Saturday, September 12, 2009

Creativity: The Power of Cross-Pollination


The creative process imitates natural processes. For instance, ideas can germinate. A creative project can grow and bloom into something quite beautiful and unique, like a rose or a tulip.

As many of us "creative types" know, the muse can visit any moment, like a humming bird vibrating at the edge of our minds until the nectar pours out in the form of a poem, a photograph, a painting, or whatever you're creating!

One important aspect when trying to attract the muse is to open up to all forms of creativity, what I call the process of cross-pollination. Exposing oneself to other forms of creativity can reinvigorate your particular art. Even tyring another creative genre can revitalize your "home genre". "Home genre" meaning the genre you consider your niche in the creative universe.

Rather than tell you where I think you should explore for cross-pollination, I will just share with you places where I have found inspiration.
I invite you to share yours as well!!

Television shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" (which is great for its choreography as well as its dancing); "Top Chef" (good food is of course an art); "Project Runway" (make it work can apply to many creative projects!); and "Design Star"

Drawing, painting, and photography as a hobby, then posting them to get feedback. I am in the process of putting some of my creations on spiritsoflenagallery.blogspot.com (creative writing is my home genre)

Studying the masters of creativity throughout history from Shakespeare to Van Gogh--whoever I come across and whoever I feel like researching at the time.

Visiting websites of those I admire which include some fellow bloggers. Some of the websites that I have really liked are:

http://skidato.blogspot.com/ (photography)

http://www.quietlikehorses.com/ (I just like the way it's written)

http://petrusboots.com/ (unique artwork)

http://mandalazone.com/ (unique hand drawn mandalas)

http://mandalaproject.com/ (several artists mandalas)

http://zenhabits.com/ (discusses creativity and many other aspects of living)

I will share more with you over several posts where I review different ones that I like.

2 comments:

  1. I am honored to be included in this list! I looked st some of the other blogs you have here, and they are quite talented.

    Thank you!

    Your insight into the creative process is very good, and very true.

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  2. very nice, I will visit your other site. You will not believe this BUT I am very comfortable doing reconciliation in accounting - I have always said it was my creative side that allowed me to do this, do it well and to receive satisfation from it. If I verbalize this I get weird looks - but it is true that if not creative I would never be able to juggle, turn and twist the numbers to find missing links.... HA! My photography reflects this right on aspect of my creativity, I like the neat, clean, clear photogragh the same way I like numbers all in a row....

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