Archive for the Category » Imagination «

Apr
28

Let’s Craft a New Definition of Creativity

“I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important
than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, whereas imagination
embraces the entire world, stimulating progress,
giving birth to evolution.”

Albert Einstein (1931)

An evolutionary view of creativity acknowledges that everything we do affects our personal well-being, the well-being of others, the well-being of future generations, as well as the environment.  The time is ripe for creativity to be embodied as a core competency by every person on this planet.  While creativity, the word, shows up in daily conversations, there is evidence of lack of clarity or consensus around the definition.  Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines creativity as: “the ability to create.”  Compared to the robust definitions for imagination, invention, and insight, all common synonyms for creativity, “the ability of create” fails to inform or inspire. This writer believes crafting a new definition of creativity has the potential for increasing broad awareness and ownership of personal creativity.  It is important for people of all ages to understand creativity is a natural function and that every human brain is creative (Carson, 2010).

“Creative arts meet soul needs, shift consciousness and both facilitate and enhance learning” (Camden-Pratt, 2008, p. 8).  Arts are very important to our view of creativity, and all art certainly makes use of creativity, however, not all creativity is art.  Confusing creativity with drawing ability or special talents, limits self-identification with creativity.  Viewing creativity as a process of thinking, problem solving, and imagining possibilities rather than a product to be evaluated may encourage more engagement.  Ideas, adaptations and inventions contribute to our evolution as a species.  By expanding the base of people who understand themselves as being creative, we open a vast storehouse of unused creative potential to be used in service of the challenges facing our world.  Csikszentmihalyi (1996) affirms: “…for better or worse, our future is now closely tied to human creativity” (p. 6).

Creativity, as a construct, is an aspect of thinking (thought generation through application of imagination).  In The Art of Thought, Wallas (1926) describes a four-stage model for the development of ideas which creativity scholars continue to cite as the key elements of creative process: (1) preparation; (2) incubation; (3) illumination; and (4) verification.  Mastery in creative thinking and application comes from learning and practice.  Just as people are not born with all the knowledge it takes to win a Nobel Prize, or win a gold medal in the Olympics, developing creativity involves accumulation of knowledge, years of practice, exploring nagging questions, and making many mistakes.  Evolutionary creativity also calls us to be “present, aware, open to possibility, and taking a risk. It matters what we are doing” (Ockuly & Richards, IN PRESS).

Creativity is a unique human impulse which brings meaning and joy to our lives.  It is also a process triggered by inspiration which may or may not grow wings.  A process view of creativity puts the focus on activity (both mental and physical, conscious and unconscious) which is undertaken from the time an idea or insight comes into our awareness.  Creativity can produce a quick answer, evolve over decades, or involve a lifetime of study, trial and error, and experimentation.  When we to do things in original ways we are expressing our everyday creativity (Richards, 2007).  The urge to express is biological, and research supports the concept of creative expression as a universally recognized human characteristic fueled by imagination (Dacey & Lennon, 1998; London, 1989; Rudowicz, 2003).  Researchers Ockuly & Richards (2012) investigated contemporary views of creativity by asking survey participants recruited using social media: “How do you define creativity?” 97% said something about creative process.  The words: ideas, expression, and imagination came up most often.  Many definitions submitted from study participants showed an evolutionary creativity focus.  A few samples follow:

“Creativity means absolute freedom. It is all about letting your mind swim in the oceans of what is possible.” Participant #95

“Creativity is making mistakes and finding something beautiful in them. It’s not about inventing the next gadget, or being the next fashion guru, but about seeing yourself as a leader of your imagination.” Participant #55

“Creativity is the fusion of imagination and spirit.” Participant #69

With heightened consciousness, comes awareness of connection.  May (1975) states: “By whatever name one calls it, genuine creativity is characterized by an intensity of awareness, a heightened consciousness,” (p. 44).  By claiming our creativity, we are empowered as co-creators to participate in creating positive change.  Laszlo (2012) reminds us: “Evolutionary leadership is a means for each one of us to understand that we have a role to play in the creation of a better world…”  What role will YOU play in the creation of a better world?  It is time to imagine positively inspiring solutions for the wicked problems (Kolko, 2013) facing this planet.

My definition for creativity is “imagining possibilities and making them real.”  The advantages of this definition are: it is short, easy to remember, it is about process, mentions imagination, and evokes action.

In ten words or less, what creativity definition do you suggest?

Here is a visual quote collection power point to share new evolutionary views of creativity. Your comments are greatly appreciated! Enjoy:  Evolutionary Creativity

Creativity Prompt:  I invite you to imagine exciting waves of positive change sweeping over the planet.  ”See” – in your mind’s eye – wonderful solutions to humanities most vexing problems.  What change would make you happiest right now?  Does it make the world safer or more friendly to every living thing?  If so, imagine the world with this change in place.  Our imaginations are like muscles. They need exercise to stay strong.  Many people misuse imagination by worrying.  Instead of the worst, imagine the best!

Here’s a great video about imagining. In the beginning  you’ll see what happens when people don’t practice imagining!  But stick with it. Once it gets going, you’ll get inspired:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1eIYZjzO7A

Sending you blessings and joy!

Marta Davidovich Ockuly
P.S. If you’d like the list of References used in this story, e-mail magicalmarta@aol.com and I’ll send it out to you.

Here I am...imagining positive change all over the planet.

Category: Change Leadership, Creative Expression, creative process, Creativity, creativity definition, Evolutionary Leadership, Imagination, Intuition, Take Action  One Comment
Jul
15

Fun Creative Inspiration

Blue toenail polish in honor of Dr. Mary Murdock

We all have the power to create!  Today’s first creative prompt is:  follow a child’s example. Invent a new world using markers and colored paper. Turn your handprint into a work of art. Make a book out of pictures you’ve torn out of magazines. Transform trash into a treasure. Take your imagination out for a ‘play date.’ Invent something fun and functional (like lizard sandals – my newest fashion statement!)  The only limits are in your mind…and I invite you to practice ignoring them;)

“When we live our life as art we make room for creativity, flow, connection, synchronicity, and magic.”
Heather Ash Amara

The 2011 International Children’s Art Festival held June 17-19th on The National Mall in Washington D.C. brought together children, parents, teachers and performers from around the globe to join in a transformational celebration of creativity. I was there presenting along with 9 other students from the International Center for Studies in Creativity - under the guidance of Dr. Cyndi Burnett. Together we created opportunities for children to exercise their creative spirits and play with possibilities. 

“Creativity is a characteristic given to all human beings at birth.”
Abraham Maslow

Witnessing spontaneous bursts of creative inspiration can be contageous!  A young girl named Dilnoza came half way around the world (look up Tajikistan on the map and you’ll see just how far she traveled to get to Washington DC) to share her talents at my table by creating the flower-filled lizard land shown above.  It was fun watching many new worlds being created out of the fertile imaginations of children from 2 to 12 who spoke different languages, yet shared a universal appreciation for different forms of creative expression. I noticed adults looking longingly at the art supplies – and in some cases – taking the markers out of their children’s hands and taking over the creative process. This is a big ‘creativity craving’ clue.  Adults: if you get the urge to take over/improve(?)/direct/guide a child’s art, it’s time to give yourself free access to the same supplies, as well as your own ‘creative play time.’  When children visited my presentation table, they were invited to select and ‘adopt’ a (rubber) lizard. Their creative ‘task’ was to create a ‘world’ the lizard would love to live in. It could take any form – from something on the moon or in the desert or anywhere in a child’s imagination. The most wonderful part was hearing the children’s ‘lizard land’ stories! Magical!  You ARE encouraged to try this at home!

                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                

“Moment after moment we are creating something, and this is the joy of our life.”
Shunryu Suzuki

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to play with your creativity?  ‘Everyday creativity’ researcher, Dr. Ruth Richards reminds us this type of creating is , “…one of the most powerful capacities we have, bringing us alive in each moment, affecting our health and well being, offering richness and alternatives in what we do, and helping us move further in our creative and personal development.”  (From Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature , 2007, page 25).

“The creative process includes exploring, experimenting, messing around with materials, being playful, entering into the unknown.”
Natalie Rogers

 
 
 

Marta's "Wish 2B Creative" Collage, 2011

Currently, my favorite forms of creative self-expression are collage, photography, and Latin dancing.  I also have a dream to create an Art Play House in Sarasota, Florida, based on the work of Shona Hammond Boys, an art educator/advocate extraordinaire who lives in New Zealand.  We connected at the International Children’s Art Festival and discovered we share a passion for promoting creativity worldwide. She showed an amazing video which I highly recommend viewing, which tells the story of the Opotiki, New Zealand Children’s Mural Project (and the coolest view of a whale tail as well as children catching big fish with their bare hands).  When  you have a half hour to get inspired, click the link above. About 15 minutes into the movie, Shona speaks to the dramatic, positive outcomes of this project. It is nothing less than transformational. To learn more about Shona’s Art Houses in New Zealand, visit: www.arthouse.org.nz . I love the simple truth of this child’s view of creativity. View the video by clicking here.

“One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other’s stories.”
Rebecca Falls

 

Fun creative inspiration comes from trying new things, playing with materials,being around children creating, and sharing stories. Creativity lessons are all round us. Listen for laughter. Follow your joy. Be curious and take some risks. It’s the recipe for making magical moments. The photo of my friend Carol (in blue) and I in front of a wrought iron re-creation of Cinderella’s carriage demonstrates the creative result of acting on inspiration. I saw the carriage and, like a couple of kids, we decided to sneak over and capture the moment, just for the fun of it!  Creativity prompt #2 is to do something just a little  bit daring (or ‘out of character’)…and take a picture! I recruited a ‘partner in crime’ to catch me in a few fun poses and discovered I enjoy being a ‘creative director’ in photo sessions!  Both photos were taken at The Art Center in Sarasota, Florida.  They have a great exhibit of scanned objects from nature which is jaw-droppingly beautiful which will be showing until the end of July. It’s a great place to visit!

I hope you enjoyed this ‘fun creative inspiration’ blog. As always, you’re invited to visit www.JoyofQuotes.com daily for positive, encouraging quotes and inspiration. We’ve added some new subject categories – including a page of quotes to use on Twitter. I’ll be adding ‘tweetable’ quotes weekly, so keep stopping by. You can also help support our website by clicking on the ads posted by our advertisers. Even if you don’t make a purchase, your click helps offset the costs of keeping our site up and growing.  Thanks, in advance, for your help! I also love hearing from visitors to this blog and hope you will feel inspired to share your comments. 

July is ‘birthday month’ for three of my very dear friends: Tamara on the 22nd, Carol on the 25th, and Janus on the 26th. I hope this is the year each of  your happiest dreams come true!
Thank you for all the ways you bless my life!  And if your birthday is in July, too, I wish you nothing but wonderfulness;)

With peace, joy and smiles….Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Photo Credit:  A special thank you to Tamara Williams who treated me to a fabulous photo session which resulted in many new ‘favorite photos’ – including this professional ‘head shot.’
She made it fun being photographed. If you are ever in Sarasota and need a wonderful photographer, Tamara comes highly recommended! E-mail: magicalmarta@aol.com for details.

Category: Creative Expression, Creativity, Creativity and Inspiration, Creativity Quotes, Fun, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Play  Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  2 Comments
Jun
13

Are creativity & empathy connected?

 

Research based on 14 years of Peace through Art and Healing Arts programs, has shown measurable development of empathy in all those connected with these creative efforts (Lancet medical journal, December 2006). People who ‘own’ their creativity are possibility thinkers. To them obstacles are opportunities. They have the courage it takes to act on ideas and think differently. High creatives are sensitive to feelings (their own and others) and can easily come to tears, but they also bravely stand up for what is right and refuse to be silent witnesses to suffering or inequity.  We all have the creative ability to look at situations through another person’s eyes or imagine life walking in another’s shoes.  Radical creativity is about joining hands and hearts with creators worldwide and fashioning a sustainable world where both creativity and empathy are seen as keys to a peaceful and flourishing planet. Are you ready to get involved? 

Creativity & Empathy Collage

“Creativity challenges the status quo.”
Ruth Richards

One of my greatest discoveries as a student at Buffalo State, was the work of Ruth Richards, M.D., PhD.  Earlier blogs sang the praises of  Everyday Creativity: Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Perspectives.  Now, I’m excited to share a link which lets you to see, hear and learn from my mentor.  Click here for your front row seat:  Age of Empathy? New Views of Health, Human Nature, and Relational Creativity is an informative talk by Dr. Ruth Richards, Harvard researcher, eminent creativity scholar, and professor of psychology at Saybrook University, which offers insights into the connections between creativity and empathy.  I invite you to view the video and share it with others who have an interest in both creativity and empathy’s roles in the survival of our species!  After viewing the video, the slide show and reference list can also be printed out.  I found the information about Darwin’s later works very illuminating. I encourage you to explore Edwin Rutsch’s site:  http://CultureofEmpathy.com . It’s a rich source of empathy quotes, projects, experts, empathy curriculum suggestions, and much more. You are also invited to be part of: http://www.facebook.com/EmpathyCenter

 If you are a parent or educator interested in building empathy in children, Ruth Richards recommends Growing up Global: Raising Children to be at Home with the World by Homa Sabet Tavanger (2009).  How do you encourage empathy in your family?  I’d love your feedback in the form of a comment on this blog or via e-mail: magicalmarta@aol.com

“The encouragement of creativity from an early age is one of the best guarantees of growth in a healthy environment self-esteem and mutual respect – critical ingredients for building a culture of peace.”
UNESCO

Empathy-building creativity in action can be witnessed June 17-19, 2011, from 4th Street to 7th Street of the National Mall in Washington DC (across from the U.S. Capital), the site of the 4th World Children’s Festival. If you live in the area – consider come see me. The event is free and the public is invited.  I will be presenting Saturday at 2pm during “Creativity + Imagination Day.”  A group of ten students and graduates of Buffalo State’s International Center for Studies in Creativity led by Dr. Cynthia Burnett, will be stimulating children’s inherent creativity and potential in playful, experiencial ways. We’ll be there Sunday (at 2pm again) to present creative workshops focused on building creative and healthy communities during “Peace + Leadership Day.” The festival is held in honor of nearly 1,000 Arts Olympiad winners from around the world, along with their teachers and parents. More than 200 artists, educators, engineers, entrepreneurs, Olympians, scientists, and technologists will host free workshops and creative activities.  This event is designed to, “…nurture children’s creativity and develop their empathy in a global setting…The festival is a transformative experience where creativity and co-creation become building blocks for innovation and positive social change which empowers the children to shape the future and change the world” (ICAF program).  I am so excited to be part of this amazing event.  Creativity, playfulness, joy and connections will be fully present…GUARANTEED!

“It’s a joy discovering so many creative spirits sharing their gifts with a hungry world.”
Marta Davidovich Ockuly

 As a very recent graduate with a Master’s of Science degree in Creativity, I’m thrilled to be discovering so many amazing applications of creativity by agents for positive change in our world.  Shortly after returning home to Sarasota, I noticed this inspiring sculpture in front of a home on the way to the beach.  I love the message (and the fact the person who put it up cares so much about inspiring others!)  Giving ourselves permission to make mistakes is powerful. What fear is blocking you?  Pretend it’s a dragon you’ve banished from your kingdom. You are a creative free spirit with a destiny. Imagine me waving a magical wand over your head and declaring: “The world is waiting for what you long to create. The sooner you start making mistakes JOYFULLY, the sooner you’ll make the discovery which leads to a life-changing discovery.”  Make this a time of creative action. Consider re-creating yourself as a compasionate activist.

Creativity Prompt:  What ’cause’ do you care about?  How might you begin playing with this possibility? Create a ’cause’ collage (better yet – host a ’cause collage’ party)!

10 New Quotes About Empathy

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy, we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.”
Meryl Streep

“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.”
Daniel Goleman

 ”Only by examining our personal biases can we truly grow as artists; only by cultivating empathy can we truly grow as people.”
Jen Knox

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not – and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation – in its’ arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”
J.K. Rowling

“To embrace suffering culminates in greater empathy, the capacity to feel what it is like for the other to suffer, which is the ground for unsentimental compassion and love.”  
Stephen Batchelor (Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist)

 ”I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.”
Roger Ebert

“If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.”
Frederick Buechner

“Help someone, you earn a friend. Help someone too much, you make an enemy.”
Erol Ozan

“We live in a culture that discourages empathy. A culture that too often tells us our principle goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained.”
Barack Obama

 “Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.  Instead of offering empathy, we often have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling.  Empathy, however, calls upon us to empty our mind and listen to others with our whole being.”
Marshall Rosenberg

Ann Paquin, creator of 'Gratitude Dancing'

This is a photo of my amazing friend Ann. She is the inspiration and creative spirit behind ‘Gratitude Dancing’ on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, FL.  I joyfully participated in her last session and it was a truly beautiful experience seeing friends and strangers dancing with joy.  Ann sets the scene by bringing a boom box (her own or borrowed), CD’s, a variety of colorful silk veils in adult and child-friendly sizes, and a small sign which invites everyone to take part in the fun.  It’s all about appreciation for the gift of  ’this moment’ and the healing benefits of moving our bodies to music in nature.  Veils are offered to people passing by. At first some people seem shy, but with a bit of encouragement they use the scarf to give their dancing spirit wings!  Men and women, boys and girls, elders and newlyweds, tourists and locals, jocks and self-professed ‘non-dancers’ connect with the primal urge to move with the music in a form of moving prayer to the angel of the present moment. Ann’s newest idea is to somehow help people make time in their busy days for a ‘dance break’ which can relieve stress while adding a dose of joy ‘in the moment’.  I told her my personal ‘dance break’ song is Waka Waka by Shakira. I simply cannot hear that song without getting up and dancing. What’s YOUR happy dance song?  Play it. To explore Ann’s creative ventures visit www.chezastara.com and www.facebook.com/gratitudedancer .  How can you use YOUR passion to bless the world?  It’s time to share our stories, build our creative tribes, and use our creativity to fuel empathy for a better world…gratefully.

“I want us to organize, to tell the personal stories that create empathy, which is the most revolutionary emotion.”
Gloria Steinem

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”
Oprah Winfrey

June is a month of very special celebrations. My website: www.JoyofQuotes.com will be 2 years old  June 18th!  Now we’re very close to hitting the “100,000 monthly visits” milestone thanks to positive, empowering quote lovers from around the world who choose this site for daily inspiration!  A big blessing goes out to every single person who has ever visited Joy of Quotes and recommended it to someone in need of encouragement, as well as my son who set up the site as a loving gift to his mom.  Thank you all for ‘getting inspired and passing it on!” 

June “Happy Birthday” wishes go out to Hanif, Miley, Ronni, Chepe, Stephan and Juliana.  May you all enjoy a year of great joy and amazing miracles.  Each of you are special blessings in my life!

With much love,


Marta Davidovich Ockuly, M. Sc.
(next step…PhD)

 

Category: Creativity, Creativity and Inspiration, Creativity and Joy, Creativity and Potential, Dance, Empathy, Encouragement, Gratitude, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Mistakes, Movement, New Quotes, Play, Possibilities, Potential, Take Action  Tags: , , , , , ,  2 Comments
Apr
14

How are you creative?

Your beautiful, creative brain!

“Creativity is for us all – it’s about you, me, and about everyday life. It is
about the abundant originality we manifest, and our flexible improvisations,
whether teaching a class, raising our kids, fixing the car, helping
a client, landscaping the yard, planning a benefit, or
trying to figure out why we’re on this earth.”
Ruth Richards, M.D., PhD, originator of the term ‘everyday creativity’ 

Imagine this…you are in a large auditorium and the speaker asks everyone in the audience who thinks he or she is creative to raise their hand. Would your hand go up or stay down?  Truthfully!  Do you ‘own’ your creativity? This blog has an important mission and that is to inspire you to enlighten anyone you ever hear declaring they are ‘not creative.’  In fact,  ”Are you creative?” is the ultimate ‘trick question.’  If you are alive and have a functioning brain, the only correct answer is “yes.”  Need more evidence?  Spend ten minutes taking our new HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? Quiz. Then explore the latest creative brain science explored in this blog. 

 

Shelley Carson, PhD, a Harvard researcher whose new book is titled Your Creative Brain, has this to say on the subject: “We are all creative. Creativity is the hallmark of human capacity that has allowed us to survive thus far. Our brains are wired to be creative, and the only thing stopping you from expressing the creativity that  is your birthright is your belief that there are creative people and uncreative people and that you fall in that second category.”  Once and for all we need to erase the old myth that creativity is something doled out to “the select few”. It is not just for artists, composers, rocket scientists, and other geniuses.  Our entire beautiful brain pulses with creativity.  You can create anything you can imagine – no matter who you are. The key is playing with ideas, being curious, and building up mastery the subject area(s) you find most intesting. Doing what you love is important to unlocking your creative potential, but simply learning new things, moving new ways, and stretching your creative muscles on a regular basis will deliver amazing results. 

 “You are in possession of one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, one that has virtually unlimited potential not only to change your life, but also to change your world.”
Shelley Carson 

 April 15th is Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday and the kick-off of World Creativity and Innovation Week .  In honor of creativity week, a committee of creative change leaders (including me) attending the International Center for Studies in Creativity are launching an international HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? campaign aimed at increasing every person on the planet’s awareness of their brain’s creative power. Will you join us?  Simply ask 5 people “How are you creative?” – have a creative conversation about the reality of everyday creativity – and then ask them to pass the information on the same way.  Encourage people to watch this wonderful video my friends Juliana, Erika, and Meagan created for our Current Issues class.  It’s all about ‘regular’ people talking about the importance of claiming their creativity.

“Most people see what is, and never see what can be.”
Albert Einstein
It’s time for people everywhere to know we can all be creative catalysts and agents for positive change. When people claim their creativity, they are empowered.  Awareness of creativity also opens up feelings of possibility.  Go public with your creativity between April 15th and 22nd.  Gather friends for creative play parties.  Everyone is invited to Grad House in Buffalo to attend our Creativity Week Collage Party Open House. E-mail me for details and directions: magicalmarta@aol.com Doing something as simple as using your non-dominant hand to hold your toothbrush will stimulate your creative brain!  Pick a fun-for-you-creative-project and just do it!  The point is to get creative!  Creativity is a great thing to share with your friends,  family, co-workers, and other people in your community.  Remember: playfulness pays big creative dividends, too!

Co-founder of Creativity Week & graduate of ICSC

 “Helping people to connect with their personal creative capacities is the surest way to release the best they have to offer.”
Sir Ken Robinson
 

  

 Creative Prompt #1:  Here’s the HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? word and idea cloud I created.  Read through it and find the phrases which inspire you most. Tweet those words, make up your own colorful ‘affirmation’ card, or use the words to inspire a new creation this week.  If you usually collage, write a poem.  If you are comfortable writing about ‘reality’ – jot down a fantasy.  

 

Creative Prompt #2:  Click the link to take our new  HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? Quiz.  There are just 10 questions.  Every ‘yes’ answer affirms your creativity. I challenge you to ask everyone you know if they are creative. If they answer ‘no’ or seem less than confident about their creative abilities, share this survey with them.  I’d love your feedback.  Send me a note about your results and/or experience and I’ll send you an autographed copy of the HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? word and idea cloud. 

 

Creative Prompt #3:  Looking at things differently. Many creative discoveries come from combining things in a new way.  The fish and the feather show above are a beautiful example.  This prompt suggests you take a discovery walk in nature and begin to imagine unusual combinations – maybe a flower bird or cloud candy.  Be sure to take along a small notebook or journal to capture your imaginings.  Use as many of your senses as you can during your walk – including balance. Your brain will love you for it! 

 

Have you heard Ken Robinson’s newest TED talk?  It’s a great introduction to his recently released, revised edition of  Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.  This book is literally calling for a creative education revolution – and it’s solidly founded on facts I believe most people will find astounding. Robinson offers evidence personalized education for every student is an investment rather than a cost.  He states,”The only way to raise overall standards is to engage the energies and imaginations of every student in the system.”  The book covers examples of this type of ‘radical innovation’ which is working miracles in pilot programs affecting thousands of students who use technology coupled with group work, collaborative projects and ’thinking’ time.  Standardized test scores are balanced with “…exhibits and demonstrations of achievement reflecting  real world evaluations and assessments that all of us face in our everyday lives,” (p. 258).  He does not suggest identical changes be imposed throughout the country. It’s up to each community to design a system which addresses their unique challenges. This book also has a strong creative leadership focus.  In his closing comments Robinson states, “To realize our true creative potential – in our organizations, in our schools and in our communities – we need to think differently about ourselves and to act differently towards each other. We must learn to be creative.”  To that I say ‘amen’! 

 

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
Albert Einstein
 
 
  
 
 
 
 

My creative spirit daughter Sarah. Photo credit: Marta Ockuly
“Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naïve at the same time… Creative individuals have a combination of playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
 
Creative Prompt #4:   Take yourself lightly. Pack a mini-picnic and pick up a package of sidewalk chalk first. Then go find a playground with a set of swings and set yourself in motion.  Make up a ‘swinging song’.  Here’s my attempt: Swing high, touch the sky, floating like a butterfly. (You need to sing this;)  Now it’s your turn!  Send me the words and I promise I’ll sing them back to you. Now take out the sidewalk chalk and make a ‘temporary mural’ or set of ‘silly signs’.  Use your imagination.  Invite some kids to play along.  Sing songs, run around, and fall down laughing.  If that isn’t enough to get your creative juices flowing, dip your hands in watercolor paint and leave hand prints on each tree you hug!  Journal your feelings the next morning.

 

I wish for you a crazy, fun, creative week of pulling out all your creative stops.  I hope you’ll also join our HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? crusade. It is truly time for every man, woman and child in the world to know, without a shadow of a doubt, they are creative.  Teaching creativity has the potential to change lives and our collective futures for the better. Let’ get started!

 

SPECIAL REQUEST:  If anyone reading this blog has insights into available grants or fellowships for a person pursuing a PhD in psychology and creativity (that would be me!) I’d greatly appreciate hearing from you.  I’ve started the application process and hope to be starting my PhD studies at Saybrook University this Fall.  If you are looking for a PhD with a humanistic and creativity focus – Saybrook offers a fantastic program!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s creative brain work out.  As our journey of creative exploration moves toward closure, is there a topic you wish I would cover?  Let me know.  I’m very grateful for your comments and feedback.  Don’t forget to visit www.JoyofQuotes.com when ever you need some positive inspiration or encouragement.  My hand-picked quote collection includes 200+ subject categories as well as a fun ‘inspire me’ button for those times you need instant inspiration.  Enjoy the warmer weather and signs of spring.  I often end my blogs with an image of me dancing. This time I’m sharing a photo of a frog who has taken up meditation (or maybe he just downed a ‘chill pill’).  Keep going with the creative flow….Marta Davidovich Ockuly
  

 P.S.  Sending out Happy Birthday wishes to my super creative, master’s project  ’sounding board partner’ Amy!  It is certainly fitting for you to be celebrating the anniversary of your arrival on earth during World Creativity and Innovation Week!  Sending you billions of blessings and your happiest dreams come true! 

 

 

Category: Brain, Creative Expression, Creative Play, Creativity, Creativity Book Reviews, Encouragement, Imagination, Inspiration, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Movement, New Quotes, Personal Growth, Play, Possibilities, Potential, Take Action, Uncategorized  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Apr
04

Explore the Intuitive Path to Creativity

“It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea.
I work with it and rely on it. It’s my partner.”
Jonas Salk

Last week I sent you out to play with your passions. This week I’m urging you to take a solo adventure leading into your deep, rich, creative potential. You’ll be guided exclusively by your intuition. Throw out the road maps (and any tendencies toward logic). Stay open to the possibilities (and intuitive promptings) and you’ll make some amazing discoveries!  All you need is a pen and a journal or notebook. Keep them with you at all times. You’ll need them to capture the intuitive clues, coincidences, and insights you discover.  

  

Before we get started, let’s cover the ground rules:
#1. Everyone is intuitive.
#2. Intuition is present at all times.
#3. There is no way NOT be intuitive. It shows up anytime you have a choice to make.
In Holistic Approaches to Creative Problem Solving class, Dr. Cyndi Burnett taught us a simple ‘check in’ system which looks at all questions through the lens of facts, feelings or hunches when we are collecting data, and head, heart, and gut for those times we’re narrowing down choices.  When it comes to creative actions this week – take every opportunity to follow your hunches (another name for intuitive prompts)! Just trust the process & take baby steps.

Guess what? I just had to share this fun intuitive gift I just received. Last night I felt a strong prompting to ‘google myself.’  It was an odd enought prompt to catch my attention so I followed it and continued through 11 pages until I saw something that caught my attention: a blog named “The Creative Edge” was inviting readers to check out my “intuitive path to creativity” (the blog you’re reading right now). The amazing thing is – the writer of the blog, Wayne Morris,  director of Future Edge Ltd – a consultancy “specializing in applying whole brain principles to leading, learning and creating…is in New Zealand. Isn’t that wild!  A creativity professional in New Zealand is promoting my blog in Buffalo. I find that so wonderful. Talk about creative connections.  And the cool gifts of following our intuition!  Now it’s your turn. What intuitive discoveries have you made today? If you’d like to take a peek at creativity in New Zealand – here’s the link: http://thecreative-edge.blogspot.com/

“It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.
Henri Poincare

 Photo caption: Here’s my terrific teacher, Dr. Cyndi Burnett (in the black & white top) with classmates in Holistic Approaches to CPS last semester. I’m the silly one wearing sandals! We joined hands and heads to create a ‘living mandala.’  

  “Intuition is a way of knowing about the world through insight and exercising one’s imagination.”
Valerie J. Janesick

Intuition is a very effective problem solving and creative action tool which can be used individually and in groups, personally and professionally. Dr. Valerie J. Janesick, professor, chair and doctoral program director in the Department of Educational Leadership and Organizational Change at Roosevelt University, explains intuition as: “…immediate apprehension or cognition”. She compares creativity and intuition to dancers who are so connected they move as one, and adds: “Intuition is connected to creativity, for intuition is the seed, so to speak, of the creative act.”

In the 2010 Cambridge Handbook of Creativity, creativity scholar Dr. Ruth Richards’ chapter titled: “Everyday Creativity: Process and Way of Life – Four Key Issues” states intuition is “…quick and global” and an “…alternate way of knowing” which plays a key role in the creative process.  Are you getting the idea intuition is real and important?  It most certainly is!

“Intuition is the supra-logic that cuts out all the routine processes of thought and leaps straight from the problem to the answer.”
Robert Graves

If you are interested in developing your intuition, you may find this DVD helpful. It teaches you how to feel the difference between impulse and intuition, includes an intuition in business segment, and shares tips for learning to trust it. Click here details.  Does the word ‘intuition’ bother you? If so, consider re-naming it: Muse.  A muse is a source of creative inspiration. You can ‘call in’ your muse or simply ask your muse for creative guidance. Award-winning writer, photographer and lecturer, Jan Phillips, wrote a wonderful book titled: Marry Your Muse: A Complete Course in Creative Expression. It’s all about “making a lasting commitment to your creativity.” My muse (Mr. Lizard) highly recommends it!

 

 Intuitive Prompt #1:  Let’s try a little experiment.  All you need is your journal or notebook and a pen. Take a minute to examine the collage below.  Write down the first thought which comes into your mind when you read these questions:   What did you notice first?  What did you notice next?  What did you like?  How does it relate to your life?  Ask yourself, “What’s the story here?” and write a sentance or two.

Did you get a strong insight or did you feel you were ‘making things up’? Either way – it was intuition at work.  Your brain picked up visual clues. Those clues triggered memories. The memories got projected into a story using your imagination. Every single word you wrote was triggered by an intuitive prompt. Congratulations!  You’ve just collected your first prize: an awakened imagination!


 “The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become.”
Gisele Bundchen

Intuitive prompt #2:  Do you haiku?  Haiku is a form of poetry from Japan which is only three lines long. The 1st line has 5 syllables, the 2nd line has 7, and the 3rd line has 5. You can use punctuation or not, capital letters or not. It’s all up to you! Let your intuition (and my poetry muse Sharon) guide you through the process of creating your first haiku.

a blank canvas awaits
edge of imagination
 artist paradise
 Sharon Pacione

Sharon Pacione is a dear friend and prolific poet who has written hundreds of haiku. I’ve picked a few of my personal favorites in hopes you’ll find both guidance and inspiration.  The beautiful image was taken by her talented daughter Andrea during a recent visit to the Atlantic-side of Florida. Thank you Sharon & Andrea for all the ways you share & care!

 

 a blank canvas awaits
edge of imagination
artist paradise
Sharon Pacione

 thoughts on paper dance
words feel at home in the heart
release to know more
Sharon Pacione

Intuitive prompt #3:  Take a mindfulness break with your journal and a pen at your side. Close your eyes. Relax. Think about a question you’d like to ask your intuition. Write the question in your journal. Now switch the pen over to your non-dominant hand and write the answer. Sometimes the answer will come into your awareness before you even finish writing the question. Other times you will get the impression of one word and then the next. Allow the experience to flow without judging. Repeat as often as you like.

 “For whereas the mind works in possibilities, the intuitions work in actualities, and what you intuitively desire, that is possible to you. Whereas what you mentally or “consciously” desire is nine times out of ten impossible; hitch your wagon to a star, or you will just stay where you are.”
D. H. Lawrence

 Intuitive prompt #4:  Plan an intuitive collage ‘play date’ with yourself.  Create a sacred space – light a candle, gather a few precious-to-you objects for inspiration, and meditate for a minute on an intention for your next collage. It may be one word, such as ‘hope’, or it could be something concerning a challenge you are facing. Record the words or impressions which come up for you and set them aside. Now quickly page through magazine and cut or tear out every image you find interesting. Do not worry how it will fit in your collage or how it pertains to your intention – simply harvest images until you have about 20. Now cut or trim each image and turn it upside down. When they are all done, close your eyes and let your intuition guide your selection of images. Now open your eyes and glue them in place. If there is an image ‘calling you’ from the unselected pile, feel free to use it. When the collage is complete, reflect on it with your intention in mind and record your impressions. Come back after a week and reflect again – see what new intuitive insights are revealed.

This is the door to my room at the Grad House at Buffalo State.  Anything can be a collage!  I’m starting to get nostalgic because my Master’s program will be complete in just 39 days! It’s hard to imagine but I’ve been here in Buffalo nearly a year.  By mid-May I’ll be heading South to my sweet sacred space in Sarasota, Florida.  My intuition led me there and I’ve never regretted it for a moment!

 “It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.
Henri Poincare

How’s that for lots of intuitive homework?  I hope you make time this week to try out a few of the prompts. At the very least, consider journaling your intuitive insights and experiences. Just writing about them can trigger answers to important questions. If you have a tough issue you feel blocked about, use non-dominant hand writing in your journal and see what comes up. Your intuition has gifts to deliver, but it needs you to be open to receive. I’d love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to share them in the comments section or e-mail me directly: magicalmarta@aol.com  

 “Intuition isn’t the enemy, but the ally, of reason.”
John Kord Lagemann

 I wish you a joyful journey this week – filled with unexpected delights and intuitive insights! Thanks for visiting this blog. Come back as often as you like. Consider this an open-access creative tribe. Come here when you want encouragement and inspiration.  Take what you like and then pass it on!

 

 Your intuitive creativity catalyst and Chief Inspiration Officer ,
Marta Davidovich Ockuly

 P.S.  Just barely belated birthday wishes go out to both Sharon Pacione (March 31st) and Dr. Ruth Richards who celebrated her special day April 3rd.  Here’s hoping all your happiest dreams come true!

  

Looking for positive inspiration, coaching and encouragement.
It’s available 24/7 at:
www.JoyofQuotes.com

 

Get inspired…pass it on!

Category: Coincidences, Creativity, Imagination, Insights, Inspiration, Intuition, Intuition Quotes, Journaling, Muse, Possibilities, Potential, Promptings, Take Action  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
Oct
18

Exercise your Joy Muscles

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
~Mary Oliver

Have you been exercising your joy muscles? Can you name ten ‘joy things’ you do on a regular basis? Would you like to attract more joy in your life right now? All you need to do is start taking some baby steps. more »

Category: Imagination, Imagination Quotes, Journaling, Joy, Joy Quotes, Passion, Play, Take Action  Tags: , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment