Creativity Quotes on Twitter

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Everyday I post quotes on creativity on Twitter.
Here are some of my favorites.
If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. – William Blake
Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. – Rumi
We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are. – The Talmud
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. – Marcel Proust
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Andre Gide
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.  – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
You can read the quotes I post on Twitter in the top right of this blog.
You can find many more and “Follow” me on my Twitter page here.

Storytelling

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Every picture tells a story. Every picture? Every picture!
Even abstract images tell stories. The stories they tell are not about their subjects. By definition they don’t have subjects. Or do they? They have themselves. So they tell stories about themselves. They tell stories about the things that make them –  color, line, texture, shape, proportion, etc. How all of those things relate is a drama of form.
How many kinds of stories are there? There are scientific stories that tell us what things are and how they work. There are historical stories that tell us how things were, how they changed, and what they’ve become today – some even speculate about how things will be tomorrow. There are emotional stories that tell us how people respond emotionally to things. There may be more kinds of stories, but these are the big ones. When it comes to images, the stories they tell are usually only about a few kinds of things. The images themselves. The things images contain. The processes things go through. The feelings people have in response to things and processes. The concepts created through interpretation. Things – Nouns. Processes – Verbs. Feelings – Adjectives and Adverbs. Concepts – Abstract Ideas.
So if every picture tells a story, one way to determine the strength of an image is to ask, “How strong is the story?” Put another way, one way to improve your images is to tell stronger stories. A story doesn’t have to be big or dramatic to be strong; it just has to be told well. Tell stories strongly. Tell them with stronger form; tell them by more clearly delineating actions; tell them by disclosing emotional responses more passionately; tell them by inspiring us to find the bigger picture beyond each picture or group of pictures …
Read the rest in the current issue of AfterCapture magazine.
Find more in my free Creativity Lessons.
Learn more in my Workshops.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow


Key concepts from a leader in the scientific study of creativity.
Flow (optimum performance) happens best when people have a high degree of skill and are presented with challenges of moderate to high but not too high intensity.
I think flow can happen for anyone regardless of skill level or degree of challenge, but both ingredients can help people get into flow more consistently, recognize when they’re there and it’s value, and stay there longer. Choosing the challenge to take on and how to approach it  are key aspects for any creative person who wants to target results.
Learn more in my Creativity Lessons and Workshops.

Combination


You can create synergy between existing elements in your images and generate something new. How? Takes these steps.
Step one. Identify all the elements in your best images.
Step two. List all the possible combinations.
Step Three. Put what you’ve discovered into words.
Step four. Select the most promising combinations to pursue.
Step five. Generate a lot of variations on a single combination before committing to a final solution.
Step six. Execute.
This is an extreme distillation of my article Combination, now in the current issue of AfterCapture magazine.
Read more in my Creativity ebooks.
Learn more in my workshops.

Identify and Isolate the Variables

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Identify and Isolate the Variables
In any situation, it helps to know what elements you’re dealing with and what each of those elements contributes to the mix. With that information you can get results you desire more predictably and exert more precise control over the process. This idea is routinely applied in scientific fields where the benefits are clear for all to see. Not solely applicable to areas that are highly technical, it is equally applicable in any creative endeavor. Being analytical is one mode (to be listed among others) of creativity. The art is in knowing when to apply it, not being limited to using it exclusively or avoiding it altogether.
Find more Creativity resources here.
Stimulate your creativity in my workshops.

Looking at Things from Many Perspectives

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Look at Things from Many Perspectives
One of the hallmarks of creativity is the ability to look at things from many perspectives, both conventional and unconventional. Often taking a different tack when engaging a problem reveals dimensions, relationships, insights, and solutions that might otherwise remain hidden. If you’re looking for something new, in order to find it, you have to look in new ways. Spend a little time exploring your options so you can be sure you devote yourself to the best approach available.
Find more Creativity resources here.
Stimulate your creativity in my workshops.

Put It In Writing

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Put It In Writing
Writing helps clarify thought. Find the words to describe your images and you’ll not only be able to make your work clearer to others, you’ll understand it better yourself. Use one word, one phrase, one sentence, one paragraph, and one page. This sounds simpler than it is. Take the time you need to find the right words. The next time you find yourself called upon to describe your work, you’ll have the words to do so at the tip of your tongue.
Find more Creativity resources here.
Stimulate your creativity in my workshops.