An Update on Creative Minutes
It’s been a fortnight since I started the Creative Minutes Project, where I’ve been trying to find ways to have fun growing my creative projects organically, each day, in small bite sized chunks of time and I’ve documented the process here on my blog.
So how has it worked out?
Well, sometimes I’ve cheated. Especially when I worked on the watercolour studies of trees, that lead to the image “Blue Branches”. I spent a lot longer than 15 minutes on these studies, but each time I started working on them, I thought to myself that “I only need to put in quarter of an hour”, and perhaps that got me going long enough to get absorbed and into a state of flow…
It’s been a joy for me to document my creative process and to show it to my visitors. I feel that the creative work I do, even in small blocks of time, was made visible through this project, and it was empowering to see that even when time was short, I had indeed been developing my creative ideas.
I also felt it was very rewarding to prioritise my personal creativity in this way. No, cooking or playing with children or picking a fabric for a sofa did not count although I think all these things are creative activities.
Turning this project into something I blogged about, rather than simply doing on my own, did have an influence on the outcome. On one hand, blogging about it took time too, to add to the actual Creative Minutes. On the other hand, it made me accountable, and helped me stay on track. And it made me feel less shy about showing my unfinished work to the world, the creative process.
It’s been fun to share this process here on my blog, but I think that if I continued blogging about it daily, I would risk that it turning into being “for show and not for blow” so I’m thinking of continuing my Creative Minutes in an offline journal in the future, just to keep for myself. Actually, perhaps I’ll blog about it again, but not on a permanent basis.
My blogging activities are winding down now and I’ll be focusing on completing work that needs to be finished before the holidays, redecorating the studio, migrating to brand new iMacs as well as sending a winter holiday letter to members of Club Marmalade Moon, releasing two winter wonderland wallpapers, and preparing for Christmas. I can’t wait to start the New Year making something with the pattern that emerged in The Full Cold Moon! Wait, did I say something about slowing down?
Related Posts
- Creative Minutes
- Experiments With Layers of Trees on A Blue Watercolour Sky
- Study of Frosty Trees
- Blue Branches Emerge
- Lunch Hour Leaves
Tags: Club Marmalade Moon, Creative Minutes, creative process, creative time, flow
Hi, Kate! No, that doesn’t sound like slowing down at all…LOL! ;o) But it does sound like a lot of fun, creativity and new challenges for you in the days ahead. I hope you have some wonderful days with all your plans, working and dreaming. It’s been a treat to see your creative process here and see some of the end results of your playtime! Just wanted to thank you too for the most lovely email you sent me. So kind of you to take the time and write/share so much. We have family and guests coming and some pre-Christmas fun and celebrating on this weekend. So I will write to you early next–and look forward to that. Have a fantastic weekend now–enjoy! :o) ((HUGS))
Hi Kate – I feel exhausted just looking at that list but it also sounds like fun, so I guess it will be happy tired?!! I absolutely love your blue branches – I always feel so awed at how you combine all the technical stuff with amazing artistic talent. I hope your dream of full-cold moon curtains is realised – they will be stunning! I will be reading – keep us posted! :)
please do blog about yor creative minutes again–when the time is right. I love having that behind the scenes look at how the design too shape, and how each design element was born.
Wow! you ARE busy these days. I can relate to needing some time away from blogging to get other projects done. Wishing you a productive few weeks and look forward to the new year.
I think the great thing about the project is that you’re regularly setting aside this time to be creative, and if it turns into something bigger, great! Good luck preparing for the end of the year–that’s quite a list!
Oh, and I second Mousy Brown’s words. I’m looking forward to seeing your curtain idea realized. Have you ever visited this site http://www.spoonflower.com ?
Hi Kate. I think it was great that you shared your creative minutes with us. I think it does get you in gear and keeps you creating when you commit to sharing something on your blog. However, if it starts becoming something that you “have” to do rather then something you want to do then it loses the magic. Happy Holidays!!
P.S. Glad you ordered the book. I hope you enjoy it. I still have a way to go.
Dear kate, i truely did and still do enjoy your “Creative Minutes” column. It’s truely inspirational and each time i feel like i dont have much time in a day to do something creative…i will always think of your sentiment! I love the idea of documenting my creative process perhaps in my little book. Have a lovely merry happy week and love to you!
Hi Kate
I love this idea! Thanks for letting us know how it went for you. It is funny how just a few minutes a day can make such a huge impact. And, I always find it surprising how my creativity blossoms when I treat it as a ‘practice’. I love your recent work on The Cold Full moon. The branches are wonderful! Thank you also for your frequent comments on my blog/ work. It means a lot! I just added you to my Reader so you’ll be hearing from me more often too.
Julia