☆ Artitsts Around the World [Blog Hop]

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I was so excited to recieve a message from Carmen of My Creative Me asking me to participate in an Artists Around the World Blog Hop. You should definitely check out Carmen's blog + her beautiful art work!

This blog hop has artists from all over the world, answering four questions + nominating the next weeks participant.

So here is me + my answers....

1. Why do I do what I do?

The Mermaids Pet
inspired by one of my
kids musings

Because I have to is the very short + vauge answer, but it is mostly true. I have so many ideas to share +  storys to tell. And at one stage I thought I would become a writer..... except that I struggle hugely with writing, I always have! (You have know idea how long some of these posts take!!) 

But I am an extremely visual person. I adore colour. I am drawn to colour. 

So I am driven to some how capture my wild imaginings, my kids awesome quotes + my random thoughts. 

And painting is the medium that I love using to express these ideas.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

You know, this is such a difficult question for me to answer. I have often wondered how my work is different to others of my genre + to be totally honest, I am not even sure what genre it fits into.

Maybe its the big eyes of my charaters? People often comment on my characters eyes... I'd love to know if you all have any suggestions. This question stumps me every time.

3. How does my creative process work?

Ummm. Many different ways. So often it begins with a picture in a magazine, or on pinterest, some thing my kids have said, a paragraph from a book, a snippet of a dream, a newspaper story, a photo I took on a walk. 

When this spark hits +  I have a more concrete idea, I will try to capture it, in my sketch book, a scrap of paper or even on my phone.

And when I am looking for a new painting, I will trawl through the mountians of sketch books, note book + notes on my phone.

Sometimes I'll have an idea that inspires me and sometimes I open up my pinterest app + waste some more time...

Winter Princess
works in progress part one, two + three

[As part of the Carnival of Creative Mothers blog series I wrote about the creative process in more depth here]

4. What am I working on now?

So I have been working on this frustrating girl lately.

This Winter Princess was inspired by a passage in book.

Apart from paintings, I am finishing up my 'Listening to your Squeak' e-course + planning a new website + I have a few Christmas commsions I am about to start on for my friends little boys.

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Next week, (August 4th) make sure you pop over to visit Nicole from Beadwright - I have been a huge fan of her work for a while now + I can't wait to read her answers to these questions!

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☆ The Creative Process [Carnival of Creative Mothers]

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Welcome to the final week of the month-long Carnival of Creative Mothers to celebrate the launch of The Rainbow Way: Cultivating Creativity in the Midst of Motherhood by Lucy H. Pearce which has been Amazon.co.uk's Hottest New Release in Motherhood for the past week!

Today's topic is The Creative Process. Do read to the end of this post for a full list of carnival participants. 

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Catching Mermaids

Creativity + the process of creating is a very personal experience. 

And I don't believe there is one right way to create. 

Your process will be different to mine, and different again to the next persons. 

When I believed that I wasn't good enough to be an artist, I was fascinated to read about artist's + their creative process.

I was hoping that one of their stories would trigger a creative response in me. That theirs would be the way, that would allow me to tap into my creativity once again.

What I didn't realise until much later, was that my creative process, would be so individualised to me, that in reading others stories, although there were super inspiring, they wouldn't help me to unlock my creativity. 

They did however keep sparking something inside me that would eventually grow into LilliBean Designs. And it helped me realise that:

Inspiration is every where, and can strike at anytime.

My muses are absolutely my three girls. Their imagination sparks mine all the time. But there are other inspirations, books are another huge inspiration for me, music lyrics, a pattern on the wall from the tree outside, fashion magazines, kids books, manga, a half over heard conversation, a shape of a leaf.

Anything is open to interpretation. 

Princess + the Pea

To capture these wisps of creativity, I have learnt to keep notebooks laying around the house, in my purse, in the car....

{Yes. My name is Kirstin + I have a stationary addiction}

But it means that I will never again have an awesome idea, but forget about it in the rush of life.

So, when Bean said off hand one day, 'mama, I am going to get my fishing rod + catch a mermaid.' I wrote it down + the painting above was born.

Most of the time I have an image in my head that I want to paint. I can't see all the details, but the figure, the surround, the general placement of items. Like the 'Princess + the Pea' painting I did earlier this year. This painting I new from the very start how it would look.

But there are times when I play in my art journal, that I haven't a clue what I am going to create. I just jump in + play. 

[This post takes you through a journal page journey, from beginning to end. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew the sentiment I wanted to express.]

Like everyone, I have periods of down time, when I am feeling uninspired, feeling blocked or needing to recharge.

I have learnt to give myself permission to have a break. To sit on the couch + read a good book. To watch a movie. Or watch six seasons of Supernatural back to back. 

Sometimes though, the block is stubborn + I need to actively re-inspire myself. 

I just recently shared my top 10 ideas for beating the creativity blues {part one + part two}.

So, is there a particular way that you inspire or re inspire your muse? What do you do when the creativity blues strike? I would love it if you shared your stories with us.

By the way, this months give away is open + ready for you to enter. THere are two prizes up for grabs this month as it is the last for 2013. Pop over here for your chance to win

☆ ☆ ☆ 

ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY of 

The Rainbow Way direct from the author and receive:

• 10% off - use code TRW10
• exclusive access to a private Facebook group for creative mothers
• a vibrant greetings card and book-mark of one of the author's paintings.

Kindle and paperback editions from Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Or order from your local bookshop.

• Carnival host and author of The Rainbow Way, Lucy at Dreaming Aloud looks at the common lies we tell ourselves about creativity in The Eternal Summer of the Creative Mind.
• Caitriona at Wholesome Ireland - from start to new beginnings.
• Hannah M. Davis writes about Unleashing Your Authentic Voice. So many of us would love to write a life-changing book. How do you get over the blocks and barriers that hold you back? 
• Sylda from Mind the Baby compares her creative process to a maelstrom of weather warnings.
• In "As an Artist", Lucy Pierce at Soulskin Musings offers a poem about how the creative process beckons her through many of the archetypes of womanhood.
• Jackie Stewart at Flowerspirit.co.uk talks about how creativity is opening up a space for the unknown to reveal itself to you in 'Creativity Flourishes in the Sacred Unknown'.
• Alex at Art of Birth shares some practical tips on how you can unlock your creative goddess within!
• Nicki at justlikeplay shares a love letter to her muse.
• Marija Smits has a conversation with her muse and reflects on the difficulties of catching and creating from the Goddess of Inspiration.
• Zoie at TouchstoneZ reflects on her creative process.
• Licia Berry, Illumined Arts "Creativity and Healing are Ideal Partners". The creation of visual, musical, or expressive arts is the quickest, most effective and painless way to heal.
• Kirstin at Listening to the Squeak - My creative process and how to break creative blocks.
• Ali Baker talks about connecting with the call of the wolf when she cries to us to do so means giving our time and permission to honour the creative process within all of us.
• Mary at The Turquoise Paintbrush reflects on her creative process.
• KatyStuff thinks that projects need time to mature, that is why she is a fabric and craft hoarder. 
• Aimée at Creativeflutters goes into her creative process and looks at what makes things tick or flop in "Spontaneous She - How to Keep Your Muse at Work".
• Kae at The Wilde Womb muses about her common creative blocks as a parent and how she systematically breaks through them.
• Angela at Peach Coglo tries to get comfortable with her own creative process. 
• Biromums write about their creative processes.
• Dawn at The Barefoot Home believes the creative process can't be taught it has to come organically and at its own pace.
• Tara at Aquamarine Art began uncovering her lost inner artist over 5 years ago and shares her experiences and inspirations in "From Spark to Bonfire: The Evolution of A Creative Process."
• Georgie at Visual Toast explores what the creative process looks like for her.
• Creative Woman at Creator's Corner is not concerned with the end product or the outcome but with the process and all the richness that it brings. 
• Jennifer's Art Blog explores what the creative process feels like for her.
• Fiona at Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers reflects on her creative process.
• Sharron at Adventures on the mindful path writes and creates in between (and sometimes while) chasing two little boys and a puppy.  
• Trying to discover her own methods to the creative process, Jasmine at Brown Eyed Girl, digs deeper to find what it is that really triggers her creativity.
• Jessica F. Hinton shares why finding creative spaces as a mother is important and what her space looks like. 
• Laura at Authentic Parenting reflects on her creative process.
• Ingrid at My Peace Tree says Creativity as a living thing - and examines ebb and flow, expectations vs. realities (our own and other people's), inspiration and how to find it.
• Darcel at The Mahogany Way examines her own creative process.

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☆ Is an Messy Desk a sign of a Cluttered Mind?

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A couple of weeks ago I tidied up my studio.

I would have to say, that I am not, not, one of those people who needs a cleaned up work space to paint.  I just don't see the mess. And unlike poor Mr Mac, I am not bothered or irritated by mess, but perhaps I was nesting, and I tidied up.

And it was so tidy I decided to take a photo to send with a message to my poor suffering husband.

'Look Mr Mac - a cleared off desk, a floor empty of crap, brushes that are washed and away. You see I do keep my studio tidy!' (and I imagine in his head his reply would have been something like - that's great Kirst, but what about the bedroom + dishes + washing + dusting?)

But then I started a new painting

And I moved over to my easel.

 And I started something else..

And sorted some gumtree leaves...

And this was it this morning.

I am too embarrassed to show you the floor. (Needless to say it is not pretty!)

So I got to wondering about the correlation between my messy desk and my productivity. I think I am more productive the messier I am. (Sorry Mr Mac - good thing the studio has a closable door!)

I remembered this sign that used to sit on my fifth grade teachers desk. It was something like - If a messy desk means you have a cluttered mind, what does an empty desk mean?

And I have realised that my mind is never really empty (even my dreams are complicated, chaotic and cluttered), but the chaos and clutter and my eternal over thinking, is the reason that I have these amazing sparks of inspiration and creativity.

But I am sure this is not how everyone creates.

I would love to know do you need peace and tidiness to create or clutter and chaos? (And does an empty desk mean an empty mind??)

P.S. Don't forget to enter this months GIVEAWAY. Click here to enter. It's FREE to everyone + anyone! 

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