MUSIC (AND HARRY POTTER MAGIC) TO ENHANCE CREATIVITY

Members of Urban Sketchers Ottawa were thrilled to be invited to a dress rehearsal this past week of Harry's Musical World by the Ottawa Pops Orchestra. About 20 of us attended on Friday afternoon at the start of the long weekend. It was not only a wonderful opportunity to practice sketching people and the orchestra, but to also sketch while listening to the orchestra play music from the Harry Potter movies.

I was spellbound listening to the musicians as they warmed up prior to the rehearsal. The little snippets of melodies, varying keys of music,  flutes, violins, trumpets, trombones, together harmonized with my quick sketches which took on a loose, feathery look. 

Once the full rehearsal started, I would become transfixed with sketching and was no longer consciously aware of the music. Other times when the tempo changed to more powerful score I was transported into listening and forgot to sketch.

But wait, can music really enhance our ability to be creative? You bet! But it's important to choose a style that fits the goals to create and whether you are in the beginning stages or latter stages of a creation.

Music accesses the right, creative side of the brain, and different genres affect our moods in different ways. From high energy music that is stimulating to low energy that promotes relaxation, our bodies sync with the music's tempo and intensity. Repetitions in the pieces can also have an impact, as can the types of instruments being played. 

Some examples: If you want to create from a place of passion & energy, playing rock music will help. Country and big band music help access memories, Jazz and blues stir up strong emotions, and sacred music promotes feelings of peace and grounding. Classical music aids spatial perception, new age music can bring us to a state of relaxed alertness, and salsa is great for creating movement in pieces. Shamanic drumming and Gregorian chanting provide calm and work very well for pulsing and repetitive actions. 

So choose the music that best fits what you are trying to create. Don't choose loud music to do delicate work that needs a slow pace. Rock or heavy metal or salsa when painting on a large canvas with broad brushstrokes may work just fine however. When focus is needed, music without vocals is best so the brain is not distracted by the words.

And if you're not finding suitable music, try humming or playing an instrument to get you into the creative spirit. 

The music of Harry Potter is probably not what I would regularly choose when I want to create, but being able to draw to live music rather than a CD or download is an experience I'm glad I was able to participate in.
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Urban Sketchers Ottawa is a group of sketchers who share sketching opportunities and events around the city. There is no membership fee, and sketchers of all levels are welcome to join. For more information, visit their Facebook page at Urban Sketchers Ottawa. 

PREPARING TO CREATE / GETTING INTO YOUR ZONE

High performance athletes get in the zone when competing, quieting their minds, breathing, focusing, visualizing every move they need to take, even following a set routine and rituals in the seconds before leaving the start box. They may not be able to eliminate all distractions but do get to a point where they can keep those distractions at bay. Their preparatory routines become so ingrained that it could throw them off course if not followed to the letter.

It is rare that I see artists use any type of centering as they begin creating each day. We enter our studio and just expect to create. Yes, some go through rituals such as tidying up first, placing the materials they need at their side, perhaps making a cup of coffee or tea. Others feel the need to get chores out of the way before they focus on creating. But our to-do list of distractions never ends, and can sometimes be a delay tactic when there is uncertainty about steps or a technique for a piece in progress or a new piece of art, or when we are not satisfied our art is good enough.

As artists we are not taught the benefits of getting in the zone to prepare for creating or coached in techniques to get into that zone. Rather we hope we will find our focus once we have started our creative activity. Sometimes we do. And sometimes we don’t get there at all and find all kinds of other tasks to distract us. When we do discover the value of getting in the zone early, it’s usually through discussion with others or by fluke. Unless it’s a meditative style art class, it’s unusual to be led through an exercise in classes and workshops to find our focus or to be reminded to centre ourselves. Instead, when the gun goes off, we are just expected to begin creating.

Since taking up yoga a few years back, more and more I am able to quiet my mind, slow down and find focus like the athlete who gets into the competitive mindset. When I then applied similar steps to my art, trying various meditative practices to see what would work for me, I discovered I do my best creative work when I read first, something that gives me pause for reflection rather than fiction or world news. I follow this with a few minutes focusing to set an intention for my creative work that day, visualizing the project at hand. I am then ready to begin and am in a much more relaxed state than when I started. I am getting into my zone. And I am able to push aside distractions that arise.

There is no one right way to get into the zone. And everyone finds their way is different from someone else, and may find they need new ways over time. And of course some days are harder than others to find that focus. For some, sitting quietly and focusing on the breath works, others prefer to take a walk, or sit outside focusing on the sounds of nature. Gentle movement can work too. Other rituals may include lighting a candle, putting on quiet music, pulling on a favourite shirt to wear. Visualization and setting an intent are the important areas to focus.  

Overall I’m happier with my art when I follow this process. Without it, well, let’s just say I’ve had some successes but also more failures than I care to admit. In the zone, I’m much less tense about the outcome, in a more relaxed state of mind, willing to pause, not rushing, not pushing, and truly pleased with the creative results.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG ON CREATIVITY

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I've long been fascinated with how creativity works, with the impact of colours on our moods, the therapeutic side of art and music, how an 'aha' moment can appear seemingly out of nowhere, and why some people say they are not creative while others seems to have the most vivid imaginations, .

If we think back to when we were children: we coloured, made up stories, explored, built forts. Somewhere along our journey we moved away from this playful and inventive side.  Yet so many of the activities we do today are creative: gardening, how we decorate, taking photos, problem solving. But still people some do not feel they are creative, likely because we are not in the habit of thinking and living creatively. 

When we practice being creative and surround ourselves with inspiration, the practice becomes easier and unfurls into even more creativity. It can be re-discovered at any age. I certainly saw this when teaching coloured pencil drawing to women in their 80s and 90s, many of whom had only begun to explore art-making a few years before. I've had the pleasure of watching emerging artists of all ages overcome their fears and begin to display their art, and have worked with and led teams to find new visions in event planning and in staging art shows. 

I was fortunate during my working career to have had two highly creative bosses, two men who I learned more from than anyone else I had worked for or with. I was often blown away at the solutions and ideas they would come up with. They taught me to look at issues from different perspectives to find innovative answers.

As a life-long student of creativity, I decided to start this blog as there is much I would like to record about what I have seen and learned, and to share these thoughts with you. I welcome your observations, feedback, questions. So, stay tuned, and I hope to publish a new blog post of my creative musings Sunday evenings, hopefully two or three times each month. Read on for the first entry. 

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

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Asked a few years ago to list the 10 places or experiences I find most inspiring, I found the first few were easy to identify. For the last few I had to think a little deeper.

This process of identifying inspiring times when I was most relaxed and open to ideas felt like a gateway to me, reminding me of ways and places I can awaken and open up my creativity.

For each of the places I listed, I realized that in some ways I can continue to feel motivated, to find insights, even though some I had not visited for several years, by going through my old photos, mementos, books and memories. These still have the power to awaken my senses to help me re-live visits, re-capture some of the ideas I had at the time, and to continue to up with new ideas. And each place provides something unique.

Of course, the best thing is to re-visit these or similar types of spots in person if possible to really allow the creativity to soar. It's like re-filling the well with new ideas, to take those first steps toward a dream, to finally start to do what I had only talked about doing. 

When I recently reviewed the list of 10 places I put together years ago, I discovered that it remains unchanged for me. I may now visit a different location, but its the type of places and the experiences that matter. And I have made a new pact to go to these places more often, to keep that inspiration front of mind so I can feel and act upon it.

I highly recommend that you take the time to write out your list of 10 places and experiences you find most inspiring, and give a few a visit again soon.

Here are mine, perhaps you'll have some of these on your list.

• Art shows, and especially fibre art shows
• Fabric stores & vintage shops to find interesting textiles
• Gardens with art
• My travel photos
• Walks in old neighbourhoods
• Flea markets
• Bookstores and libraries, and finding some unique art books
• Art classes & studio time, specifically creating with other people
• My deck, while listening to the sounds of nature
• Anywhere outdoors beside a creek, river or lake