Visual communication

 Even an Interior Decorator can SAY something about the character of the building & purpose of the spaces.

Art speaks, decoration is mute.

An artist often explores different mediums to explore new ways to communicate.

I've been to Europe & seen the great halls. -There's a big difference between Art & decoration.

You're not a Decorator. You are a Visual Communicator. (Many created objects are communication devices).

Don't look at your art as decoration. When Michelangelo was asked to 'decorate' the Sistine Chapel, he ran for the hills.

Business is about providing something useful. Yet some artists don't consider that their art can ever serve any useful purpose

People aren't remembered for how well they painted, but for WHAT they painted. (What is the SUBJECT you want to be remembered for?)

Art is great when it says something... Isn't this interesting, Isn't this funny, This is how I felt, This is important to me...

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Time & priorities

How can anyone hope for a more creative life if they don't even set aside 30 minutes a day to create.

I few minutes writing your thoughts down everyday is a great start to a more creative life.

The first step in a transition to a more creative life is to accept your need to create regularly.

It's about Task Management, not time management. Focus on your strengths.

Remember, People who are good at wasting their time, are good at wasting yours too.

Can't decide how best to use your time? Love knows when to say Yes. Wisdom knows when to say No.

Want to save a lot of time? Give people what they need, not what they want.

We spend our whole life waiting for the perfect time. But life isn't perfect.

Everyone needs a Creative Retreat. But that sounds defeatist. Let's call it a Creative Takeover.

We have no time to create because we have an over inflated sense of duty to go beyond our needs.

Today we have more opportunity to fill up our time, instead of protecting pockets of time to explore opportunities.

Your idea must be more valued than the compulsion to fill ever moment with mildly amusing distractions.

Ever experienced the subtle pressure not to create? "Oh, you're not doing much, can you help me"(?)

When we accept the mental cycle of "Need to work & deserve a rest", we won't allow ourselves time to create.

Great way to be more creative: What can you create that will be finished by sunset?

If people don't value your time, they don't value what you're doing.

Time should be shared, exchanged & given voluntarily. Not expected from you.

Time is valuable. People can expect too much of it from you.

Your life isn't giving your time away. It's devoting you time to what you love.

It's easy to say, "When I've organised everything, then I'll create". That makes your art the lowest priority.

There will always, always be something else to do. But you CAN find 15 minutes to create everyday.

I wonder what’s on the Procrasta-vision?

Maybe I'll aimlessly surf the Procrasta-net?

We wait for the mythical 'When'...but the 'NOW' is your moment.

Tomorrow will be a better day to start... ...Start TODAY will a better tomorrow be.

The greatest gift to yourself is TIME...YOU are one of your priorities.

I've been guilty of over planning & under achieving.

Education is a wonderful thing but it conditions people to learn first, THEN apply it in the real world.

'Beginning' has a wonderful effect; What you thought was too hard & too tiring is often only an illusion.

The best way forward is often a bit to the left or right. Never in the middle or to the extreme.

Success

Outward success is nice, but satisfaction is better.

People will do all sorts of crazy things if they think they will be rewarded for it. -Unknown.

A creative persons greatest distraction is the pressure of showing outward success.

The pressure to justify a creative direction with material success can be too much for an artist.

Sometimes our desire for creative expression & financial success cancel each other out.

Confidence in your talent must exist BEFORE it is rewarded.

Success is believing that YOUR thoughts, YOUR point of view & YOUR ideas have great value. (Write them down)

Success is the avoidance of unnecessary distractions & expectations.

Creative times, are the small deposits of success we invest into our confidence, skills & future.

Success is keep showing up....with enthusiasm

Success is being unique with excellence.

Admire their talent & work. Not just their success.

Problem solving (solution finding)

They says, "Find something you're passionate about". I say; "Find the thing that disturbs you the most & make the solution your purpose".

Be disturbed by unsolved problems. Be passionate for solutions.

When life gives you Brussels Sprouts, make a fuss.

The problem isn't that we don't have the answer, it's that we think we know the problem.

I used to know nothing. Now I know what I don't know.

The most creative know that there is rarely one solution.

There is always a third option.

"Can't do" people need to know what they can do. "Can do" people need to know what they can't.

Hey, the solution is right under my nose!! It's on the tip of my tongue.

Don't rely on what happens between your ears. Solutions can be right under your nose.

Problems are solved in your head, solutions are found around you.

Good problem solvers choose problems , not just solutions.

The world is divided into, "Why I can't", & "Why I do".

"Can't" is the most over used word. "Why" is the most misused.

"Can't" is a poor substitute for 'Create'.

At best, there are many options. At worst, there is always a 3rd option.

A complex situation can be remedied with a simple solution (sometimes).

We don't have all the answers, but there is always an answer close by.

Constructive people build better lives.

A problem is the scratchy stuff that makes us shine.

Many problems are the absence of hope. Many solutions provide that hope.

Fault finding is common, solution finders are unique.

Choose which problem you want to solve. Or a problem will choose you.

Persistence, determination & progress

An artists success is not becoming famous, but remaining an artist.

Successful creatives actually have terrible imaginations. They couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Successful artists lived with the thought that they may never know success.

Half of 2010 is gone. How are your projects going?

Failure is my teacher and success is my role-model.

Someone will always have a reason why you can't do something great.

If we don't create reasons to create, we will create reasons to do something else.

We need to remember the reasons we create. Or we will find many reasons not to.

For some reason people try to control if, when, how, where & what you create.

You're not a machine. You have seasons, rhythms, cycles & a pulse.

Some people are too quick to abandon a life with more freedom when they realize that it isn't free.

Raise the bar, reach for a star.

Been writing about my creative journey. Surprised how determined I've been to stay creative.

I think I'm Will Powered.

"Too difficult" is just something unpracticed.

Some creative people aren't stopped by inexperience, unanswered questions & no guaranties.

People throw rocks on your path but they won't build walls.

This year may have been a disappointment, but what you learnt, you'll need for new year.

Talked to a homeless man today who's writing two novels (at the libuary). His life's work is on a memory stick.

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Excuse me sir, I'm looking for an opportunity. Well son, you just gotta be prepared to go down the road an extra mile.

How can I be sure there'll be an opportunity when I get there? Well, very few go that far but those that do, aren't disappointed.

But everyone I know only does what they're paid to do. Well, I guess that's all they'll ever get paid for.

Ok, can you tell me what I'll find at the extra mile? Don't know, but I'm sure it will something worth the trip.

Alright, I'll go. I'll see you when I get back. Well, better say goodbye now because you won't need to come this way again. The End

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Most of your best experiences will happen because you took the first step.

Yesterdays man will always laugh at the work of tomorrows man (or woman).

People who said, "You haven't got what it takes", couldn't see what you got.

Some people don't see the facts, only flaws.

Every creative giant had to first ignore early critics.

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It's not just mind over matter. But heart & spirit as well.

A refugee can make more of his life than someone with a birthright.

One day you'll shine but first protect that flicker of hope.

The world lays on a subtle guilt when we want to create. Creative expression isn't selfish.

There's only one way to win this year. It must be conquered.

There can be no focus or persistence without passion.

Some people find themselves on the fringe of life. So they create life around themselves.

You'll probably enjoy a lot of fan love one day, but others will spit poison at you along the way.

Innovation

Not everyone has a creative foundation on which you can build an innovative concept.

Good innovation is human centered. Good design is organic.

Great innovation is creative compassion.

Innovation is a better mouse trap. Progress is a better question.

There are no new possibilities without new questions.

A new era begins when people start to ask new questions.

Old problems remain because they're waiting for a new perspective.

The problem with doing what everyone else is doing, you can't do what no one has done before.

Everyone wants to be a leader but not everyone wants to go first.

Current leaders in any field never waited to see what others are doing.

New inventions need new discoveries. New discoveries need new inventions.

Our questions begin as an assumption. And questions reveal false assumptions.

Without the info we need, assumptions become necessary. It's the false assumptions we are taught that mislead us.

Creativity is turning nothing into something. Innovation is turning something into many.

Innovation is improving everything. (Even improve the way you improve things).

Having an audience (& a community)

Let the world see the love in what you do, and they'll love it too.

Be known for what you do. It's not who you know, but who knows you.

A crowd becomes your community when you know your purpose in it.

There are those that follow a crowd. And those that serve a community.

The artist see's the worts, the audience see's the beauty.

If your audience doesn't know what fires you up, you will leave them cold.

Create from what you believe, what disturbs you, what you care about. That is what people respond to.

The only time an artist should re-create something is to re-create what is in him, into the audience.

On your creative journey, you travel through the hearts of your audience.


If every story is a journey. Then the art is to know were your audience is now. And then to take them to a place you want them to go.

Begin by trusting yourself. Then gain the trust of the 1 important person in your life. Then your future audience.

Musicians that sing about Fire, remember being burned. It still ignites their music.

A critic is someone who has just been introduced to the future.

Finding your niche & vocation

I'm thinking of becoming a Polymathic Specialist.

The burning question of most creative artists is, "How can I make a living doing what I love"?

Why do so many people underestimate the value of their talents, uniqueness & passions?

A chosen creative future is the process of taking the vocation inside you & putting yourself inside your vocation.

Your vocation is your talent and personality at play.

Your Resume is your past experience. Your Vocation Statement is your future experience.

Success & Happiness: It’s not what you know, it's knowing what you love.

Creative purpose: Find a big unsolved problem you're passionate about.

Find your niche. Then diversify within it.

Haven't found your Thing yet? ....Try lots of things.

Discovered a good friend of mine is a 'closet artist'. She's been painting in her spare time.

She reminds me of all the artist that love to paint & draw, but don't know what to do with it.

You have many great influences, but it's the style you create from yourself that matters in the end.

Music styles are the Pied Pipers, leading lives in different directions.

I'm not a very good dancer. I'm bad poetry in motion.

The heart is the compass, the mind is the map.

A vocation is the love of growing.

Failure, fear & mistakes

Failure is my teacher and success is my role-model.

We are so easily distracted so we can avoid our fear of failure.

The odd mistake is still a cheap education.

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Creative purpose: "You can be a big fish in a bigger pond too". 

Vision: Looking for a bigger pond.

Peer pressure: "Be a small fish like us".

Talent: Feeling like a big fish in a little pond.

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The only real mistake you can make is to never make any.

\/\/\/\ Progress is a zig-zag line /\/\/\/

Do we fear complete failure, or just a failed idea?

Trust yourself: Your ideas, your talents and your skills.

Nothing wrong about learning from a failed attempt.

Successful people profit if they succeed, Successful people profit if they fail too.

A mistake isn't a waste of time & effort. It actually gives you time to think more deeply.

Mistakes are not to be avoided. Some of them will be Happy Accidents.

Divide a big project into small steps...and smaller mistakes.

Experiment often. Fail early.

You can't be truly ready for life if you're not ready to make mistakes.

Put finished work on display. Put abandoned work away.

Yes, I have lots of experience. I've experienced failure many times.

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Pessimists look for somewhere to hide. Optimists look for somewhere to shine.

Pessimists see bad problems. Optimists see good problems.

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They'll claim to see your faults & flaws, But for you will open many doors.

They will laugh, they will snigger, But they'll stay small & you'll be bigger.

Some people don't like change, even if it doesn't affect them or is unimportant. It's just too unexpected for them.

Some people are afraid of the future, so they don't even welcome new & beneficial technologies.

Some people are afraid of being more vulnerable, so they avoid social media.

A lot of people want their life to change, but change is what they fear most. (????)

The media loves bad news, and it gives many people reasons to never try.

People want soft & safe; They make their own Padded Cell. (& slowly go crazy with boredom).

Do you want comfortable, or do you want interesting, surprising & fascinating.

People love success but they love to hear when people fail.

Give yourself a chance to succeed & you might fail. Give yourself a chance to fail & you might succeed.

People waiting for the right guarantee. But I guarantee you, man doesn't have any.

Failure IS an option. (Well, not my 1st option, but achievable).

Success is risking failure. Failure is risking nothing.

I know what avoidance taste like. It tastes like Chicken!

It looked like a wall across my path, but as I got closer I saw stones named doubt, rejection, indecision & failure.

Failing isn't being finished. But an opportunity to be a beginner, without all the extra baggage.

For many, the Twilight Zone is anywhere outside their Comfort Zone.

The comfort Zone is a 8x8 foot cubicle.

The Comfort Zone is a familiar discomfort.

A comfort zone is the fear of the unknown & untried.

Staying outside my comfort zone means being hungry enough to venture out far enough for long enough

The place you really want to be, is OUTSIDE your comfort zone.

"Can't", is often just not knowing how...yet.

Some use facts to do amazing things. Some use 'facts' to do nothing.

Some people never do what they planned, because they found a flaw. (But even successful plans had flaws).

People have a fear of getting hurt. They want to protect their inner child from harm.

Employment

Other employees are only interested in the possibility that your job might be a little better than theirs.

The problem with being an employee is having to listen to other employees talking about their jobs.

Being an employee is often a necessity, but shouldn't become your whole mindset.

Everyone wants financial independence, without thinking or feeling independently.

People who worry most about their future, are the ones that leave their future in the hands of others.

People often feel trapped. But the happiest prisoner is the one planning his escape.

I want to be so ready for this year, that if I loose my job it would be a blessing.

People tend to stop creating for themselves when they start working for a boss.

Over heard a supermarket lady say, "I'm just biding my time". (I'll endure this job until I work out what I want to do with my life).

Work colleague said she's "been in this job too long, but I'm in my comfort zone now".

People spend too much time looking for disappearing jobs Instead, create a new job description.

It's easier to find a job that hasn't disappeared.

Daydreams

Persistent daydreams are the messages from your hidden talents.

You have a 'Private Daydream' that wants to be promoted to 'Major Purpose'.

A daydream is something you want to do, when you are doing something you don't want to do.

Dreams make sleeping sweet. Daydreams make living sweeter.

A daydream isn't an idle thing. We see ourselves working at what we love.

You don't have to live in someone's shadow. As long as you see that your opportunities come from your own interests & daydreams.

When you grow into your dreams, you discover the world grows bigger still.

Daydream: A process in which the mind says, "Bugga you, if you don't need me, I've got more interesting things to do".

"Oh, I was miles away then". (Oh, body was doing what it has to do, so mind went outside to play).

When you're too tired, don't make major decisions. Even your daydreams need a rest.

HOPE gives the best career advice.

Daydreams are spontaneous goals.

A day-dream is a longing for a better day-job.

Curiosity & learning

People become more creative when they allow their curiosity to be inspired by simple things.

Not everyone has the opportunity to study. But everyone has the freedom to learn.

Curiosity is the love of learning. Endless boredom is the price of indifference.

University is heaven for the curious and paradise for the creative.

If we're not learning, we become robots running on old, pre-installed programs.

We learn interesting things about ourselves when we are learning other interesting things.

Few things are finer than learning interesting things with others.

You may find that some of your best times were learning new things at your pace.

There are Students and Stagnates. Those who keep learning and those who stop.

I wonder if I'm too curious. I feel like an ant exploring an oak tree.

A creative soul is rarely bored. He always packs a big lunch for a hungry curiosity.

Curiosity is like a close friend. Imagination like a brother.

Creativity is ultimately the exploration of personal curiosity.

We can wish to be a master, or we can create today with the heart of a student.

Common knowledge, prevailing wisdom, seedless watermelon. Don't accept it just because most believe it.

Logic looks for instant satisfaction, curiosity is far more patient.

Been away for a while. Needed some in-put time. I love learning new things.

You succeed if you earn but if you only learn, you still succeed.

An artist doesn't need to know all the answers. They can just ask the question.

See more intentionally, Feel more sensitively, Think more independently.

I'm learning too much at the moment, to get an education.

You are a theory that needs to be tested.

I've always been curious. What makes me tick?

If you're a mystery to yourself, then the world is a mystery.

Your life is a journey of discovery. Begin with you.

Life can be a mystery. You shouldn't be.

Creativity is a life of discovery. -Of your unique talents, personality, dreams, voice & niche.

A laboratory curiosity is an observation without imagination.

The great pillars of discovery should never be just silos of knowledge.

Knowledge is relative, truth is absolute.

Feed your curiosity. Don't drip feed it.

Bad television is the gradual transition from a bad education.

Today is 'National awareness of nothing in particular day'.

Restlessness, is the hunger pains of an unfed curiosity.

More people would have a photographic memory, if they took off the lens cap.

We create with what we know, to explore what we don't know.

An artist sees more, a musician hears more.

The most observant are deaf. The best listeners are blind.

Most of us have excellent hearing & eye sight. Unfortunately, most of us can't do them well at the same time.

We see & hear unconsciously. -It's a common problem.

The future belongs to the people that are curious, creative & open to change.

Apart from boring work, there isn't any reason to be bored.

In a digital world, we need to focus on what we need now. Not on what we might need later.

Entertainment shouldn't be an escape from reality, but give a hunger for more of it.

You never know what you'll find when you become curious. But that's half the fun.

When you're open, things flow to you. When you're creative, things flow out.

Have an intense curiosity about you. What are you reeealy capable of?

A tragedy is someone who wants to learn but can't. And someone who can learn but won't.

Man digs for rare minerals in the depths of the earth so he can see the colors of a distant galaxy.

Curiosity is the remedy for conscious ignorance.

Knowledge is empowering. Words have the power to bridge the divide.

Confidence comes from knowing how to begin. And yet still beginning, knowing there is still much to learn along the way.

Listen twice as much. Believe what you hear half as much.

Read as much as you can. Let it stimulate your thinking, not replace it.

Curiosity isn't a hungry mind, but a feast for a growing identity.

A great curiosity, creates a great talent.

Don't have much? At least you have talent. Even if you didn't have talent, curiosity will be rewarded.

A seeker may accept a lie, but will eventually find the truth. Someone sure of his truth, will end up with lies.

Curiosity is the best teacher.

The seeker finds much more than he seeks. He finds an interesting path just for himself.

Busyness is the death of curiosity.

You don't know what you don't know. -Unknown

Knowing is easy. People who believe it's difficult or expensive, won't get far.

Creative development

'Retirement' is not code for self actualization.

Maslow said self actualization is the goal, but it can be expressed at every level.

Create a corner for yourself. One day it could become the centre of your life.

Work,...again! Doesn't the World realize that I've got more interesting things to do.

The big question: How to live a creative life & still be responsible?????

I can't wait for the day when work & play are the same thing.

Work & play don't have to be opposites.

Do you schedule your own 'I need to create' days?

Definition of success: Someone who re-invented them self.

A non-creative life: I'm too young...I'm too busy...I'm too old.

Some only window shop for an interesting life, because they put them self behind glass.

You need to know what subject you're attracted to. Don't even need to know why.

Don't know what to create? Start with what you appreciate the most.

We need to be creative, so we can create a way to have everything else we need.

Anyone can learn to be more creative but it's what we learn about ourselves that makes all the difference.

A transition plan is the bridge between your life, & the life you want to create for yourself.

First thing an aspiring artist needs to do; create a transition plan.

Artists modify, improve, or even repurpose, but never restore.

Creatives should never become restorers, restorators or repairers.

Your greatest creative achievement is; the life you create for yourself.

Don't worry too much if you aren't in a creative job. Most people are remembered for their second career.

Your greatest creative achievement is the life you create for yourself.

Your creative journey is not just a metaphor. It will take you to a lot of real-world places. 

Your creative journey is not like other journeys. You will travel a road no one has used before you. For it is still under construction.

On your creative journey, you may outgrow the vehicle, or it will need updating.

Things not working for you any more? You might need a skill retrofit.

There are so many new inventions every day. So at some point, we all have to reinvent ourselves.

For a creative life avoid: ........ Division of labour, segregations of people, categories of knowledge & fragmentation of self.

When I grow up I want to be..... Creative enough to adapt to a future job description & business model that no one can predict, mum.

Waiting for life to begin is like waiting to catch a train at home.

Expose yourself to the creativity of others. See what stirs you.

Approach your whole life creatively & you'll have plenty of inspiration for your projects.

We don't like doing much when we don't take notice of what our spirit needs.

People saying, "I wish I was more creative". But everyones creativity looks different, as it should be.

Never apologize for your level of creativity. It's growing all the time.

People need creativity. They need the satisfaction of making it, or the pleasure of receiving it.

Make it big. Make yourself a bigger version of who you are.

I feel like a moth in a carcoon

I feel like a cactus in the desert. A drop of water is a flow of meaning.

Wanted: Time Traveller. To go back 20 years & hide my TV remote.

We can become over loaded with information. We can become over mediated.

We block out the still small voice, intuition & our music by the noise of modern life.

Life begins as a first draft.

Sometimes you need to change your medium. It's your content (subject, message) that matters.

The only way to keep up with changing tools, is to invent & adopt new ones first.

People who confine themselves to today's tools, become yesterdays technician.

If you got things you really want to say, You'll find new ways to say it.

Your chosen profession is your subject. Not your current skills.

Your niche is your content. Not your medium.

Creative people need to have some technical skills & technical people need to be creative sometimes.

An open mind opens hidden doors.

The creative mind considers many unusual things, that a logical mind rejects as nonsense.

It is what we let create us, that defines what we create.

Avoid stagnation: See new places, read new things, meet new people & try new things.

Creative people see most things as interesting, new or an opportunity to learn.

When a problem appears, people resist it straight away. Creative people see everything as fixable.

Creativity is one of the few attitudes that welcomes problems. They all appear solvable.

When you are creating, you may feel younger but you'll never feel older.

We are born creative & it can be taught. But can't be more creative without the need & a clear reward.

Self directed study eventually becomes a study of self.

The average person has many myths about what it takes to become above average.

There are ordinary people that do ordinary things. And ordinary people that do amazing things.

Don't let your past self tell your present self what your future self can't do.

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Everyday creativity: Say, "I'm going to create something today" Never say, "Can I" or "Will I".

Everyday creativity: Make new connections, relationships & associations between objects, ideas & words. (It's fun & interesting)

Everyday creativity: Repurpose everything. Every object, idea or original content can be used for something else.

Everyday creativity: Look around you. The solution to that need is probably in the room. (channel your inner McGyver)

Everyday creativity: It's recording your ideas as they appear. They don't have to be perfect, only interesting to you.

Everyday creativity: It's far more than being Artistic. It's seeing options, solutions & possibilities in everything & everyone.

Sometimes I go too fast for people. I've had my Self Limiter removed.

I tried to be a perfectionist for 2 weeks. I now realize I'm a brilliant imperfectionist.

Retain the curiosity of a child. Retain the awakening of late childhood. Retain the independent spirit of the teenager.

We got to be more creative than we thought we needed to be. But that's how we grow.

When you're overpowered by the need to create, you realize theres less things you thought you needed.

Some people don't dive into life. They say to themselves, "I won't hold my breath."

Goals shouldn't be based on what you know, but on how much you want to grow.

My motto: Just start. Figure out how to do it as I go.

People get paralyzed by indecision or analysis. People who can accept not knowing, can achieve many things.

People get bogged down by what to do. Then by how to do. I'm going to just do & know as I go.

Forward thinkers pay it forward.

The best way to know your thoughts is to write them down.

You can have a creative life if you create your life.

Deposits of success aren't always financial. There are the small personal victories made along the way.

The only way you can totally accept your unique self, is to never compare yourself to anyone else!

We grow when we think big & work on projects bigger than ourselves.

We learn a lot about ourselves when we love learning about others.

Sometimes you have to step into the unknown to do what you love.

Dream big. People who keep both feet on the ground go nowhere.