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Apr

Teaching Creativity Creatively

“Everyone has huge creative capacities. The challenge is to develop them. A culture of creativity has to involve everybody, not just a select few.”
Sir Ken Robinson

Happy Spring everyone! This week’s blog is dedicated to every person who recognizes the importance of nurturing, inspiring, and encouraging creativity. Our 10-week journey into unlocking creative potential and the expressive path to personal growth ends – officially – with the next post. The time has come for me to gather feedback. Over the past two months I’ve shared my creative process so that you could follow along. Now it’s time for you to grade my efforts. Have these posts inspired you? Did I encourage you to believe in your creative potential? Did I nurture your confidence to try? Did you follow any prompts? Did you try something new? Did you connect with an old or new joy? Please e-mail your evaluation of my effectiveness to: magicalmarta@aol.com Thanks for your help!

Cricket Creativity

“In today’s rapidly changing world, people must continually come up with creative solutions to unexpected problems. Success is based not only on what you know or how much we know, but on your ability to think and act creatively. In short, we are now living in the Creative Society.”
Mitchel Resnick, MIT

Something I found very amazing about publicly sharing my creative process and products is how much acceptance I felt. It turns out the world IS a safe place to share our creative experiments. I have also noticed each topic I feel inspired to research, shows up in my in-box five minutes later. Is this intention, intuition, or just magic? Whatever it is, this morning, right after thinking I wanted to find a scholarly study on creative ideas and inspiration, I discovered the work of Mitchel Resnick, Research Group Leader at the MIT Media Lab. Google “Sowing Seeds for a More Creative Society” and print out a PDF copy for free. You can also access the work through Learning and Leading with Technology, 2007, http://www.media.mit.edu/ . This article introduces a ‘creative thinking spiral’ which tracks the process in a beautifully simple way. First – people imagine what they would like to do, next – they create a project based on their ideas, then they play with their creations and share their ideas and creations with others. In the final step they reflect on their experiences and then imagining starts the process over again. This process works well with children and adults. The report also cites exciting examples of creative learning inspired by Cricket and Scratch technology. Sound interesting? Explore the possibilities!

TLC: Cool 'Creators' School

My next discovery was a blog from 2008 about Teaching Creativity with TLC. TLC stands for The Learning Connection, a school for creators (no matter what road they take in life) located in Wellington, New Zealand. I so love the idea of “a school for creators” – aren’t we ALL creators? Of course we are! This school is the creation of Jonathan Milne. His wife, Alice Wilson Milne, is the school’s administrative genius. Together they’ve built a school which teaches art in a way which grows entrepreneurs who have learned creative strategies through their art which can serve them in other life endeavors. They reach out to individuals beyond the arts with an interest in enhancing their inventive and entrepreneurial know-how and use a pioneering approach to teaching which puts self-choice learning in the driver’s seat. I just purchased Milne’s book: Go! The Art of Change. Visit The Learning Connection’s website: http://www.tlc.ac.nz/ to read about the miracle ‘success stories’ this school has stimulated. I am in awe of the many creative gifts of communication, collaboration, and connection offered by the internet. I feel so blessed to be sharing this information within seconds of discovering it. We truly live in an amazing creative age.

Last week talked about our creative brains and started HOW ARE YOU CREATIVE? conversations with people as part of World Creativity and Innovation Week. Did you make any interesting (creative) discoveries or take part in any creative events? I participated in a Creativity Week dance party in Dr. Cyndi Burnett’s office (disco ball and all!). Dr. Burnett set things up so that people she’d invited from all over the world could dance along with us via Skype. A great time was had by all! Dr. Burnett has been mentioned in previous posts. She is one of a handful of professors who have made my experience at ICSC (International Center for Studies in Creativity) at Buffalo State College extraordinary!

Showing off our Creativity Week collages!

I’m happy to share photos from the World Creativity Week Grad House Collage Party Open House, Wednesday, April 20^th. Our visitors included a visiting professor from Taiwan, students from Colombia, Italy, Korea, China, India, and an assortment of creatives from the United States. If you decide to have your own collage party – all you need is magazines, glue sticks, scissors, poster board or scrapbook sheets to use as backings. Let people know collages are optional. It’s more about exploring your interests and taking time for creative play.

My parting gift to you today is an inspiring collection of 100 Creativity & Teaching quotes. Just scroll past the end of this blog and you’ll come to it. If you feel this information is valuable – please share it via Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail. I really appreciate it!

New links in the Grad House creativity chain.

Create a beautiful week!

Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Apr

How are you creative?

marta

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!

Apr

Explore the Intuitive Path to Creativity

marta

“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 2^nd line has 7, and the 3^rd 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 3^rd. 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!

Mar

Creativity & Passion Play Well Together

marta

“It’s hard for many to imagine, but having fun, feeding your passions, and engaging your talents are simple steps that will take you to the bigger answers you seek.”
Jonathan H. Ellerby

It’s time to turn your old ideas around passion and playfulness upside down! Exploring your creative passions leads you straight to your purpose. Finding what Sir Ken Robinson calls ‘the element’ is also the quickest path to joy in life. If you didn’t get the memo – pay attention to this message: Life is NOT something to be taken seriously. We were put on this earth to make a positive difference while doing what we love. Happiness is not frivolous – it is a path to peace. One caution: passion is not indulgence. It is harmless (to ourselves and others). Play with it. What you create will positively change the world!

Who are you? What makes you curious? What do you find fun? How would you most like to play all day? If you were free to do anything, what would you do? The answers to these questions will provide you with ‘passion clues.’ They are parts of the million-piece-puzzle known as YOU. My personal passion profile includes: traveling, teaching, coaching, inspiring, sharing and caring, making a difference, reading, researching, learning, and activating creative potential with joy. My favorite ways to play range from playing classic solitaire on-line, Scrabble in real life, Latin dancing or doing Zumba, and, of course, creating collages, books and doing my thing on Twitter. A big part of my joy comes from just walking in nature. If there is a beach, park or nature trail around – you’ll find me there! Why is it important to know these things about myself – because they all offer clues to my most meaningful work. My passion for inspiring and sharing positive quotes led to creating www.JoyofQuotes.com website. This website shares my voice with the world. The feedback I get and the growing numbers of visitors to the site offer dramatic testimony to the power of passion. It thrills me to know people are being encouraged and inspired by the words I’ve gathered. My life feels meaningful because of it – and I am also empowered to extend my love of sharing and caring in other ways – such as this blog. Living your passion does not have to be complicated. It does not mean you must quit your ‘day job’ or give up your family responsibilites, it simply means you make room for it in your life. Right now you have everything you need to start taking baby steps in the direction of what you love. In your heart you probably have an idea of what this is for you. Give yourself that gift. The world is waiting for you!

Ok. We started this post with snow, but Spring has sprung and here’s the evidence – my friend Ann invites us all to come gratitude dancing at Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida. She is doing what she loves and all the world benefits! Watch the video and feel the joy, passion, creativity, and playfulness of putting up a sign and bringing colorful silk scarves to the beach. It’s magic! Let’s all start dancing with our passions in new ways. Ann is the dancing goddess in the straw hat. If you’re interested in participating in a Creative Playshop in Sarasota (complete with a gratitude dancing experience) let me know and I’ll set it up!

Lucky you! It’s Spring Break & you’re just one click away from dancing on the beach!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frRvJ-1Hc-k
Now anytime you need a dance break, just come back to this blog!

“ When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible. ”
Nancy Coey

I’ve mentioned this book before, but there really is no better book on the market about the power of passion for good than The Element by Sir Ken Robinson. If you missed my book review, click this link: http://tiny.ly/yGs8 Now it’s time to play with possibilities. Keven Carroll http://kevincarrollkatalyst.com Has written many books, but the one I’m calling your attention to today is titled: The Red Rubber Ball at Work. Jenna Smith, one of my super passionate peers in the Buffalo State Creative Studies department http://www.buffalostate.edu/creativity/ wrote a great book review. Please check it out at http://tiny.ly/xlmp . All through the book, Keven shares stories about children’s preferred ways of playing led them to amazing careers expressing their unique passions.

“The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which; he simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.
To him he is always doing both.”
Buddha

Creativity Prompt #1: Think back to your childhood and jot down your favorite ways to play. What did you enjoy doing most? Did you prefer inside or outside play? Did you like building things? Or taking things apart? Or creating imaginary worlds? Make a list as long as you can of your happiest memories. Write them out longhand. The act of writing will trigger more information to come up for you. When you feel you have it all on paper, look for patterns. Are you doing similar work? Do those activities still stimulate interest? Are there some playful actions from list you’ll like to experience again. Pencil ‘play time’ into your schedule and do it. Take toys to the office if that makes it easier. Playing promises to stimulate both your brain and your creativity. Have fun with it!

“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes in the world come about. So be that person.”
Buckminster Fuller

We are all brilliant in different ways. Learning your strengths will help identify areas of potential passion for you, too. Which of these intelligences fit you? Musical (music smart), Bodily-Kinesthetic (body smart),
Logical-Mathematical (number smart), Linguistic (word smart), Spatial (picture smart), Interpersonal (people smart), Intrapersonal (smart about myself), Naturalist (nature smart), Existential (‘big questions’ smart). Visit http://tiny.ly/YW7T to complete a fun questionnaire and generate your own colorful intelligence/preference chart. Howard Gardner www.howardgardner.com developed the theory of multiple intelligences and his books and web site are well worth exploring. You can also Google multiple intelligences and find good information.

Creativity Prompt #2: Consider recording your intelligence preferences to your journal and writing about their potential, or create a whole collage around your intelligence chart (print it out at www.bgfl.org) and surround it with images showing the ways you’d most like to explore your preferences.

“If God came in and said, I want you to be happy for the rest of your life, what would you do?”
Bernie Siegel

Creativity Prompt#3: Scrabble story challenge. These are all the words I pulled together on my Scrabble board. Your task is to write a short story, song or poem using all 26 words (and a few extra if needed). Please keep it to 100 words or less…total! Here’s the word list: passion, potential, preference, freedom, fun, play, create, gain, see, be, serve, give, idea, yes, ball, jigsaws, prison, what, why, how, too, brain, tao, odd, how, mind.

“ There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
Martha Graham

Set yourself free! I read an interesting blog this morning which starts with a powerful quote about the role of passion in creative leadership. It’s also full of insights into the importance of having a mission, and making a commitment to creativity. Powerful stuff! http://t.co/lAPZ6jS Read the article and ask yourself: Have I put myself in a cage? In what ways do I consider myself ‘not free’ to create?

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”
Rumi

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog about creativity and passion and playfulness. It certainly feels more fun than last week’s topic of failure. I must admit to you I experienced some failure feedback from the Universe after that posting! It all worked out in magical ways, but it reminded me to remind you – failure does NOT feel good when it’s happening. Sure – there will be learnings down the road – but in the moment they are pretty difficult to appreciate. So my wish for you this week is for heaps of happy consequences from digging into the topic of passion and play. Thanks for visiting!

Marta Davidovich Ockuly
Passionate Creativity Catalyst

P.S. Don’t just take my word for it. Click the golden link below to hear Tom Kelley of IDEO sharing the importance of doing what you love!
Tom Kelley, IDEO Do What You Love » Wisepreneur: Creativity & Innovation for Entrepreneurs

Mar

Failure leads to creative success!

marta

“Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you are doing. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover will be yourself.”
Alan Alda

This week we are going to practice making mistakes. Our goals are to take wild leaps of faith and to make friends with failure. Why? Because when we’re afraid to try, our creative potential (and joy) begin to dry up. It’s Spring – the season of new growth, planting seeds of possibility, and beautiful beginnings. While Robert H. Schuller’s question is thought provoking, I’m wondering, “What would you create if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Here’s the secret: every creative act leads to an opening or awareness. The only way to truly fail – is not to try. The two collages I created this week look at my personal failures to meet self-imposed expectations related to getting my books published and releasing unhealthy eating patterns. I am choosing to see these ‘creative roads not yet taken’ as ‘feedback.’

“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.”
Agnes de Mille

Earlier in this journey we gave ourselves permission to create. Today we will extend ourselves unlimited permission to fail, flop, screw up (or whatever your name is for not meeting expectations). If this idea seems counter-productive to creativity – let me assure you the opposite is true. Keep in mind: “An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” Edwin Land

“When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.”
Cynthia Heimel

Let’s start with BEAUTIFUL OOPS by Barney Saltzberg. This boldly creative and engaging book was brought to my attention by Dr. Cyndi Burnett, my professor and Master’s Project advisor at ICSC/Buffalo State. You’ll find it in the children’s section, but I promise it will speak directly to your inner child. It goes beyond teaching the futility of perfection and opens the door to embracing imperfection. It is absolutely freeing! Think of some creative project you’ve wanted to try. Sign up for a class or gather the most basic supplies and do it. Perfection is never instant. Thomas Edison tried (and failed) nearly 10,000 times in his quest to invent the light bulb. He considered every ‘failure’ research because it gave him data on what did not work. The fact he kept trying led to his success. In truth – you cannot fail unless you give up.

“Thomas Edison tried 10,000 different materials before finding one that was suitable to serve as a light bulb filament. So if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. We need to set up a system where risk is rewarded. One where we recognize that failure helps us to increase our creativity. Nothing risked is nothing gained.”
Beth Flynn

Creative Prompt #1: Ask yourself, “If I didn’t have to do it perfectly, I would try ____________ (fill in the blank with the first ideas which come to mind). Now read over this list and see if it spurs more ideas: stand-up comedy, learn a language, take an acting class, learn to shoot video, read your poetry in public, take a sailing lesson, write a short story, learn to tango. This prompt comes from Julia Cameron’s the ARTIST’S WAY: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self, first published in 1992. This timeless classic is filled with ways to connect with your creative potential through daily journal writing, prompts, and play dates. Explore some thrift stores to find a bargain-priced copy. If you’re looking for a local creative tribe, see if anyone is facilitating an Artist’s Way Study Group. Your personal process will be enhanced in a group setting.

“One sure-fire way to stay creative: force yourself to learn something new.”
Harvey Mackay

Creative Prompt #2: Celebrate your mistakes. Think about mistakes you’ve made in the past which turned out to be blessings. Practice looking at mistakes as stepping stones bringing you closer to your desired result. This prompt comes from the CREATIVE LICENSE: Giving Yourself Permission to be the Artist you Truly Are by Danny Gregory (2006). Gregory’s book is literally about using visual journaling and drawing to make creativity a daily habit. I love his one-page chapters on mistakes and drawing badly. He makes it clear flaws are part of what makes your work wonderful.

“Dare to be wrong and to dream.”
Friedrich von Schiller

Creative Prompt #3: Name and claim your biggest, happiest creative dream. Do in in spite of your fear of possible failure. Remember fear is false evidence appearing real. This prompt comes from SARK’s MAKE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS REAL book (2006). She calls it a “plan for procrastinators, perfectionists, busy people, and people who would really rather sleep all day.” Any book by SARK will set your creative spirit free.

“Don’t be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. That’s where the joy and the adventure lie.”
Herbie Hancock

This week I failed to get my blog done on Sunday or Monday. So what? I can give myself permission to do what works. I also failed to attend 5 Zumba classes this past week. I had a weekend class which prevented me from meeting my goal – but it is important to keep in mind – goals are guidelines. We need to keep our priorities in mind and do what leads us to our most importation dreams daily. My biggest dream is graduating with my Master’s degree in May. That deadline means other dreams might need to get put on hold. Being flexible is part of being creative. Stretch yourself this week. Make friends with your perceived failures and look at ways you can use them to keep you moving in the direction of your dreams! Enjoy it all and if you need inspiration or encouragement during the week, visit www.JoyofQuotes.com and check out the quotes and coaching in the Risk, Courage, Beginning, Mistake, Fear, and Failure subject categories.

Can you believe we are half way through our 10-week journey? I greatly appreciate your participation and interest. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of creative discoveries and happy accidents! All comments and suggestions are blessed and encouraged. I’d love to hear about your creative experiences and insights. Have you been inspired to try something new?

Marta Davidovich Ockuly

P.S. I am grateful to Dr. Ruth Richards and Dr. Cyndi Burnett for all they ways they contributed to my successful ‘Scholar Experience” this past weekend. The images show Dr. Burnett and I posing in front of an ‘idea’ poster, and the collage covered binder I created to showcase Dr. Richard’s work. Now that I’m almost finished with my Master’s degree my sights are on earning a PhD at Saybrook University. Yea for creative challenges!!!

“Life is a daring adventure or nothing.”
Helen Keller

P.S.S. Here’s the lady responsible for shaking up my creativity and stimulating sweaty smiles. Thank you Tammy for being my Zumba motivator and for sharing your comments on this blog, too! (Yes – that’s me in the yellow top taking the photo!)

Category: Beginnings, Creativity, Encouragement, Failure, Fear, Inspiration, Journaling, Life, Mistakes, Personal Growth, Potential, Risk, Success, Take Action Tags: collage, creativity, encouragement, failure, fear, inspiration, journaling, personal growth, potential, quotes, risk, success 2 Comments

Mar

Joy and Creativity

marta

Welcome! This week we’re turning our focus from creativity and mindfulness, to joy and creativity.

Let’s talk a bit about the nature of joy. Psychiatry professor George Vallant reminds us, “We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy…Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy in reunion…without the pain of captivity, we don’t experience the joy of freedom.” Happiness is cognitive (a state of mind), where as joy is affective (an emotion). Joy is the least studied of all the emotions – but that is changing with better technology and being able to look more specifically at brain function. While happiness is not joy – often we can use happiness clues to lead us to our joys. Happiness is a choice we make. Joy appears when we are deeply moved or when we accomplish something deeply meaningful or fulfill our natures as human beings. Humanistic psychologist and classic creativity theorist Rollo May’s writings link the concepts of joy, creativity, and human potential with anxiety. Joy almost always shows up when we’ve overcome a challenge or worked hard to make a discovery or create something original. None of those things are easy – even when certain people feel they have ‘a gift’ – it does not bear fruit unless the ground is plowed and the seeds are planted and tended for a long, long time. Does this mean joy is out of reach for most of us? Absolutely not. In fact, doing something very simple – daily – can turn you into a virtual joy magnet. It required making joy and creative action a priority. You must also be willing to take baby steps in the direction of what you love – a dream, a project, something you’ve always felt a desire to do. By giving yourself as little as 10 minutes a day indulging in some ‘positive pretending’ and small actions you can see joyful syncronicities showing up where you least expected them. A link will be provided later in this post to walk you through the process if you so desire.

“Joy, rather than happiness, is the goal of life, for joy is the emotion which accompanies our fulfilling our natures as human beings.
It is based on the experience of one’s identity as being of worth and dignity.”
Rollo May

Have you been practicing mindfulness for 15 minutes a day? Are you seeing some benefits from journaling? I’d love to hear about your experiences. For me, mindfulness plus movement triggered great creative results. Keep that in mind as you begin to explore your joys and use them to direct your creative play activities for the week ahead. Given the disaster of the earthquake and resulting trauma in Japan – we are reminded to be grateful for this moment and the blessings surrounding us – seen and unseen. In times of emergency – we reach out to help others in our global family. Life is precious precisely because there are no guarantees. No one is promised a tomorrow. We have an obligation to ourselves and the world to use each day to the fullest doing what matters most to us. Joy and gratitude always appear together. It is simply impossible to feel waves of joy without being drenched in gratitude. I invite you to reflect on what you may be taking for granted in your life right now. Then as part of your creative actions for the coming week – reach out and make a positive difference in your world. By sharing a smile, a hug, a hand written letter, or a compliment or encouragement – you will open doors to your own potential.

“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only
this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake.”
Marie Beyon Ray

What does love have to do with it? Decades of research led E. Paul Torrance, the man many call the father of creativity, to conclude: “One of the most powerful wellsprings of creative energy, outstanding accomplishment, and self-fulfillment seems to be falling in love with something – your dreams, your image of the future.” Harvard researcher Theresa M. Amabile’s studies also show: “The best way to help people to maximize their creative potential to to allow them to do something they love.” So what is your creative dream? What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Part of the reason you are on this planet right now is to pursue that passion. The dream and the dreamer are always matched. You would not have your particular dream if you did not have the means – right now – to begin walking in that direction. This is not to say the dream will turn out exactly as you imagined, but I will assure you it will lead you to the place you need to be to find joy and meaning in your life.

Did you know dancing with joy literally builds new brain cells?

Biologist Carla Hannaford, PhD, reports:
”Self-initiated movement, exploration, interaction and physical experience for the joy and challenge of it, facilitates neurogenesis (nerve growth) for a lifetime.”

In her fascinating book, Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All in Your Head, Hannaford makes it clear new brain cells (neural connections) can ONLY be grown if we’re totally focused on (and enthused about) an activity. What makes us most excited? JOY! Creative projects offer a great mix of challenge and joy. If an idea gives you lots of energy – it has the potential to bring you joy. What are you inspired to try?

Can you tell me 10 activities which bring you joy? Before getting out of bed in the morning, spend 10 minutes thinking about what brings you deep joy. If you’ve never made a joy mandala, check out this link: ActivateJoyPower . Many people find this technique transformational. With a little practice, you can move joy into your ‘top of the mind awareness’. When that happens you’ll begin attracting more and more joy. My life is filled with joy because I use it as my GPS in life. My current ‘top ten’ creative joys are: 1. Zumba classes 2. Nature walks 3. Journaling 4. Making collages 5. Reading & researching 6. Being a creativity catalyst 7. Finding great quotes 8. Creating and sharing inspiring ‘tweets’ on Twitter 9. Taking a trip to Ukraine with my kids 10. Latin music & dancing.

I’m happy to report I had my most creatively productive week since starting this project. I give the credit to my joyful Zumba instructor, Tammy Davis, at Terries Workout Center in Buffalo, NY. Her classes are sing-out-loud fun and energizing. I love the results so much I’ve decided to commit to doing 40 Zumba classes (5x a week) between now and May! If Zumba is too big of a stretch for you – commit to taking daily walks or swimming laps. It doesn’t matter what you do – as long as it makes you smile and fills you with energy.

In addition to making more art, I experimented with different processes. Normally, I create my collages inside my journal, but this time I painted a canvas board hot pink and used it as my ‘joy collage’ base. How many of my joys can you find? After completing my ‘joy collage painting’ – I painted facing pages inside my journal and then collaged them, too!

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

Creative Prompt #1: Think about what brings you joy and start a joy list in your journal. Spend the next few days looking for small ways to experience your ‘joys’. You’ll get extra brain cells for trying something new. What creative project have you been wanting to do? What’s stopping you?

“What if imagination and art are not frosting at all, but the fountainhead of human experience?”
Rollo May

I was inspired to combine oil pastels, paint, and collage elements to this piece. A friend e-mailed this beautiful quote and print by visionary artist Gordon Wood. His piece is called “Birth of Awe”. Visiting his site was a joyful experience for me. The background is a ‘scribble drawing’ I did in the dark with the oil pastels. It was a fun experience. Ihighly recommend it if you are stuck in ‘critical mode’. Closing your eyes, reaching for colors blindly, and drawing out emotions can be incredibly freeing. I did it a month ago. It’s just been sitting and waiting for me to get the inspiration to finish it. Last night – I worked madly until nearly 5am to finish all six art projects and this blog. This burst of creativity came from all the connections I’ve been making. Reading books, coloring, clipping images, dancing, taking walks, doing things outside my comfort zone, and most of all – letting all those elements blend in the big creative cooking pot called ‘incubatation.’ Inspiration comes from working at something daily – not waiting for the muse to move you. Just do something – then relax. Practice mindfulness, be silly and playful. And get over your ‘old stories’ which sound like “…nothing sounds fun to me” or “I can’t do that” or “I don’t have time”. Those are all just excuses. Change your thoughts, take action, change your world!

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody by oneself.”
Virginia Woolf

I created this ‘positive self-image’ collage to help me visualize my new mantra: NOW to WOW! It was triggered by insights I picked up from Chip and Dan Heath’s book Switch (I reviewed it in last weeks’ blog). Their ‘form an instant habit’ prompts are working for me. A second book which also influenced me this week was the 365 A Daily Creativity Journal. I’ve been thinking about something fun I’d like to do for a year – and Zumba came up as my answer. As mentioned earlier – I’m going to try 40 classes in 2 months first – if it’s still joyful I’ll commit to the ‘long haul.’ What’s really exciting about all these insights and art projects is this: the mindfulness and movement combination is working like magic. I set an intention to unlock my creative potential and stimulate personal growth and I’m really experiencing the results. Just a month into the process, I’m genuinely excited about the possibilities.

The next image shows all the creative projects I was inspired to complete this week. It’s alot!!!! I’m happy I broke through my resistance to using acrylics and watercolor paints. I also played with Mod Podge and a variety of brushes. I let go of criticism and simply played with possibilities.

This is a crazy amount of creative expression isn’t it??? I tripled my usual output. If you are really ready to break through blocks and get into the creative ‘flow’ – try movement and mindfulness – with a dash of joy. There is no way I’d do any exercise class daily (for love nor money). But joy makes it a fun thing so it’s a double win. Your job this week is to find what turns you on in terms of creative, joyful actions. Experiment. Play. Pay attention to your energy. All this information will point you in the direction you need to go.

Creative Prompt #2: Play with paints – buy a tube of white acrylic and another color that feels joyful (I picked magenta and bronze). Now flip through magazines, keeping your eyes open for images and words which catch your attention. Tear them out and keep them in a big envelope until you have enough to create a collage. Think about adding in collage ‘scraps’ – things like receipts, ticket stubs, or ideas scribbled on bits of paper make interesting additions. You can even Google a topic and find images to use – simply right click on an image, and do ‘save as’. Stretch yourself. There is no one grading you on your work. Just make a personal statement.

“Even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done. Learning for its own sake is rewarding.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Creative Prompt #3: Basic – buy a coloring book (they have a great selection at Target starting at just $1!) Coloring will get you relaxed. It’s a non-threatening way to get your feel in the creative waters. Color mindfully. Have fun with it! Advanced – create a coloring book. Sit for a few minutes in silence, or take a 15 minute discovery walk and jot down ideas which pop up, and start drawing. A good book for drawing prompts is: The Confident Creative…Drawing to Free the Hand and Mind by Cat Bennett. Cat suggests starting an artist’s sketchbook as a way of documenting your journey into deeper creativity. If you are interested in this topic, it’s a book worth having.

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
Henri Nouwen

This is my first watercolor in ages. I played with colors and swirls and then decided to place my new ‘creativity button prototype’ in the center. It’s very much simpler (less cluttered) than my usual collages. I used a mat board backing which ended up warping a bit. Oh well. It’s not my favorite – but this blog is my record of all the pieces I produce week to week – so here it is!

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.”
Carol Welch

My dear friend Ann (shown below) developed a practice she calls ‘gratitude dancing.’ She dances her joy on Siesta Key beach in Sarasota, Florida, to the delight of passers by. Her creative actions have stimulated wonderful ideas and connections. If you’d like to give spontaneous dancing a try – this Friday, March 18th at noon is the perfect time! It just happens to be global: ’Dance Anywhere You Are’ day. For details visit: www.danceanywhere.org

“True joy is that which gives us more energy and makes us feel more alive.”
Robert Puryear

I am thinking of creating a pin with this message. What do you think? Do you prefer this message or the one which asks “What did you create today?” Your feedback is important to me. Please leave a comment. I got my new FLIP camera, but can’t get it to work, so hopefully I’ll be able to debut a video next week. I also want to report my Arthur Murray (dreaded) dance lesson was actually fantastically fun! Thank you Myron – my cha-cha master at the Buffalo Arthur Murray Studio on Bailley. Our hour together was pure pleasure. I appreciate your patience and your affirming comments about my ‘club style’ dancing abilities. Yea!

If you’d like to share art you’ve created on this blog, send it to magicalmarta@aol.com Visit www.JoyofQuotes.com for our complete selection of creativity, risk, courage, and self-expression quotes. The world is waiting for your unique contribution – that’s why it’s important to find your joy! Create a wonderful week!

Marta Davidovich Ockuly
(Dancing with joy!)

Category: Brain, Creativity, Creativity Quotes, Dance, Journaling, Joy, Joy Quotes, Life, Mindfulness, Movement, Personal Growth, Play, Potential, Take Action Tags: art, brain, collage, creativity, creativity quotes, dance, joy, joy quotes, mandala, mindfulness, movement, painting, personal growth, potential 5 Comments

Feb

It’s creative play day!

marta

“Our everyday creativity is not only good for us but it’s also 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.”
Dr. Ruth Richards, Everyday Creativity

The guiding principles behind this journey we are undertaking are deep and profound. They are grounded in scientific research and theory which spans decades. A New York Times article from the ’80 attributes the term ‘everyday creativity’ to Dr. Ruth Richards, my mentor and favorite creativity scholar, and her colleagues at Harvard Medical School. Here’s what she says about this topic: “It’s strange – many people still think creativity is largely about making art, and is much more relevant to famous people than the rest of us. Not so!” Dr. Richards wants us all to understand the idea of “originality in everyday life” is about seeing what may seem ordinary as extraordinary – be it creating a dinner from leftovers, to making up songs or stories for our little ones, orchestrating a cross country move, or planning a fund raising event for a cause dear to us. If we are breathing, we’re creative. It is, in fact, an essential life and survival skill. Got it?

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.”
Abraham Maslow

Play Prompt #1: Now repeat after me: I AM creative! Louder: I AM CREATIVE. Now sing it: I am creative…la la la.. Now make up a few more lines to this song… (have fun with this). There – I’ve eased you into Play Prompt #1 for today. Write a song or poem or even a button/badge which declares: I AM CREATIVE…YOU ARE CREATIVE…WE ALL ARE CREATIVE! Now – while you’re stretching your creative muscles – please know you are building your brain cells and new neural pathways. Doing anything different from your routine stimulates brain growth. How’s that for a happy consequence? (By the way – the I AM CREATIVE button in the photo was created by Marci Segal, a graduate of the Buffalo State Creativity Studies program and the founder of World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15-21. We will be celebrating that awesome event in a very special way through this blog so stay tuned!) I took the photo just this moment using my two favorite monster finger puppets as sign-holders! Do you have toys on your desk? It might be time to go shopping for some!

“Play is the highest form of research.”
Albert Einstein

Play Prompt #2: Make yourself a “Permission to Play” poster. This can be a collage similar to the one in the image shown or a simple permission slip you create and print off your computer. Dress it up with stickers, glitter or your reprints of your favorite quotes. Grab some crayons and color it. Make a mini-version to carry in your purse or wallet. Make it a playful reminder of your intention to make room for creative play in your day.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Albert Einstein

Play Prompts #3 & #4: Journal your resistance and your enthusiasm – whatever comes up. Ask yourself: ” how would I most like to ‘play’ today?” and do it. If you are not sure where to start on your journey into creative discovery, try intuitive inquiry. Open your journal to a blank page. Date it. Then write out this question at the top of the page: “What’s the best baby step for me to take to start this journey into creative play today?” Next – switch your pen over to your non-dominant hand. And write the answer which comes into your mind. Do it now.

“We need to make the world safe for creativity and intuition, for it’s creativity and intuition that will make the world safe for us.”
Edgar Mitchell

Note about intuitive inquiry: it is best approached in a relaxed state and with an open mind. The answer which comes forward is from your sub-conscious. This is as much a part of you as your cognative brain. It is your body’s GPS, designed to guide you, safely, to your desired destination. Pay attention to it. Resist the temptation to ‘figure it out’. Trust it will move you in the direction you need to go. Play with it. It might suggest you scrub the kitchen floor. Just do it. Pay attention to your feelings and thoughts while you’re scrubbing. Write down your insights or discoveries. You might even do a second intuitive inquiry after you’ve followed your prompt to ask: “What was I supposed to learn from this?” And use your non-dominant hand to record the answer. This is a powerful tool. Put it in your creativity tool box and carry it around with you. I promise it will come in handy!

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”
Mary Anne Radmacher

Last week I shared the motivation behind this 10-week experience. This is the week we dip our toes into the water. I want you to imagine we’re all walking through a beautiful garden pathway leading to a wide river. There is a canoe waiting for each of us. We need to take off our shoes and wade over to our vessel. Be prepared to get muddy. Any journey into creativity is bound to be messy from time to time. Make room for the mess in your life. Follow your curiosities. Challenge yourself to explore unfamiliar paths and activities which both excite and terrify you. The terror is just fear of the unknown. Remember this acronym: fear is nothing but false evidence appearing real. It’s the product of negative pretending. For this 10-week experiment – promise me you’ll use every fear thought as a trigger to practice positive pretending. Simply replace your ‘worst case’ imaginings with ‘best case’ scenarios. It will be challenging, but it is absolutely doable. Bonus: you’ll be building brain capacity every time you pull yourself out of old ‘stinking thinking’ ruts and forge new ways of thinking and being in the world.

“The only journey is the journey within.”
Rainer Maria Rilke

Are you feeling excited or overwhelmed? I am confident you have at least a few butterflies dancing in your belly at the thought of what may lie ahead. Here’s more good news: you get to craft your own journey. I will suggest projects and plant playful ‘idea seeds’ – but the choice is yours. You are committed to taking creative action. If you’d rather explore another area of creativity which spurs your interest – do it. We can talk all day about how to activate creative potential and unlock doors of awareness and personal growth, but nothing happens unless we take action. So follow your heart or follow my prompts – just DO something fun and personally playful!

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ve shared a photo of the ‘creative play’ nest I built in my bed last week – along with one of the collages I created. I really hope you will share your creative awakenings this week by posting comments. I’d love to see photos, too. Tell us what worked for you and what didn’t. We will all learn from each other. My reading list this week included: Everyday Creativity (2007) edited by Dr. Ruth Richards and Switch – How to Change Things when Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath (clicking on this link will take you to a free sample chapter of the book!). I want to send a personal “thank you” to Dr. Richards, professor and executive faculty member at Saybrook University in San Francisco for all her contributions to the field of creativity, and for her generous sharing of insights and encouragement to me personally. My plan is to apply to the Saybrook Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies to pursue my PhD in Psychology (they have a distance learning program which will allow me to live in Sarasota). Dr. Richards – you are a true creative treasure!

Play Prompt #5: Try something new. This might mean signing up for Twitter so you can follow my inspiration and play prompts all week long. I’m going to take a dance lesson at Arthur Murray Dance Studio – something I said I’d never do. Well – never say never. My plan is to push past my resistance and have fun with it. What will you do? Give yourself permission to be a beginner. That’s a big key to being open to joy in life. Don’t let your ‘brain’ decide that’s fun or creative based on old information. Jump in the water. Give some new experience a chance. It just might open a door of awareness that blesses you the rest of your life!

“The very act of creating is an act of power, an act of hope.”
Pam Grout

Enjoy the journey my friends! See you this time next week with a new chapter in our adventure. Don’t forget to visit www.JoyofQuotes.com when you need an extra boost of encouragement and inspiration. You can also find me at http://twitter.com/quotejoy tweeting my prompts all week long.

“What (the creator) feels…is joy, joy defined as the emotion that goes with heightened consciousness, the mood that accompanies the experience of actualizing one’s own potentialities.”
Rollo May

(The photo below shows me – far right – with a group of ladies from Columbia who joined in “Gratitude Dancing” on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida. Thanks to my friend Ann who ‘created’ the idea of Gratitude Dancing!) She was inspired by Matt - a young man who went all over the world and shared his ‘happy dance’ with people. The YouTube video he created caused an internet sensation. Watching it always fills me with joy. Click here or Google: “Where in the hell is Matt?” Hope you enjoy it, too.

Have a fun week!
Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Feb

Join me on a 10-week journey into uncharted creative waters…

marta

“We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and knows.” Robert Frost

Are you interested in unlocking your creative potential? I invite you to join me on an expressive path to personal growth. For 10-weeks we’ll dance, create collages, practice mindfulness, become joy magnets, grow new brain cells, make friends with failure, start positively pretending, and much, much more.

Want to play? I posted my first Creative Play Idea on Twitter earlier today. Here it is: Build a cozy nest in your bed with paints, pens, a journal, glue stick and magazines. Jump in and start collaging your joys! (I ended up creating 3 collages in an hour). Spending that time focused on joy and creative play was hugely relaxing for me. It also helped me get clarity on where to focus my energy for the rest of the afternoon. There are many studies which talk of the de-stressing benefits of creative expression. It definitely worked for me!

I am in the last semester of my Master’s program at Buffalo State College’s International Center for Creative Studies. As a Master’s Project I’ve chosen to share my creative unfolding with anyone in the world who wants to come along. The ‘official’ title is: Ten Keys to Unlocking Creative Potential: The Expressive Path to Personal Growth. I’ll be tweeting creative prompts, lots of encouraging quotes, and other fun bits of information through http://twitter.com/quotejoy I’m hoping to recruit a creatively courageous tribe of tweeps who are willing to share their comments, insights, ideas and awakenings along the way.

The whole idea is to explore creative possibilities while building new neural pathways. I promise it will be fun and enlightening. Have questions? Feel free to comment. My vision is to inspire joy and a chain-reaction of creative action around the world. This project is officially launched…let the fun begin!

Marta Davidovich Ockuly

Category: Creative Expression, Creative Play, Creativity, Personal Growth, Take Action, Uncategorized Tags: create, creativity, dance, happy discoveries, joy, mindfulness, personal growth, play, potential 2 Comments

Oct

46 Creativity Quotes & a Theory…

marta

My theory is, “We activate our creative potential with joy.” As a joy coach with two decades of experience in the creativity field, I have plenty of what academics call ‘anecdotal’ evidence to support my theory. I came to the graduate school at Buffalo State College’s International Center for Creative Studies for the science. Halfway through my master’s program – I am very excited about what I’m learning. more »

Category: Courage, Courage Quotes, Creativity, Creativity Quotes, Joy, Joy Quotes, Passion, Potential, Purpose Tags: 44 creativity quotes, courage to create, creative action, creativity, joy, potential, purpose 7 Comments

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Joy and Creativity

It’s creative play day!

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