Creative Conditions: My New Blog About Crafting
Over the past months, I’ve slowly but surely been building a new blog to focus on the crafty side of my creativity. My vision has always been that Unobstructed Creativity should be a blog with more of a focus on the writing, design and business side of the creative process. But, since a huge part of my life involves crafting, I needed a place to write about all the fun projects and creative thoughts that go along with my crafty ventures.
Enter Creative Conditions.
I’ve got lots of great things to share and will start posting regularly. That starts today with Six Secrets to Self-Taught Sewing Success.
Be sure and check it out, or subscribe to stay updated.
Inspiration Explosion: 14 Rousing Resources For Your Creative Explorations
Writer. Designer. Crafter. Creator.
Whatever title you go by, if you’re in the business of creativity, then you know that sometimes creativity can be hard to come by. This often happens when you’re most in in need of it. Here’s a list of my favorite places to seek out inspiration. Have fun exploring…a lot of these resources will wrap you up in their imaginative, ingenious concepts for hours.
1. Colour Lovers
Careful before you click on this link. Make sure you’ve got an extra hour or two lying around because I promise it’s almost impossible to pull yourself away from this one once you get involved.
Colour Lovers allows you to create colors, palettes and patterns so seamlessly and easily. My favorite feature is the ability to create a color palette based on a photo or image from the web. Just enter the url of the image you want to dissect and the colourlovers site extracts the different hues for you use in creating your palette.
After you’ve created a color palette, you can then apply it to one of 112 customizable patterns. I’ve already lost you for the rest of this post, haven’t I? I know, it’s pretty freakin’ cool. You can also download the palettes and patterns you create in a number of different file formats, including Photoshop and Illustrator.
Check out some of my own creations.
2. Visual Thesaurus
A thesaurus can be a writer’s best friend or worst enemy, acting as either a great source for inspiration, or a crutch holding you back from your full potential. So, how do you utilize this reference tool for your benefit? Simple. Don’t look to your thesaurus for the answers; look for a little boost to push you closer to the answers.
The approach Visual Thesaurus takes to language “encourages exploration and learning.” Right away, that means your less likely to find the “answers” there, only new questions to lead you toward a variety of answers. Test it out. You’ll get lost in language like you never have before.
3. Polyvore
Inspiration boards are a great way to showcase images, words and works that help fuel your creative expeditions. Polyvore is a great site that makes it ridiculously simple to gather any web images you like and turn them into a creative collage for inspiration.
Drag and drop. That’s really all there is to it. Wanna make it even easier? Add Polyvore’s Clipper to your Bookmarks Toolbar, and you can quickly import images from any site you visit.
4. Language Is A Virus
This one is full of plenty of prompts and boosts for any time you find yourself “blocked.”
You’ll find links to all sorts of fun word generators. One of my favorites is the title-o-matic. Whatever title pops up, I like to try and apply it to an experience or event in my own life. It’s a neat way to find a new approach to an old story.
5. Idee Inc.’s Multicolr Search Lab
This is one of two flickr related sites I’ve got on this list. And, really, I could add a lot more.
Prepare to be blown away. This site lets you search millions of flickr images by COLOR. Yep, just click on the desired colors in the palette on the right, and it will bring up all the images that contain that combination. Endless possibilities….
6. IncSpring
Let me start this one with a disclaimer: I don’t necessarily agree with the premise behind this site, however it’s filled with great designs and branding ideas that can light a fire under your own ideas.
Basically, the site is a place for designers to sell their unused designs and brands to entrepreneurs who are willing to buy them. Meh, still not so sure about that concept, but the site is filled with creative solutions. The designs are arranged by industry, which makes it easy to search for something specific if that’s what you’ve got in mind.
7. Wordle
As a writer, and a lover of words, this website is one of my favorite. Wordle is a place to create beautiful word clouds with any text you provide. You customize everything the way you want it: layout, font and color.
Here’s one I created using an old post about creativity.
8. Big Huge Labs
This is the other flickr-related link I mentioned. Big Huge Labs is a great collection of “flickr toys” that you can use with your own flickr images.
Add a matte or frame to your image, turn a photo into desktop wallpaper, create a slideshow or make your image a header for your blog. You’ll find so many great ways to display your flickr images, and an even better way to spark a new appreciation for them.
9. Ultimate List of Blog Heading Titles and Templates
If you, or your blog, ever get stuck in a rut, this post by Jacob Cass of Just Creative Design is a great resource to have bookmarked.
Jacob provides a great list of title and heading formats that only require you to fill in the blank. I guarantee you’ll find inspiration for your own new post somewhere amidst J.C.’s post.
10. 50 Word Press Plug-ins for Bloggers
Another great resource for sparking some new ideas for your blog from Mashable.
A little bit different from most of the other links on this list, this post lists a ton of resources for managing and streamlining your blog. A lot of keeping up with a blog involves a string of tedious tasks. These resources make those tasks so much easier, leaving you with a lot more time to be INSPIRED and CREATE.
11. Quotes About Writing
When I find myself in not-so-great mood, not wanting to write, there is one source I can always count on to get me motivated: reading writing about writing. Mouthful, huh? Well more simply put, I turn to quotes about writing. I always find that one little spark to ignite the willingness and passion. This is the most extensive collection I’ve found on the web.
12. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture
Hopefully, you’ve heard all about Randy Pausch and his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. If not, I suggest you immediately block off the next available one hour and 16 minutes that you have open in your schedule, and book a date to watch this video.
If Randy can’t inspire you, I’m not sure there’s much out there that can.
13. Getting Writing Done: A Guest Post on Copyblogger
I love reading Brian Clark’s posts. Even more than that, I love that he picks the most incredible guest bloggers who totally understand his style and write just as prlifically as he does. Jane Northcote’s post about getting down to act of writing is a perfect example.
Her 7 tips seem so simple. But, when we’re in a creative rut, that’s the one thing we need to be reminded of the most: the simplicity of writing. When you start to make things more complicated than they really are, refer back to Jane’s post to help keep things in perspective.
14. Jott
And last, but certainly not least, JOTT.
Sometimes the most frustrating thing about inspiration is that we can’t control when it comes to us. Often we are inspired and feeling our creative juices at the most inopportune time. Enter Jott. This incredible service allows you to send emails, record thoughts, make a list of to-dos and set reminders - all with a simple phone call. Technology is too cool sometimes.
The Creative Campaign of the Century
Disclaimer: I did cast my vote for Obama. However, this is not a post about politics. This is a post about the creative marketing strategies of a well-run campaign. My political opinions and beliefs are of no consequence as I discuss the logistics of Obama’s bid for president.
They are finally catching on.
Don’t get me wrong. There are still plenty of them that don’t get it. But, there’s hope.
It’s hard to break out of a cycle that’s been the norm for more than 200 years. Ever since the earliest of presidential elections, political campaigns have focused on one thing: the candidate. “Let me tell you about me. See how capable I am. Did I tell you how much better I am than my opponent?”
No wonder we can’t stand politicians.
Defying The Norms, Yet Defined By A Scream
With Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign paving the way, Obama’s team openly and vulnerably embraced the thing every presidential campaign should revolve around, and made it their one focus.
Americans. After all this is our country, and our government. The president may run it. But we own it, and that means we decide who runs it. It’s the beautiful part about this whole democracy thing.
Joe Trippi is a name familiar to those in politics. He’s worked on more than 100 political campaigns, and he was one of the very first to “get it.” In his book “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, The Internet And The Overthrow Of Everything,” Trippi discusses his stint as Campaign Manager on the Dean For America campaign.
The whole book is filled with gems of insight and inspiration from a man who helped change the face of political campaigns forever. Each story, anecdote and musing is filled with Trippi’s priceless experience and wisdom. However, there’s one passage I always return to when I pull the political memoir off my shelf.
This is the difference between the Dean for America campaign and every other presidential campaign of the past 20 years. Every other candidate has started out by saying — Look at me, aren’t I amazing?
But every time Howard Dean got up to speak, every time his campaign staff got on the web to blog, the message was Look at you, aren’t you amazing? And they were; 60,000 people committed to a new democracy.
Aiming At The Right Target
Picking up where Dean’s campaign left off, Obama redefined the meaning of a grassroots campaign.
In today’s world, we are a community of bloggers and twitterers and texters. Obama and his staff recognized that there are countless ways we take in and soak up information. Instead of forcing us to receive a campaign message on their terms, they delivered it on our terms — our thousands of unique, individual terms.
Art for the artists. Technology for the innovators. Poetic prose for the readers and writers. They adapted their message and presented it through thousands of different mediums. And, guess what….an incredible thing happened. A campaign all about hope gave people hope - hope for the future, hope for their country, but most importantly, hope and belief in themselves.
Most failed political campaigns are unsuccessful for one reason. It’s usually the reason for any failed marketing or advertising campaign. Missing your target.
The Obama campaign nailed a perfect bullseye. It’s the people, stupid.
Blog Action Day: I Wish You Enough
No matter how many times it happens in my life, it never ceases to amaze me. God, my Higher Power, the universe — or whatever name you give it — always finds a way to snap me out of my narcissistic coma. Whenever my self-importance starts to become a little too important, inevitably, I get my reminder.
This round’s reminder: Blog Action Day.
Recently…Not Even Close to ‘Unobstructed’
So, okay, the last few weeks have not been easy ones. My husband and I have been faced with some hurdles that require significant leaps of faith in order to get over them. Really, the only bright spot has been that, in our new marriage, we have each other to lean on.
All this “upheaval” has truly gotten me out of sorts. I’ve quit blogging all together, but, even worse, I’ve quit any of my personal writing all together as well. The only kind of writing I’ve accomplished in these last few weeks is freelance assignments — and that’s only because they produce income. Even then, it took entirely too much effort to get those articles written and submitted.
So, what have I been doing instead? Not much of anything except wallowing in self-pity. It has been pretty pathetic actually.
This morning, after I finally pulled myself out of bed, made way downstairs and fired up my Mac, there was a kick in the ass waiting for me. As soon as I moved my mouse, and my word clock screen saver disappeared there it was…an iCal alert. Not one of my weekly or monthly reminders, though.
“Write a post for Blog Action Day.”
More Than Enough And No More Excuses
When I am hungry, I eat. When I’m thirsty, I head to the refrigerator. When I am tired, I make my way to a comfortable bed. I have a roof over my head and car in my driveway. I have a husband who would give me the world if it was his to offer. I have a dog, and a cat and a closet full of outfits for every kind of occasion.
I sometimes forget just how rich I really am.
“No one should be able to say, ‘I don’t have a reason to talk about poverty.’”
I made my pledge at blogactionday.org weeks and weeks ago. In just its second year, the blog topic for the this year’s big day is poverty. The idea is to encourage bloggers everywhere to post about the same issue on the same day. It’s an incredible way to shine a big spotlight on a topic that really deserves to bask in the likes of Shea Stadium lighting.
The tricky thing about poverty is that it’s a lot more than just being hungry or homeless. There are so many dimensions — many of those dimensions being things we too often take for granted……While most of us celebrated the new millennium in style, thankful that Y2k bug decided not to bug us, almost one billion people came into the twenty-first century unable read or write, or even sign their own name. [source]
I have no excuse, no reason for not writing. A few strokes of crappy luck, a couple of raw deals here and there and a self-absorbed attitude don’t justify any of it. I live in the land of opportunity. But more importantly, I have the means to take advantage of all that opportunity. I have enough of what I need, and more than enough of what I need to make my dreams and aspirations a reality.
The written word is a powerful, inspiring, compelling, beautiful thing. And, it’s what I do for a living, revel in on a personal level and now, thanks to that iCal reminder, give to others who so desperately need it. Opportunities are everywhere, and I cannot wait to delve deeper for ways I can help.
We All Deserve ‘Enough’
In writing this post, I have had this one, simple, six-line verse in the forefront of all my thoughts and musings. I feel like it could be a good mantra for the Blog Action Day organization and all they strive to do. Life isn’t perfect, and isn’t always pretty either. Instead of letting the ugly moments leave you with an ugly attitude, put them to use in recognizing all the beauty in your life — and in sharing that beauty with other lives that need it.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish enough “Hello’s” to get you through the final “Good-bye.”
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
By: Bob Perks
A Whole New Perspective
In spending an hour on the phone with Dr. Ben Mack last Thursday, I was overwhelmed with the new thoughts and new ways of looking at my business and career goals. It wasn’t a bad kind of overwhelmed, though. Instead, I felt a rush of enlightenment as he presented me with all these new tools for exploring success.
We discussed so much in our brief hour, but the thing that struck a chord with me more than the rest was Ben’s focus on the importance of visualization and oralization. He read right through me on this one.
Learning to Give Yourself Credit When Credit is Due
Sounds pretty easy, huh?
I’ll share my little seceret with you: for me, it’s been a lifelong struggle.
I don’t want to give the impression that I am down on myself, having absolutely no confidence. In fact, it’s very much the opposite of that. I do believe in myself and my work, and have always been confident in my abilities. The place I often run into trouble is letting the tiny details have too much power and influence over that confidence.
Confidence with a small mix of trepidation. Yeah, Ben hit the bullseye on that one. It almost becomes this taboo notion within myself….that crossing a certain line of total confidence makes me arrogant. Ben really opened my eyes and showed me that doesn’t have to be the case.
Ben Challenge to Me and My Challenge to You
“I’ll just have water.”
Just? What good does this work serve? Absolutely none.
It’s a word that I eliminate from my writing. If it slips in their during an expressively written first draft, I’ve edited it out by the second draft. Now it’s time to remove it from my life completely. I think you should do the same.
