takes to create such artwork.

Give examples of what you mean form personal experiences- people connect to personal stories. Include them anytime you get a chance.

Use analogies, metaphors, pictures, or diagrams to illustrate what you mean- as a artist, I know that a picture is worth a 1000 words. Use images of your work to illustrate techniques, style and/or expression.

This strategy becomes handy when you are writing your artist statement  Try your best to use Strategy #3 to create better artist statements.

Tomorrow's Post:

Video on my personal take on Strategy #3 - Internalize Intellectual Standards.

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Thanks - Peace & More Love,  

 

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life: Strategy #2 - A Problem a Day

Strategy #2 - A Problem a Day

If you're alive and breathing then you are along with all the rest of us, you too have problems,  big or small. The key to having problems is learning how to deal with them. Today is about taking on one problem a day.

Sometime during your drive to work or on your way home from the store think about one problem you've  been having in your artist life. Are you in a creative slump? Do you have someone who doesn't support your dreams? Is it as simple as to what color should the walls be in my studio?

Like I said before a problem is a problem big or small- it's all in how you deal with it. So, once you've thought about your problem,  then figure out the logic of the problem by identifying its elements:

• What exactly is the problem?
• How can I put it into a question form?
• How does it relate to my goals, purposes, and needs?
• What is my plan of action to solve this problem?
• Distinguish between problems under your control and problems beyond your control.
• What are some of your limitations: money, time, power, etc.?
• Evaluate your action plan, take into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of the problem.
• When the plan is fully in action, monitor the progress, and be ready to revise the action if necessary.

Every war has a leader with  plan and reason for destroying the enemy.  And since you are the leader on the war for creative freedom, then you too must have a plan. Your plan of war is to defeat whatever is holding you back from your dream of becoming an artist. A war worth fighting for is never easy, but a true winner never surrenders without a good fight. Put your battle suit on and lets get to fighting for our Creative Freedom!!!

Tomorrow's Post:

Creative Thinking: An Artist's Everyday Life. My personal video journal on my take on strategy #2 - A problem a day.

By the way if you like what you've read and heard, please pass it along to others who might enjoy it. And if you have not subscribed to this blog, then do so here.

Thanks - Peace & More Love,  

 

Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life - Strategy #1: Use Wasted Time

Strategy #1: Use Wasted Time

We all waste time in some way another, but even wasted time can be productive. Now I am not advocating that we don't need some R&R. OMG- we need that just to recharge from a busy day, but what I am saying here is that when we have wasted time, we should fill up the time with productive or pleasurable activities.

As discussed in Attributes of Creative Type, we tend to jump around from one thing to the next, and we can sometimes get irritated because we didn't get to fully enjoy the creative release. So instead of sitting on that sofa clicking through the channels or being mad at yourself for not enjoying the moment, take a few minutes at the end of our day to think back over your day and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

You  can start by asking yourself these questions:

• When did I do my worst thinking today?
• When did I do my best thinking?
• What was on my mind today?
• Did I figure out a problem I been working  on or thinking about?
• Did I allow any negative thinking to irritate me?
• If I had to repeat today, what would I do differently? Why?
• Did I do anything to further my long-term goals?
• Did I act in accordance with my own expressed values and beliefs?
• If I spend everyday this way for 10 years, would I have accomplished something worthy of that time?

Take a few moments with each question. Record your response. Look or listen to what you have said and as time goes on you will begin to notice a pattern in your creative thinking. The key is to celebrate what you are doing good and get rid/change what is not working for you.

The 9 Strategies to Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life have been established to get you going in the right direction. Take Action and Make Your Biggest and Brightest Dreams Come True!!

Tomorrow's Post

 Creative Thinking: An Artist's Everyday Life -  Video Journal entry of me sharing with you guys my experience with Strategy #1 - Use Wasted Time.

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Until Tomorrow -Peace & More Love,

 

9 Strategies for Living a More Creative Thought Provoking Life

Hey Everyone,

This week I want to begin with sharing with you guys strategies I''ve learned as a student in the I  doctoral program  from Argosy University. In my research I located an article detailing 9 Strategies of Critical Thinking in Everyday Life from the The Critical Thinking Community.

Well I began thinking that a lot of the strategies in this article could also be applied to artists who are looking for ways to Live a More Creative Thought Provoking Life.

So with that said, I began putting together a 9 series post and video journal on Living A More Creative Thought Provoking Life and my personal video journal on Creative Thinking: An Artist's Everyday Life.

 

The 9 Strategies to Living a More Creative Thought Provoking Life series will include:

Strategy 1. Use Wasted Time

Strategy 2. A Problem a Day

Strategy 3. Internalize Intellectual Standards

Strategy 4. Reshape Your Character

Strategy 5. Deal with Your Egocentrism

Strategy 6. Redefine the Way You See Things

Strategy 7. Get in touch with Your Emotions

Strategy 8. Analyze Group Influences on Your Life

Strategy 9. Wrap Up

 

Here is How it Will Go:

I will post 1 strategy a day. A video about my artist experience as I live through each strategy will be posted the following day, Totaling up to 18 days of Living a More Creative Thought Provoking Life. 

During this process I hope everyone will share their thoughts about these strategies and also about my video journals. (Just remember, I'm an Artist and I'm sensitivity about my sh*t - Ekyra Badu).

What will You Need:

First : You will need to read as many post as you can. I totally understand we get busy, but the good thing about these 9 strategies- they aren't time sensitivity. So you can work through them anytime of the day or week.

Second:Just like I will do, You will need to document your thoughts. This can be done in a journal, sketch book, note cards, voice recorder or thru- video. The important thing is that you start to analyze and assess  your creative thinking processes.

Third: Share your thoughts with the rest of us. You don't have to share the actual journal entries, but we would love to hear what you've learn in the process, so we too can learn with you.

9 Strategies to Living a Creative Thought Provoking Life Series Will Start...

This Tuesday. So that you will not miss one post or video Subscribe to this Blog  (if you haven't already). See You Then.

Peace & More Love,  

 

Love Links to other Creative Souls

Love Link time for the Creative Soul!

My Love For You - is an art blog curated by Meighan O'Toole. Cataloging low brow and contemporary art, My Love for You features q&a's, studio visits and daily posts about artists from all over the world.

Blackbird Sings -  Natasha Newton, is a professional artist and illustrator living and working in England. She is inspired by nature and patterns, stories and symbolism, birds and trees, which she incorporate into her paintings and illustrations.

Vintage Indie - started out as a love for all things vintage, vintage inspired and antique related. Being a mother and an entrepreneur herself, founding editor Gabreial Wyatt has a passion to support independent small businesses and artists.

Thompson Family- Life- At Thompson Family-Life, Danielle shares what crafts she's working on, her photography, products she 's developing, her vintage finds, DIY tutorials and general "family life" including 2 boys and a husband.

A Beautiful Mess - The personal Blog of Elsie Flannigan

Ali Edwards { A } : capture. create. is the current online home for author and designer Ali Edwards. An advocate for not making things more complicated than they need to be & embracing imperfection, Ali shares cool concepts, design, and project ideas in her idea books

Oh Joy! This was a truly Joy to find this site. The images are just beautiful! Everything about it is Eye Candy. The Oh Joy blog covers inspiration & design with a focus on home accessories, textiles, and fashion.

 Vol .25- the most eye catching and creative blog I've seen and a long time. Spent hours clicking on links and post.

BlueBird Vintage-designer and vintage collector, “miss” james kicinski is the sole buyer & lead stylist for bleubird vintage. with a background in fashion design and an obsession for vintage style, bleubird was the perfect way for her to express herself while staying true to her love for the industry.

 

PS. I know I missed a few. Send me a link to other great, beautiful, cute, and inspirational sites.

Peace & More Love Linking,

Artist Who Blog: Dolan Geiman

Dolan Geiman is a nationally recognized mixed media artist creating original paintings, collages, constructions, and limited-edition reproductions. Dolan and his partner Ali Walsh are bloggers who blog about the latest news from his studio and as well offers tips, and general inspiration from the creative community. 

I believe Dolan is a great example of what other artist should be doing. Check out his website and look at all the items and extras he offers his customers. This is true art marketing.  I need to get myself on this level. But what I great mentor to learn from.

Read the  The Daily Dolan Geimanfor more insight on Dolan Geriman.

Also check out interviews about Dolan artist experiences.

 Gapers Block  Interview with Geiman and Walsh

Etsy Interview "Quit Your Day Job: dolangeiman"