A book on Mindful Creativity

Before I read Imagine: How Creativity Works, I was about half-way through a book on creativity told from a very different perspective. I came back to On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity by Ellen J. Langer after finishing Lehrer's book and am still really enjoying it!

Langer is a psychology professor and a painter. The book begins with the story of how she became an artist and her references are often personal, and it reads more like a self-help book, which I like. Each chapter and sections of chapters begin with a quote, and it's segmented into easily digestible sections. The title led me to think this was going to be a book about how to become an artist, to which my response is: I already am an artist so why do I need this book? But that is deceiving. It would be more accurate to say that it's a book about mindfulness for creative people.

I think the parts I have enjoyed the most are dealing with evaluation, comparison and criticism. For example, I really grabbed on to this quote on page 59:

"The important thing is never to let oneself be guided by the opinion of one's contemporaries; to continue steadfastly on one's way without letting oneself either be defeated by failure or diverted by applause." - Gustav Mahler

Langer goes on to talk about how compliments can act as confirmation of the artist's worth, but that is just as dangerous as not receiving compliments or winning awards. Later in the book she comes back to evaluation in the chapter on social comparison. I really liked this part:

"Social comparing is one way for us to gain validation. But there are other ways that are not so costly. Because a work of mindful art has so much of the person in it, it is no wonder that artists are eager to show their work and are so disappointed if it does not receive approval. It is hard at that point to separate oneself from the work." Langer, 142

She goes on to suggest that we consider asking better questions than "do you like it?" to learn more about how others see our work. Some of her suggestions include:

What does it mean to you?
Would you have added something (or left something out), and why?
What does this tell you about me?

The book as a whole is an encouraging lesson, one that all art school dropouts should read, that anyone who creates from the soul should read. It's so easy to talk yourself out of creating, so why not let someone who's been there talk you into creating? For me the take-away is: Don't be afraid to create. Create for yourself and don't be discouraged by others. They may not understand the work in the same way you do and that is ok.

If you are stuck in a mental block, trying to free yourself to be more creative, as I often do, search out and try keeping a list of sources for inspiration and encouragement. I keep a list of books/talks/etc to encourage myself to just go out there and create. You can find my haphazard study of creativity on this page. Now what are you waiting for? Go create something! Do it for you!


(If you are one of those people who were frustrated that Jonah Lehrer failed to cite sources in Imagine, and the fact that it used some of the same studies and stories as Malcom Gladwell's Blink, you will be pleased that Langer references her material and the bulk of the stories shared come from her own experiences as a psychologist.)

Little Oases on the Route to the Top - Grand Canyon Day 3

So, it's been a while getting back to organizing and just looking at all my vacation photos, but of course it's so wonderful to look back and marvel at how impressive that place is - not that these photos come anywhere near capturing it. For the last two days in the canyon I opted to hike more comfortably, which meant all photos were taken on my phone so that I didn't have to deal with trying to find a way to carry my DSLR comfortably - there is no way, I've decided.

There are two really wonderful things about coming out of the canyon via the Bright Angel Trail over two days: one, the first day is not nearly as steep, and two, the trail often is alongside the creek which provides little oases as relief from the heat and sun. So at the end of the hike, dropping the bulk of our gear at our campsite, we get to make the extra 1.5 mile hike out to Plateau Point for the sunset.

 The guys crossing the creek

 View of battleship rock (I think) from Bright Angel Trail

 From whence we came - Bright Angel Trail etched into the canyon

(Unfortunately the puzzle images I took at Plateau were mostly blurry and the timelapse also didn't work, so the only puzzle I got was with my phone and the colors were all off so I got rid of the color and now I like it.

Next Up: Coming Out of the Canyon On the Last Day

This is a series on our 2012 trip. In case you missed them, here are my previous posts:

• The Sky In the Grand Canyon - Phantom Ranch Part 2
• Rockin' the Bottom - Phantom Ranch Part 1
• Trekking the South Kaibab Trail into the Grand Canyon
• Petroglyph National Monument and the Painted Desert

All photos copyright Katrina Kouba Boles

Imagine - A book worth reading!

Just imagine for a minute that there's a book out there that combines the wisdom of multiple creators/artists/entrepreneurs/engineers/etc with the knowledge of neurologists and scientists, simply explaining what it takes to be creative and where insights come from.

Jonah Lehrer's new book Imagine: How Creativity Works does just that. There are many ways to create, but perhaps if we understand where our brains and creativity intersect we can become more creative. Lehrer explains how insight and grit both lead to innovation and how we can work alone or together to make more and better things.

"I think people need to be reminded that creativity is a verb, a very time-consuming verb. It's about taking an idea in your head, and transforming that idea into something real. And that's always going to be a long and difficult process. If you're doing it right, it's going to feel like work." - Milton Glaser quote within Imagine, pg 69

I loved reading this book. It was inspirational, interesting and full of great takeaways.

"Knowledge can be a subtle curse. When we learn about the world, we also learn all the reasons why the world cannot be changed. We get used to our failures and imperfections. We become numb to the possibilities of something new. In fact, the only way to remain creative over time - to not be undone by our expertise - is to experiment with ignorance, to stare at things we don't fully understand." - Jonah Lehrer, Imagine, pg135

And now the 99% has posted the talk that Lehrer gave at their annual conference:

Jonah Lehrer: The Origins of Creative Insight & Why You Need Grit from 99% on Vimeo.

"It is the human friction that creates the sparks." - Jonah Lehrer, Imagine, pg212

I highly recommend this book. Get it on CD and listen to it while you work, or get ahold of a copy and read it bit by bit. It's digestible, interesting, and will make you think about how you create and how you could create more and better ideas.

Imagine by Jonah Lehrer Book Trailer from cosproductions on Vimeo.

Is that Your Studio? This is my Studio!

Recently, textile artist Lisa Call encouraged artists to share their studio habits. I found her post, by way of Vicki Welsh, and the others she linked to very interesting. So lookout folks, I'm going to share my answers too. I borrowed the questions from Lisa, who apparently borrowed them from someone else.

A little caveat: When I'm working on something, and even sometimes when I'm not, my studio is a cluttered mess. And since I'm currently full-force working on Glacial Recession, please excuse the mess.

Is your studio at home or a separate space?
I totally can't afford to pay rent somewhere else. When we bought our first home three years ago we purposefully looked for a place that had the potential for uninhibited messiness! The windows and plain old concrete floor in our basement were the perfect solution. With used carpeting some friends were going to throw out, I was able to make it feel a little more homely without the worry that would typically proceed working over plastic sheeting.


How big is your studio?
Half of the basement. Roughly 500 sq ft.

Typically, how many hours a day do you work in the studio?
That varies. When I'm in the creative mode, I can spend about 3-4 hours an evening in there or 8-10 hours on a weekend day there. But there have sadly been times where the lights aren't even on all week.

How many days a week?
Because I work and have too many passions to focus on, my studio time ebbs and flows. I try to make it down there at least twice a week.

My print/dye room (printing table thanks to my dad)

Do you listen to music while you work?
I pretty much ALWAYS listen to something. It's not always music. When I do listen to music, I tend to replay the same music over and over again - to my husband's dismay - loudly so that I can hear it from across the room. Sometimes I'm sympathetic and put in my earbuds and use pandora on my phone. But sometimes I get carried away by the music and wind up dancing instead of doing my work. So, though I can't dance about architecture, I sure have tried to dance about textiles - usually to disastrous results (I've twisted ankles, made myself sick...).

Lately I've been checking out books on CD at the library. In the past two weeks, I finished Super Freakonomics (which was fascinating), Blink, and The Idea Hunter. I really enjoyed Ignore Everybody (the reader is really great and the ideas come to life through his verbalization). I also really like to listen to talks, either TED talks I've already heard or other inspiring talks (I keep a list of these inspirational things on this page). I tend to re-listen to things because I'll catch something new or remind myself of good practices.

Do you watch television while you work?
Well not when I'm listening to music or a CD of course...but yes, I do "watch" television while I work. I listen to tv shows or movies I have on DVD. I can't stand commercials and I don't get any stations in the basement, so I'm pretty much limited to DVDs. I will only put on things I've already seen. I used to think it was just white noise until I realized that I actually remember things I hear when I'm working.

Do you answer the telephone while you are in your studio?
Most of the time my phone is upstairs and I don't hear it, but if I have access and it rings, I'll answer.

How often do you take breaks?
I take breaks when I hit a wall or get so thirsty or hungry that I HAVE to stop.


Do you have any over-use issues with your hands or any other body parts? If so, how do you manage them or compensate?
Several years ago I had continual problems with my neck and shoulders. I had visited a massage therapist who was wonderful, but after another six months I was back to feeling numbness in my arm, so I saw a doctor. A month of physical therapy - 3x a week for 4 weeks - and re-learning how to carry my head, I have done so much better! Now, when I have trouble, I do my PT exercises and try to take a break. I also have a back massager that I'll use, and I make sure I take a good warm shower, relax, and try to take a break from sewing or working with fabric in the dyebaths.

The "wet room" (bathroom)

And the question that wasn't asked, but I want to hear answers to.... How do you motivate yourself to be in the studio when you would rather slack off?
Motivation is key. Last night I knew I had a book to finish listening to, and since I can't just listen to the book without doing anything with my hands, I wound up in the studio and stayed longer than the end of the book. 

In the summer, it's cooler in the basement so I will sometimes wander down there to enjoy the cool. In the coldest part of winter, the opposite is true. Mostly, I need to have a project that engages me. I have to WANT to be there. And I've found that coming up with a new technique to try can sometimes really get me going.


Mostly, I try to motivate myself by putting pretty things on the wall but that doesn't always help. Listening to something interesting helps me stay in the groove. It doesn't work for everyone, but I come from a home where music was always playing and that has stuck with me in my adult life.


For more behind the scenes in my studio, check out my progress on "Glacial Recession" via my time-lapse videos. I posted the most recent progress here.
        
 Your turn... What does your space look like and how does it work for you? 

The Sky in the Grand Canyon: Phantom Ranch Part 2

We were hot by the time we got back to Phantom, where we went inside to eat our sack lunches, drank some lemonade and enjoyed the fans. By mid-afternoon it was announced that due to the water breaks they would be turning off the electricity, so we went out to enjoy the creek. I had hoped to get down to the beach - I was going to jump in fully clothed killing two birds with one stone - but it was so hot that no one would walk all that way with me. Plus, with the water break washing out the trail to the beach, there was no guarantee we wouldn't have to go all the way around. So, we found our little corner of the creek, soaked our feet, legs, etc.

I washed off my pants and tried to help the newly formed rashes on my lower legs from getting too bad - the red dust must have some microorganisms to which I'm allergic in it and that dust blew right through my pants, settling on my lower legs. Then I removed my shirt and washed that out too. Boy was it cold putting that back on! It's hard to believe that I was shivering for a bit in 110+ degree weather. (Someone said they saw the thermostat hit 122.)

 Bright Angel Creek

 Footbridge crossing Bright Angel Creek

But here's the really incredible part: the clouds seem so much clearer, the sky almost smaller than it is back home, but gorgeous and worthy of better timelapses than my feeble attempts. Trying to get a sense of it? Watch my HD timelapse video on Vimeo:



Now that I've done this twice I can say with absolute certainty: If I do this again, I will only do it if I get a day at the bottom. Relaxation and recovery in addition to actually getting to enjoy being inside of the canyon make for happier hikers on the mandatory climb out of the canyon!

 HDR - Colorado River facing West from the Silver Footbridge

 Surreal HDR image of Bright Angel Creek

Next up: Hiking Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens and Sunset at Plateau Point

This is a series on our 2012 trip. In case you missed them, here are my previous posts:

• Rockin' the Bottom - Phantom Ranch Part 1
• Trekking the South Kaibab Trail into the Grand Canyon
• Petroglyph National Monument and the Painted Desert

All photos copyright Katrina Kouba Boles