Tag: creativity

How to get out of a Creative Slump

It happens to all of us at one time or another, where we just can’t seem to be motivated or inspired to be creative.

I have experienced this more times than i can count and as someone who relies on their creativity for their job, it can be a real struggle.

So I wanted to share with you some of my go to techniques to help get out of a creative slump. Some focus more inward/mental and others are external/physical influenced. So have a try and see what works for you!

Nature

I am sure you have heard this one before, but there is nothing that helps me get out of my head and just relax than going for a walk in nature. So whether its a bush walk or a seaside walk, make use of the fresh air in your lungs and even better if you leave your phone at home so you are not distracted by what’s going on in the world.

Journaling

You don’t have to be a regular journalling person to use this tool to get out of a creative slump. My favourite form is using the free writing technique of Morning Pages. Writing at least 3 full pages will get out all the crap in your head on to the page so it’s not swimming around monopolising your thoughts.

Mediation

Mediation is a tool that is great to tap into your creativity. There are a couple of ways i like to use it to get out of a slump. The first is using a guided meditation. I love one by Gabby Bernstien called Inspiration Meditation which guides you to feel more confident with affirmations and by the end, you feel as though you can do anything! The other way is using Mala Beads. This is also a great tool for focusing attention and can even be used to envision the end goal over and over if you are mid project. (Check out our Mala Beads Blog for more info)

Inspiration

My favourite way to reinvigorate my creative energy is through creative inspiration. My favourite being Books. Whether you have some at home or head to your local library and see what they have. I find the removal from your screen will help keep you in a creative mindset and to not get distracted. Pinterest is a great digital option too.

Workshops/Learn something new

There is nothing like just jumping in and getting your hands dirty with a fun new project. It doesn’t have to be your usual medium, if anything, it’s great if it’s not as it will help you see things from a new perspective and how you can enhance your creative energy in a new way! Check out our Jewellery and Glass Workshops and have a go!

Phone free time

I think we all aim for less screen time each week but very rarely get it down. But when I make a conscious decision to have even an hour of phone free time, you can give your mind space to ponder things are you may discover a new inspiration.

Watch something

Thanks to Netflix and numerous other networks spotlighting craftspeople in different shows these days, you can be inspired by seeing others create to get you off your butt to get going. From Blown Away (Glass Blowing), to Bake Off to the Pottery Throw Down or Big Flower Fight, there is so much creative entertainment out there and you may just learn something too!

So there you have it, my 7 go to ways to get out of a Creative Slump! I would love to hear your go to methods to add to my repertoire so please comment or send me an email to asilvercircledesign@gmail.com!

xx Corinne

Limiting Beliefs and Creativity

Ok, put your hand up if you want to be perfect at something first go..?? I know i sure do, but how many times does that actually happen?? Not as many times as we would like i am sure! There is so much beauty in the act of learning that when we get out of our own way for a minute, we fun the magic in the exploration.

For a long time i had this idea in my head that i was only good at jewellery, that was my craft, ‘i found it, stop looking!!’ and that was it. It was that if i used my creativity on something else i would use it up and have nothing less to create new products for my business! Ridiculous limiting belief, i know, but that’s what it was. It held me back for so long! But once i let go of it, a bigger world of possibilities opened up. Not only for my creativity, but for my business, my life and how i can connect and relate to people.

The pandemic meant a lot of people had more time to explore and get creative and put away the ‘i don’t have time to be creative’ limiting beliefs because all we had was time – a lot of it!. Which was great! But as the ‘busyness’ comes back, it’s hard not to fall back into those ‘i don’t have time’ beliefs.

I put my time in the pandemic to use by being open to trying things. Leaving those limiting beliefs at the door and saying yes to the opportunities that came up – like saying yes to learning Marquetry when the opportunity came! Trying sewing and only succeeding 60% of the time and being ok with that. Smashing through the ‘i can’t cook’ limiting belief and started to be more intuitive with cooking and telling myself that i am a good cook/baker and for the first time in my life enjoying the process.

This last 18 months has seen me explore the so many creative pursuits and integrate 2 into my business. Marquetry and Stained Glass are just another notch in my creative exploits now and i look forwards to what else calls me in the future. Here is a list of the other creative expressions i have explored: Sewing, Macrame, Cooking, Baking, Writing, Painting, Drawing, Stencil Art, Homemade Cleaning Products, Gardening, Woodwork and 3D Drawing with Fusion.

Another limiting belief a lot of artist have is that you have to be a ‘Starving Artist’ and that to choose this lifestyle, you choose to be poor. On my first day at University (Bachelor of Visual Arts), one of the lecturers announced that only 5% of the year will be successful artists. What a positive way to start your art exploration! This idea stuck in my head and still creeps back in when i am having a low day.

Let’s all not let that limiting beliefs hold you back. If you have any of these thoughts ‘i am not [insert choice word here] enough’ – ‘i am not creative enough’ ‘i am not worthy enough’ ‘i am not pretty enough’ ‘no one will like it’ ‘it will be ugly’ ‘i can’t paint (draw/sew/etc)’ on and on and on….. know that you are not alone and that you can choose again! Rewrite the narrative. It is so much about what we tell ourselves we can and can’t do that keeps us small and keeps us stuck!

So the next time you think about trying that class, doing an online course or picking up a paintbrush. Say thanks to your ego for trying to protect you and just go for it! Fail or succeed, it is all about the experience and that is the true gift of life.

I am so excited to be bringing to you all the tools i have used to boost my creativity in my first Online Course called Creative Alchemy! This course is all about transforming those limitations into positive explorations and it has been an amazing journey to delve deep into this topic. Coming Soon!!!

Be sure to sign up to our Newsletter to be the first to know when you can grab Creative Alchemy! (at bottom of page)

xx Corinne

The Art Of Learning

Are you like me and keep saying to yourself, i would love to learn how to _______, but you never actually do it!!. One thing we can say a huge thank you to covid for, is that it has made us really appreciate what time can do for us. Before this time, it was normal to be ‘busy’, to be cramming in as much experience as we can. But what have we missed out on?? That time to just discover and learn new things.

During the last few months, i have been open to learning new things and being creative in other ways. In fact i have made learning more of a priority rather than a ‘one day’. My focus since i started my business was to be designing and making jewellery as my outlet for my creativity that i felt i didn’t have as much creative capacity for anything more.

What i was really doing was limiting myself! It is so easy to do and it takes a change of perspective sometimes to open you up to what is possible.

So i participated in a Marquetry course with the kind soul Peter Young. Marquetry is a wood working technique that cuts veneer (thin pieces of timber) to create images. This is something commonly used in cabinets and boxes.

I loved learning this technique and figuring out how i could use it in a way that would suit my aesthetic. Most marquetry is done with flowers and leaves and that didn’t appeal to me all that much. So i started to sketch a landscape that i wanted to do for my own handmade box in order to do a larger piece.

As i created my own box with the help of talented woodworker Steven Giannuzzi, i have realised that box making is not my thing! Haha! But i still love the marquetry and exploring my creativity through the expression of lines and colour. So the two of us have teamed up to make some unique and colourful jewellery boxes. They are available by commission so be sure to send me an email via the Contact page.

As my creativity is expanding it’s wings, i have enrolled in upcoming classes for 3D drawing, painting and guitar to really see where my creativity can go and all that is possible. I feel that everything is linked and that you can find inspiration in completely unrelated things.

I would love to hear about your creative explorations and how it has changed you. Send me an email, FB message, Instagram DM or if you are logged in, a comment below. If you have always wanted to learn how to make jewellery, jump onto our workshops page and make it happen!

I look forward to hearing your stories.

xx Corinne

8 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY WHILST STAYING HOME

Creativity begins at home, and with the current situation we’re facing, this is where we are spending more of our time. This is the perfect opportunity for reflecting on and investing in our inner growth with fewer worldly distractions. To make the most of this, we at A Silver Circle are here to help you discover and recover your creative self.

Whether you are a professional creative or simply seeking a creative outlet, we believe that tuning into your inner artist is a wonderful form of therapy. Whether you like to design, write, craft or produce, any act of creativity should be enjoyed for the sake of self-expression! So it doesn’t matter what your stage in life or walk of life, we have put together a list of 8 simple activities you can do to help exercise your creative muscles!

Our first two exercises are drawn from Julia Cameron’s well-renowned book The Artists Way (1991) which our very own Corinne is reading and already finding amazing results!

Morning Pages:
This exercise is what the Artists Way is most known for. Three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, ideally done first thing in the morning. This might seem like a bit of a feat for your every day. However, there is no wrong way to do Morning Pages. They can take any structure you like, and be about anything and everything that crosses your mind – and they are for your eyes only, so you don’t even have to worry about neat handwriting! This exercise unclogs your mental and emotional channels, getting rid of anything that might be in the way of your happiness, productivity and creativity. No need to overthink it.

Artist’s Date:
This is all about drawing inspiration from things around you. So what does an Artist’s Date look like under life in lockdown? Going for a (state-approved) walk by yourself to get some fresh air, with no particular destination in mind, observing your surrounds and allowing yourself to wander peacefully can go a long way. An indoor Artists Date can look like watching a documentary or looking into some art books to expand the horizon of your mind and eye. Our go to art books are on Patterns, Surrealism and Art Nouveau!

Declutter:
Take a look at the physical space around you. Are there things that you no longer use or need? Is there a way to make more room for the things you do need? Decluttering your bedroom or your closet is a great way to not only clear the space you live in but also your head space – which is also a place we live. When we are free of what is distracting or blocking us, we make more room to create. For detailed tips on how to declutter, we recommend looking into famous organising consultant, Marie Kondo, who has written four books and has her own show on Netflix, as well as the book Outer Order, Inner Calm (2019) by Gretchen Rubin.

Decorate:
Love the space you’re in! Decorating to your style is the next step in forming a space which you not only can think clearly and happily in but also be creative in. Really make your living space your own by putting up whatever you find beautiful and inspiring. What style do you gravitate towards? Bohemian, eclectic, minimal and fresh, modern? The more personal you make it, the more you’ll enjoy just being in that space. If possible, carve out your own designated creative space where you have all your tools and mood-boards to encourage productivity. In the ASC studio which is full of natural light, indoor plants, gemstones and vibrant images, we are able to draw inspiration from our surroundings as we work.

Media Detox:
With more time at home these days, our screen time may have also gone up significantly. Make sure to take long breaks from binge watching that Netflix show or scrolling through Instagram and perhaps even from the news, in order to reduce the noise that can often take hold of our minds and even make us anxious. Give yourself time to enjoy silence and the natural world around you, listening to your incoming thoughts and ideas. A media detox one hour before bed will promote better quality sleep, and in turn, a well-rested and clear mind. Taking care of your body is also like taking care of your capacity to create.

Reading:
Stimulate your mind and your imagination by diving into a book that you find interesting or inspiring. There are so many genres and topics to choose from: fiction, non-fiction, philosophy, psychology, science, etc. Learning about the world and seeing through new perspectives can often strike you with ideas and fill you with lasting inspiration. At ASC we particularly love reading up on ancient cultures, architecture and spiritually, which we then are able to translate into our designs.

Sketching:
Take up a pencil or a pen, or whatever medium you prefer, and make a quick sketch of your ideas. If you don’t have any ideas, sketch what you see around you in your home or the view from your window. Try to see these familiar things in a new light. Your sketches don’t all have to be good. Focus on the process; it is more about the practice! Your free hand sketches don’t have to make sense to anyone else, as long as you’re able to get some sort of idea out. You can then refine and hone in on them later. Don’t hold back on your self-expression! To uncover more possibilities, we suggest trying experimental drawing, for example, not looking at your paper as you draw or continuous line drawing.

Meditation:
Set aside some minutes in your day for mindfulness. Focus your mind to access your reality, your feelings; what you are grateful for, what is important to you, what you would like to work towards even just for the day. Meditation is very personal, and can be done in many different ways. Try to find what works best for you so that you can refresh your mind and increase your self-awareness. Working towards inner peace allows for your inner artist to flourish.

Remember that art is not a thing, but a way! We can try all sorts of activities to be more creative but at the end of the day what is most important is the mindset with which we do them. Allow yourself to be more open, more patient and kinder to yourself in order to discover what you are capable of. With these eight simple yet holistic exercises you can do from the comfort of your home, we hope this helps you to do precisely that!

We would love to hear how you go! Perhaps you have your own tips and tricks to boost your creative energy; don’t be shy to share them with us. Leave a comment here on the blog or get in touch through our Facebook or Instagram.

Happy creating!