Must Have Creativity Tools For the Artist or Writer
Every artist needs a couple tools to keep the spark of creativity going. In my life as an artist, there are two creativity tools that I have not been able to do without: a notebook and a sketchbook.
I literally have dozens of notebooks filled with ideas for blog posts, quotes, or pictures from magazines. If I ever go through a writer's block or I don't have an idea for a drawing or painting, I'll flip through my notebooks to find images or information that will inspire me.
I'm always aware of what's going on around me and the things that I come across in my daily travels. As an artist you should always pay attention because you never know when or where that bit of inspiration will come from. You could be at the mall and overhear a conversation that will spark an idea for an article or book. Maybe you'll see something that you would want to interpret as a painting. When you have a notebook handy at all times, it's easy to capture that idea so that you don't forget it later.
The notebook is also a great place to simply write down your thoughts or to clear your mind of all that brain clutter that could be blocking all the creative ideas in your head. Maybe you've just sat down to do some writing or to work on that painting, but you've got a million things vying for attention in your mind. You've got a list of things to do, people to call, places to go. Sometimes it's good to just get it all down on paper. That way those creative juices don't get lost in the shuffle of thoughts.
My other must-have creativity tool is an artist sketchbook. A sketchbook gives you a chance to play around with ideas. However, a sketchbook is not limited to just drawings or sketches. One of the things I love to do with my sketchbook is to make multi-media collages like the one pictured here. (click picture to buy a print at my gift shop)
Working in an artist sketchbook helps keep my mind open and gets me "warmed up" for other projects that require a great deal of creativity. Sometimes I'll work on a collage in my sketchbook which will inspire a jewelry piece or maybe a simple sketch will turn into a full-blown colorful painting. I think of the sketchbook as the catalyst for more creative ventures.
If you're an artist or writer, I would highly recommend keeping at least one of these creativity tools nearby at all times!
