Monday, January 4, 2016

Creative Catalyst 365 for 2016!

I always enjoy creativity challenges because, even in some small way, they help keep the juices flowing in my brain. Plus time and patterns prove I turn in to an amazing bitch if I don't make something at least every other day, even if it's only knitting a few stitches.
Each week comes with a series of prompts, and so far I've decided I should probably write about them, at least at the first of the week. I've wanted to get back to blogging and doing so with a positive bent.
Let's take a look at the prompts for Week 1!
Everyday tools is our first focus, and for me that is probably my cell phone and a gel pen. Nothing fancy, nothing exotic, though a few years ago both were considered pretty state of the art. I research things daily on my phone, buy items online, double check appointments and addresses as well as the time and the weather... As much as I tried to avoid it, my phone has become my extended brain. But it also allows me to do cool things like look up pictures of mushrooms to draw for the additional personal challenge I've made for myself, #creative365. That is to say, to do something creative every day and for some reason I am inexplicably drawn to, well, DRAW different types of mushrooms.
Believe it or not, that's where the gel pen comes in. Because not only am I making lists constantly to remind myself of what needs to be done, what groceries need purchasing, who needs things mailed to them, but I tend to draw with them as well. Thus far my first 3 mushroom drawings were done entirely in ink. Maybe I should change that, but I think it allows a certain freedom to try and bring out texture on the paper instead of rendering a photograph-real image.
It's also an interesting dichotomy that I rely on something so high tech and something so low tech (though the pencil be lower) for my every day life process.
I suppose my second tier tools would be knitting needles and crochet hook, because I try to work with those every evening after the Girlchild goes to sleep and the Boychild passes out for a bit after eating dinner. The act of knitting allows me to calm down, focus, create and if I'm making something for another person, feel good about the act of giving of myself.
To expand outward I also use my tea kettle, my coffee mugs, plates... but none of those feel like they're on the same level as my cell phone and my pens. They sit there and wait to hold stuff for me, I don't necessarily learn from them or create with them. Perhaps that's the difference.
I'm curious to know what other people use as tools every day, it will lead to some really fascinating insights!