In the Animal Spirit deck by aritst Kim Krans, which I purchased sometime around 2021, there is a card for the raccoon. Raccoon energy is about wearing a mask, about hiding, but it’s also playful. On the card, Krans mentions that many artists choose to wear masks in the form of an alter ego. SheContinue reading “Alter Ego”
Tag Archives: Creativity
Harvesting Flowers
Dahlias are a wonderful and magical plant: if you want the plant to produce more flowers, you harvest the flowers. For every bloom you cut, two more pop up in its place. Creative ideas work the same way. When we have ideas for projects, artworks, essays, novels, we’re often tempted to hold on to them,Continue reading “Harvesting Flowers”
Ego Voice/God Voice
When I make visual art, I get quiet enough to hear the voices in my head. I hear the voice that says, “This is stupid, no one will like this,” or the voice that says, “This is pretty! People will love this!” When I’m making art, I sometimes get impatient. I ask myself, “Why amContinue reading “Ego Voice/God Voice”
Art for Art’s Sake
Last fall, I started something I called “Creativity Practice,” I made a practice of doing one creative thing a day and posting it on Instagram. Over the course of the practice, I began to ask myself, ‘Why am I making this project?’ The answers were sometimes like this: I’m making this: • because so&so willContinue reading “Art for Art’s Sake”
Embracing the Shitty First Draft
I didn’t come up with the idea of the Shitty First Draft, but boy do I find it helpful. (I think I might have read it in a book by Anne Lamott, here’s a great post about her writing advice.) Here’s how it works: Option1: I approach a creative project from the perspective of “ThisContinue reading “Embracing the Shitty First Draft”
Michelle Folk Johnson 