"Help!" or "How to Be Creative"

Are you a bit intimidated by this project? Are you having some inner dialogue that sounds a bit like this: "Who am I to be participating in this?! I am not an artist! I am not creative!"

Yes, you are.

Everyone is creative.

Let me give you some tips if you are feeling like you don't know how to begin.

Start with the Goal

First, think about the goal of this project. We want to spread positivity. We want to bring happiness to the people who see your canvas. We want to send a message.

So, first you need to think about what message you want to send. Do you have some particularly good advice you've been given? Have you figured out the key to your own happiness? Do you have a personal manifesto that guides you through life? Narrow in on your message - your one thing you want to tell the world.

Brainstorm x a million

Now that you have a concept, you can start brainstorming ways you could communicate your message. Start a list. Write down as many ideas as you can possibly think of. Think you're done? Nope! Push yourself to brainstorm twenty more ideas. Or thirty! Or fifty! Stopping too early is one of the major pitfalls a lot of us do. We come up with a good idea and say, "yep. I'm done." But if you push yourself to keep going and not settling on the first good idea that comes to you, you have many more opportunities to come up with a better idea. And, at the end, if your first idea turns out to be the best one, then by all means, go for it! But you might come up with a better idea after the first one. That's exactly what happened to me as I was planning The Blank Canvas Project. The first idea was to send canvases to strangers around the world and ask them to decorate them. After more idea generating, I came up with the idea to ask people to leave the canvases in public places and spread the positivity of art in that way. I think my later idea was way more powerful and influential than my first idea.

Prototype

Once I've settled on an idea, I sometimes find it easiest to start with a prototype. I will create a rough version of my final product. Sometimes I'll prototype a few times before I settle on something I like. Depending on what kind of maker you are, you could do this by sketching, by thinking through it, or by actually building something. It's completely up to you.

Go for It!

Now that you have your idea, you can start creating. Use whatever materials or supplies you want. The sky really is the limit regarding how you create. Just have fun!

Still Need Guidance?

More questions? Need more help? Shoot me an e-mail at quinn.erin@gmail.com.