CREATIVE SPARK NEWSLETTER |
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2023 Summer Sketchbook Un-Slump |
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Let's cultivate and tap into our |
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“A little girl bought a balloon for her brother. George watched. He felt curious again. He felt he MUST have a bright red balloon.”. - Curious George by Margret & H.A. Rey |
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As I was typing the Curious George quote, I started thinking…balloons can be a fun tool to use to make marks and apply paint with. It could be dipped in paint in a few different ways. Maybe putting paint inside and squeezing it or popping it? The actual material of balloon could be used in a piece too… What did you think of when you read the quote or when you saw the doorway above, bursting with red balloons? Did it make you want to find out more? What questions came to mind? Have you had a recent experience where something--an experience, a photo, a quote, a conversation--triggered a bunch of questions and like George, you felt you MUST find the answers to? There is something really exciting and magical about following our curiosity. This week, let's dedicate some time to exploring the questions that really interest and pull at us, to cultivating our curiosity, and to seeing what happens next when we follow the path it paves for us! Below are some ideas and inspiration that I hope will help you get started and get curious! |
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When you tap into your curiosity, what do you find? |
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- Learn something new. Is there an art technique, medium, or tool you've always been curious about? Take time this week to learn all about it and give it a try! I also think learning something outside of art--gardening, a sport, new tech, etc.--can challenge us creatively in a different way and give us a lot of inspiration for our sketchbook pages as well!
- Strange and unusual. Discover what this definition of “curiosity” means to you and what it inspires you to create. Try using an unusual subject or mix of colors, shapes, proportions, and patterns. Or find unusual things in the animal kingdom and nature to get inspired by.
- Keep a curiosity journal. Use your sketchbook as a place to gather things that pique your curiosity: a color combo, a piece of fabric, a label sticker with a design you like, a flower or leaf, jotting down a quote or something you overheard, etc. Keep an eye out for these things and add to your page throughout the week. (If you'd like, use your curiosity journal page as inspiration to create a piece!)
- Mars Curiosity Rover. Learn more and see the latest images and videos from Mars, mission update, an interactive map, and more!
- Get curious about something that doesn't interest you. It seems counterintuitive but if we asked more questions and learned about a topic that seems boring, difficult, or uninteresting, could our minds be changed about it?
- Curiosity is contagious. After watching this video on being curious about Victorian smelling salts (now I kind of want to smell them too lol), it reminded me of how the people in our lives can help us explore and expose us to new curiosities! Ask a friend/family member what they are curious about. Try to find the answer for them and create an example in your sketchbook to help explain or do it together! (This can be creativity/art related or not. I think either one can provide a new experience with lots of inspiration!)
- Test and experiment. Find out why something is the way it is through research, testing, comparison! Examples: Which salt works best to change watercolors? Fill a page with swatches of paint and different salts, applying/removing the salts on at different times, etc. Add notes if you'd like! What you decide to test can be a great reference page for future projects. You can also compare and test different products, such as a cheap set of paints vs. an expensive tube or watercolor vs. gouache. Is there a difference? Is it worth the price? What types of projects work best for each product?
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I am really looking forward to seeing what you're curious about--I know they will help me ask more questions and expose me to new ideas! Have a great weekend and talk to you soon! |
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And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I'll find the things they say just can't be found
I'll share this love I find with everyone
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs
I don't want this feeling to go away |
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