self expression – Page 2 – Michelle Folk Johnson

(Vicious?) Creative Cycle

Do other people go through these cycles too? I’m curious to hear about other people’s creativity cycles, and how they flow through them. Please share if you will. ❤️

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”

Write What You (Don’t) Know

Those of us who write have heard the phrase, “Write what you know.” But what do I write about once I realize I know nothing? A karate teacher of mine told our class once, “We don’t say we know karate.” She went on to explain what this meant. As I understood it, one can neverContinue reading “Write What You (Don’t) Know”