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I just love this short post by Todd Henry. Great advice. You know that I’m also all for rest and down time as essential, but when I am being creative, I want to hustle! Here’s the link…”If You Hustle“. 

Did you know that every month someone wins a coupon for 40% off of any “For Sale” painting on Cheryl O’s website? You simply have to guess the  artist and title of the famous painting that is featured. A small snippet from the paintings shows on the homepage of my website – cherylo.ca  – right column, scroll down, and then fill out the brief form there to enter. The current contest ends May 31st – Good luck! 

I discovered this principle in Grade 9 while learning to play in the high school Junior Band. When you really love a piece of music, by the time you’ve practiced it enough times to play it really well, that initial passion can be growing a bit dim. In order to keep that spark glowing, I learned to concentrate hard on what I first loved about the music, in order to try to express that on the 500th rendition. The very same principle can be applied to painting. When you are first attracted to a subject or even an abstract idea, the excitement is high. Then comes the discipline of trying to express that with paint, and the truth is, sometimes that’s just hard work. So the suggestion is: pay attention to what got the spark of passion glowing in the first place. Hold that thought close as you work. The hope is that this glow will guide you through the creative process, and even catch fire in some viewer’s heart when they see your finished work. Shine on! 

Mysteriously, books that had been turned into works of art began popping up at London Public Libraries. Read about it in this “London Free Press article“. What a fun and creative project – and I loved the part about the librarian finding one and saying in excitement “We have a book! We have a book!” 

“My spirit has ways of seeing that my eyes cannot comprehend.” Philippe Benichou Mountain Village – by Cheryl O Next blog post Tuesday May 22 – have a great long weekend! 

These sculptures are certainly imaginative! “Gravity Defying Land Art by Cornelia Konrads” (Find link of homepage of cherylo.ca  if reading this elsewhere.) 

Interruptions. They can be a plague. You want to not only get into the creative mode; you want to be able to stay there. Turning off or ignoring the phone is an obvious choice. What if you only have an hour to paint, and find yourself distracted by watching the clock? How about setting the stove timer instead to free up your concentration? In today’s hectic world it takes a deliberate effort to allow yourself some creative space. What things distract you when creating? Can you share some practical solutions you have found? Thanks! 

‘Wow’ is not a word that I use a lot – but this video is absolutely fantastic! Wow.” The Underwater Art of Jason DeCaires Taylor“. (Find link on my homepage blog.)