Not sure about some of these ways, like drinking coffee… but a lot of them are spot on. It’s not enough to watch this. Get out there and live these.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Driving into Hesperia the Sunday of this shoot, I was a little bit nervous. As my car kicked from side to side from heavy winds I couldn’t help worry that it might make this shoot too difficult. Luckily when we finally arrived at the Mirage Dry Lake Bed, the wind had subsided.

The lake bed is a popular recreation area for off roaders. ATVs, dirt bikes, go carts, trucks, etc. were racing by us in all directions. I’d felt like I’d stumbled onto the set of a Mad Max movie. All those vehicles turned the landscape into a giant dust bowl. By the time the shoot was done, me and my equipment were covered in a fine white veil of dust.

Angel, (the model) was a trooper. She braved the dust, the cold and my constant requests for her to jump or hold a pose. She stands no taller than 5’4″ but when she takes off, she literally flies. I was amazed at how much air she could get and how gracefully she looked doing it. She was amazing. Truly a desert angel.

Marco Grob is a brilliant photographer. From portraits, editorials to advertising campaigns he creates immaculate, masterfully lit images. Occasionally I come across a photographer whose work is so good (and intimidating), it makes me want to sell my camera and take up a new career. Marco Grob is definitely one of them. I wonder if Burger King is hiring?

You can see more of his amazing images here:

http://www.marcogrob.com

Model Nikki Fuego shot for the Heavy Hitters Fight Calendar. © aguirre photography

Although most think creativity is a fickle mistress, I’ve had enough experiences to know that sometimes all it takes is patience to get the results you’re after. Sure some days you’re going to be full of ideas while other days you’re creative brain my feel duller than a Carrot Top performance. There’s a lot of factors that could affect your “flow” and here’s 5 to watch out for.

1. Working on projects only when you feel like it
I wonder what life would be like if pilots, surgeons and bus drivers only worked when they felt like it? If you’re only working on projects on days you feel like it, it’s a pretty sure bet you’re limiting your time and focus. If being creative is your job, that means you turn up to work just like everyone else.

“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up.”
—Chuck close, Painter

“An artist’s career is a series of peaks and valleys—and I enjoy both equally.”
—Rocky Schenck, Photographer

2. Work only if you’re getting paid
The more successful you are the more important it is to remember to work on your personal projects. Even if you feel it’s taking time away from paying gigs, working on projects that are exciting and close your heart will pay off. It will feed you inspiration and ideas that you can use to enhance your paying work as well as keep you motivated. Think of it as investment in yourself.

3. Limiting the scope of your work
If your creations are based on one subject or medium, your work risks getting stale. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas or directions. It could be as simple as a different format, medium, color palettes, etc. The great thing about being creative is it allows you the freedom to explore and experiment. Make sure to take advantage of it.

4. Not keeping a sketchbook
Your sketchbook is like a forgiving friend who you can share all your unedited ideas, notes, sketches, etc. It’s like a brainstorming session because when you brainstorm, there are no bad ideas. I can’t express how important it is to have box, book, file or sketchbook to store all your great inspirations and ideas.

5. Becoming a couch potato
It’s easy to get sucked into this season’s new shows and episodes. Some studies have suggested that watching television can have an adverse effect on a person’s creativity. I’m not sure how true that is, but I do know that it can easily suck hours, weeks and years of your life that you’ll never get back if you let it. Not becoming a couch potato is more of personal opinion as I found that the less television I watched, the more productive I became. It had nothing to do with TV sucking my creativity into some void. I suddenly found myself with all this extra time from not watching TV which motivated me to do more interactive activities like: visiting with friends an having actual conversations, writing, getting out more and getting inspired with new ideas for projects. (Just to name a few). Program your brain, not the TV!

cartoon by Hugh Macleod. © gapingvoid.com

After reading Hugh Macleod’s book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Keys to Creativity the one point that really seemed to stick with me was his Sex and Cash Theory. Put simply it’s:

“The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the kind that pays the bills. Sometimes the task in hand covers both bases, but not often. This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended.”

In a nutshell, don’t quit your day job. There’s examples in the book of photographers, coders and writers who work for the faceless corporations to survive (cash) and get all their personal works done on their free time (sex).

“This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended.” As soon as you accept this, I mean really accept this, for some reason your career starts moving ahead faster. I don’t know why this happens. It’s the people who refuse to cleave their lives this way- who just want to start Day One by quitting their current crappy day job and moving straight on over to best-selling author… Well, they never make it. — Hugh Mcleod,

I’m buying into this theory more and more. After quitting my day job to get more creative freedom, it seems I’m working harder and longer trying to make my cash which leaves me little time to get my sex (creativity) on.

I was at the bookstore and stumbled onto James Jean’s, “Hugs and Kisses” (postcard book) and was floored that I’d missed his work up to now. He’s a huge talent who’s work has been featured in museums, shows and even Prada fabrics. I couldn’t get enough of his hauntingly delicate and dreamy style.

You can see more of his work at jamesjean.com and follow his blog at www.processrecess.com

my sketch of the day: just ideas - media: micron 05 black ink pen

“A sketchbook is like a valve, a pressure release system. Instead of weighing things up in my head, I give them a place in my sketchbook.”—Daniel Kluge, Designer

I must confess that it’s been years since I’ve had a sektchbook. Years of creating with a computer has put all that paper and pencil business out of my head for a very long time. On one of my breaks from sitting with my mother at the hospital, I went to a bookstore where I discovered a display of Moleskine sketchbooks. I purchased one to take back to the hospital with me to help pass the time and it turned out to be the best purchase I’ve made all year. Now it goes everywhere with me.

When sketching my focus on the task and subject is so immersive that the world, worries and time just disappear. It’s probably the purest form of living in the moment I can think of. It’s like taking a mini-reprieve or hike in quiet woods. Like most who happen into their passion like sudden car accident, I’m trying to convert (encourage) anyone who’s ever considered a creative project to start sketching, jotting, writing and playing within the pages of their own sketchbook.

I stumbled onto, “Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators and Creatives” at the bookstore which contained the quote above and the following which pretty much say’s it all for me:

A spread from Richard Bereton's Book: Sketchbooks: The hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators and Creatives

“The familiarity of sketching is a way of grounding myslef. It allows me to retreat from the anxiety of the unknown environment, directing clarity towards a singular object of my choosing, and I can filter out everything else. When traveling I also carry a camera and take photographs, but drawing is something I think about. It has a different personal involvement than the time investment of taking photos”—Andrea Dezö

sketch of the day - coffee shop characters

Whatever your chosen medium or work, everyone has the capacity to be creative. Sometimes getting inspired is the hurdle and other times, staying focused and excited about your project is the challenge.

Managing your motivation means long-term maintenance. Getting inspired can be tough, but once you get the ball rolling consistency and discipline become key. Losing gas half-way through a project can happen to the best of us. These simple solutions might help you keep the creative fire burning but in the end, it’s up to you to find what works best.

Set Goals
Motivation is easiest when you’re accomplishing. Give yourself something to achieve. Setting bite-sized goals is the best approach. This way, your goals are manageable and easy to complete. The more goals you reach, the more motivated you’ll be.

Have a Creative Cave
Having a place set aside for being creative is important. The more you create within your space, the more your mind will click into creative mode whenever you’re there. It’s important to let your family or roommates know that once you’re in your cave, you’re not to be disturbed. Distractions are a sure way to get off track.

Keep a sketchbook or notebook
This one should be a requirement. A sketchbook or notebook is an immediate way to jot down ideas or thoughts. Putting your ideas on paper clears your mind for new ideas. It also serves as a library of ideas you can fall back on when you’re in a dry spell. There’s tons of sketchbooks out there, too. I have a preference for Moleskines because they’re durable and come in a variety of sizes.

Don’t give up
If you’re stuck and feel like throwing in the towel, picture Mick from Rocky yelling for you to, “Keep fightin!”. In other words, don’t quit. If you have to, take a break but make sure you plan to come back for another round. Every project has a solution, some a little harder than others but when it’s tough, quitting should never be an option.

Prime time
Find out when your creativity peaks. Everyone’s mind and body has their own internal schedule for certain functions and creativity is no exception. I feel most creative late at night but some might find the morning better. Find your time and use it to your advantage.

When it comes to creativity, it’s important to get that ball rolling and keep it rolling. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. In the end however, it’s really up to you to decide what works best. The important thing is to start rolling that ball.

Creativity or bust
My job requires me to be creative even on days when I’m not quite feeling it. On those occasions, I need to either jump start my engine or risk losing a paycheck. Unlike most, I believe that creativity can be cultivated, motivated and cajoled and here are a few strategies to do just that:

1. Change your space
There’s no point in drumming your fingers while staring at a blank piece of paper or computer screen. It’s best to just take some time to reset your perspective with new scenery. My locations of choice are bookstores or quick hike or walk with my iPod.

2. Change your tools or medium
Step away from your comfort zone and experiment with different tools. If you do most of your work on a computer, pick up a pencil and draw. If you can’t draw, try interpretive dance, write a poem or take pictures. The point is to get away from your comfort zone so you approach problems in a new way.

3. Chase away your inner critic
Creativity is fueled by experimentation but some of us have an inner critic that keeps us from trying new things. We’re afraid of failure yet a lot of times we need to go through several failures in order to get to that “Aha!” moment. Try to be aware of your meddling, inner critic and shut ‘em down before they pipe up. Remember when brainstorming, there are no bad ideas!

4. Doodle to your favorite music
Doodling alone can be enough to get the engines primed. I find that adding a soundtrack to my scribbles not only add a dimension that inspires visualization, it’s also a great stress reliever. Solutions and fortunes can present themselves in the tangle of swirls and lines, too.

5. Make an inspiration scrabook
While everyone uses their iPhoto application to hold precious family photos of little timmy, I use it to collect any and all inspirational images, color palettes and art I come across on the internet. I also keep a sketchbook of inspiring imagery, designs or colors I’ve torn out of magazines. Any time I look through my collection, I always feel more inspired and creative.

iPhoto is great for collecting an inspirational scrapbook

Now get out there and create!

I had planned to get a lot of work done this last saturday. In the spirit of planning, nothing went as expected. My mother woke up feeling terribly ill and it was another all day trip to the hospital. There’s a horrible pit that settles in my stomach when I want so badly to make her feel better and it’s out of my power to do so.

As she slept with a crease of pain between her brows, all I could do was sit, sketch and wait for her scan results…

Thankfully, after an overnight stay, she woke up feeling refreshed and good enough to go home the very next evening.