Category Archives: creativity

D IS FOR DREAM – THE A TO Z’S OF ART

How important do you think dreams are to creativity?  Do you have any your favorite quotes about dreams and creativity?  Here are some of mine.

“Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?” Da Vinci

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”  Henry David Thoreau  (I embroidered this in highschool and it has been on my wall ever since.)

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.” Kurasawa

“From now on I hope always to stay alert, to educate myself as best I can. But lacking this, in Future I will relaxedly turn back to my secret mind to see what it has observed when I thought I was sitting this one out.  We never sit anything out. We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled.  The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” Ray Bradbury

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.”  Emerson

“Dreams are like the stars…you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.” Unknown

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he see the dawn before the rest of the world.”   Oscar Wilde

“I dream of paint and then I paint my dream.”  Vincent Van Gogh

“If I sit and daydream, the images rush by like a succession of colored slides.” Francis Bacon

“Objects seen in dreams should be manufactured and put up for sale.” Andre Breton

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.” Paulo Coelho

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

“You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” John Lennon (and I bet you sang the line!

And – the one I’m going to put in my studio for the rest of the month:

“All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”  Walt Disney

What are your favorite quotes, saying regarding dreams?   What words do you find inspiring?

Tomorrow – a post for a word starting with “E”!

 

 

C IS FOR CREATIVITY — THE A TO Z’S OF ART

A NEW SKY – 12×12 on Canvas
©Vickie Martin

Today I’m going to post some inspirational quotes about creativity that resonate with me.  But first, what is the definition of creativity?   Dictionary.com defines the word as “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, orignality, progressiveness, or imagination”.

I hope these quotes get your creative juices flowing!!!!

“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Albert Einstein

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” Joseph Chilton Pearce

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep.” Scott Adams

“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” Alan Alda

“To draw, you must close your eyes and sing.” Pablo Picasso

“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” John Cage

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou

“A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations.” — Gerald G. Jampolsky

“Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.” — George Lois

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Mark Twain

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll

“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.” Henri Matisse

What is a favorite quote of yours?

 

B IS FOR BYRNE, THE A TO Z’s OF ART

David Byrne with St. Vincent

Yes, Byrne, as in David Byrne.  This type of post is a departure for me, but I am excited to see him tonight with St. Vincent (AKA Annie Clark). I saw David Bryne for the first time in 1978 with The Talking Heads,the band he was the founder of that was together from 1975 through 1991.  (Okay, I snuck into the concert somehow and sat behind Elvis Costello, who played there the next night!)

I am adding this paragraph late on Tuesday after seeing the show.  He didn’t perform much from the Talking Headss, but I saw a total collaboration between him and St. Vincent.  Using eight horns, from a tuba to a trumpet, and i swear I saw a flute at one time.   The show was totally coreographed, with the horn players marching around.  I enjoyed it, but still found it lacking.  I guess because I missed the Talking Head songs.  The highlight – her and David playing the THEREMIN!!!!!!  I’d never seen one played – the only instrument that is played without touching it!

David is a true renaissance man, working in various media such as film, photography, opera and non-fiction.  He has received a Grammy, Oscar and a Golden Globe Award and has been inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DAVID

  • born in Scotland and apparently is not a U.S. Citizen
  • could play the guitar, accordion and violin before high school
  • is left handed but plays the guitar right handed
  • studied at The Rhode Island School of Design for a year
  • has collaborated as a solo artist with Brian Eno more than once
  • has an interest in world music
  • collaborated with Twyla Tharp for The Catherine Wheel
  • won an oscar for the score from Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor
  • Wrote, directed and starred in True Stories
  • collaborated with Fatboy Slim on Here Lies Love, a disco opera based on Imelda Marcos
  • a visual artist, he is represented by Pace/MacGill Gallery in New York
  • creates public installations, often anonymously
  • was in a relationship with photographer Cindy Sherman for five years
  • writes a regular cycling column for the New York Times

There is so much more to know about David Bryne.  I think my favorite project he ever did was “Playing The Building” installation done in the Battery Maritime Building.  He basically took the building and somehow hooked the entire building (pipes, heaters, vents, etc) to an old pipe organ which made a playable musical instrument.

David is on tour with St. Vincent, accompanied by an eight piece horn section.  St. Vincent has said her stage name is based on Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center where poet Dylan Thomas died.  “It’s the place where poetry comes to die, that’s me.” she has said.  She has also said it was her grandmother’s middle name. The most interesting thing I found, she plays multiple instruments, including the theremin.

I’m looking forward to this show, she has been compared to Kate Bush and to David Bowie.   Her music features violins, cellos, flutes, trumpet and clarinets.

I feel this is a good collaboration, even though she is half his age (she is 30, he is 60).  But, David Bryne had a xylophone player for one tour, I’ll never forget the first pounding notes on that instrument for Psycho Killer!

 

 

BLOGTOBERFEST – A MONTH OF BLOGGING!

I just signed up for the 4th annual blogging festival called Blogtoberfest, hosted by Kat at  I Saw You Dancing.  A month of blogging every day –  you may wonder – what are you thinking?  Well, I was thinking.  I have been reading and reading blogs, partially because of an online class I’m taking with Kelly Rae Roberts called Flying Lessons.  In a short two weeks, I have seen women really blossom!  After seeing a commitment on a blog by Australian Janine Whitling, I decided I can do it!

At first, I thought – ” no – you can’t post every day”.  I realized I don’t have to write a dissertation every day.  I want to use this to record my month of paying attention to what is around me.  I plan on keeping a notebook with me at all times to record things I see, hear and read.  If nothing else – I can always just post a favorite quote.

To get ready for this, I spent this rainy day in Georgia cleaning up.  I even laid out the clothes I will wear to work tomorrow – something I rarely do!  So, this month is going to be getting new habits, like pre-planning, paying attention, and being good to ME!  I plan on exercising regularly, taking my lunch to work, taking care of those things so I can open my mind and heart up to anything that comes.

Come on this journey with me.  I will start with my “October To-Do” list – which includes art projects and personal plans i.e. budgeting, getting a new car, getting beyond my antique flip phone!  I will write about books I’ve read, starting with The Creative Habit, Learn It and Use It For Life  by Twyla Tharp.

I’m not going to beat myself up if I miss a day, but I’m going to make an honest effort!  I need to get those pesky ideas out of my head  – begin acting on those ideas that pop in and out!  I know there are a few that are going to STICK!

If nothing else – I’ll post pictures of Ziggy and his escapades, like trying to read my books!  more on that later.