Jan

20

The Crafty Songwriter - Tip #1

January 20, 2008 | 2 Comments

[tutorial, songwriting]

Show don’t tell
by Carson A. Metzger
Exercise #1: Practice writing a song where you avoid telling entirely
How do you do this?
Be descriptive.
Avoid universal statements by grounding or dramatizing your song in the details of a particular scene, character, or relationship between characters.
Avoid using “to be” verbs.
Forgo clichés and truisms by translating things you have […]

Oct

9

using our good sense

October 9, 2007 | 1 Comment

[-quick tip, practice-]

A Quick Creative Practice
~simple habits can have profound impacts~

“The smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us…..” Marcel Proust, French writer.

Whether you’re on a high energy creative roll or in a loggy slump, paying attention to your senses always makes good sense.
The kind of creativity […]

Aug

1

c-ART-egories

August 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-warm-up, drawing-]
Here’s a creative warm-up exercise that uses categories.
Choose a category each day to draw in your journal. Divide your paper into 8 - 12 small sections. Decide on the length of time you want to devote to this. My suggestion is to start with no more than ten minutes. Quicker sketches will loosen […]

Jun

30

other-handed

June 30, 2007 | 2 Comments

[-journaling, c-mindfulness-]
Next time you are writing in your journal, switch the pen to your other hand and write.
I know. I know. You can’t write with your other hand. Never mind. Go on and do it anyway.
Writing with our non-dominant hand can have interesting results because it confuses our brain. Part of that protest […]

Jun

27

a pcq-qcp: bedside essentials

June 27, 2007 | 2 Comments

[-quick tip, practice-]

A Quick Creative Practice
~simple habits can have profound impacts~

Keep a tablet and a pen or pencil on your bedside table at all times!
DREAMS
If you wake with a dream still in reach, jot it down immediately. If you want to fall back to sleep, don’t worry about transcribing the full dream. If you write […]

May

23

Problem-solving Drawings

May 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-exercise, un-blocker-]

by Nancy Waldman

Do you feel creative but still have difficulty creating?
Is something holding you back but you’re not quite sure what or why?
Are you feeling blocked?
Do you feel that your output is a trickle instead of a flood?
Here is a exercise designed to explore these kinds of problems in a new way.
In Marks […]

May

18

contour drawings

May 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-r-mindfulness, exercise-]
by Nancy Waldman

Before beginning your creative work for the day, try this as a warm-up. It is an excellent way to access your R-mind and to lift your awareness from everyday mode into a heightened realm.

This warm-up is a drawing exercise but it’s not just for visual artists. It will help no matter what […]

May

11

MetAphorism - The Artichoke

May 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-inspiration, photography-]

metAphorism is a PCQ coined-word that means a simple, everyday thing, concept or event that points us in the direction of a deeper lesson.

metaphor - figure of speech giving an implicit comparison: this is that.
aphorism - concise statement of a truth or opinion.

The metAphorism:
The Artichoke Plant
The Lesson:
Things Take Time

by guest metaphorical thinker […]

Apr

27

Making your Mark

April 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-essay, self-evolution, process-]
by Nancy Waldman

I make marks, therefore I am.

Durham Dr. & Center St. (Houston, TX)

Originally uploaded by Mr. Waldo.

Since the days men lived in caves, human beings have demonstrated the need to make their mark on this world.
From those cave paintings, to […]

Apr

16

Curvyques

April 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment

[-photography, practices-]

Curvyques

Originally uploaded by suzeque.

This photograph is taken by my cohort [and, btw, sister] Suze and is an image from Texas, taken in San Antonio.
I’m crazy about it. But why?
Taking the time to analyze what we love about someone else’s work is a […]

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