Creativity and Art

I haven't had much to share lately but I want to share this poem my nine year old daughter wrote for Halloween.

---------------

Here comes the ghost, softly whispering in the dark night.
Here comes the mummy walking limply in the moonlight.

The clock chimes twelve.
Children in bed cuddle themselves.

The witch screeches and laughs YEE, HE, HA, HA, HA.

The wolves howl to the full moon.
Scared children hope this ends soon.

Black cats prowl in the shadows.
Laughing and cackling is dead man Hadues.

Jack-O-Lanterns shine in the night that's as black as blackberry wine.

Skeletons bones rub together making... warm friction.
This is even scarier than fiction!

The air is filled with fright and fear of children!

By Jaclyn Larsen
------------

Enjoy!

Someone sent this link to me regarding Phillips new Norelco razor.

http://shaveeverywhere.com/

This is hilarious and a very bold, yet creative move to promoting a razor in a very private way - if you know what I mean.

You can shave your "BLEEP" and up your "BLEEP".

I don't know who would, however... if you did, it would give "pain in the butt" a whole new meaning. What happens when you get a five o'clock shadow down there?? You're not gonna be able to move without getting chafed!! This would force constant use just to maintain a comfort zone.

I would much prefer permanent hair removal!

I posted this here because even though I think the product may be a flop - it's great marketing! Do check out the music video while you are there.

Teeth teeth I wish I never had them

Stinky dirty kind of nerdy
and i have to brush them every night!

I'll kill them if I have to I just might
I'm going to make a killing
especially when the doctor makes a filling!

When one fell out I was glad...
But when it grew back I was sad.

That's how it went on and on
until I thought I saw a flying fawn.

Then I realized that people were seeing things
just like birds really don't have wings.

Dentists are aliens from outer space
on a really really important case
trying to wreck the children's race.

Poem by my daughter Jaclyn - age 8

A coworker lent me this book by Gordon MacKenzie, about how to stay creative in the corporate world. Well as the writer put it "A corporate fool's guide to surviving grace".

MacKenzie had a lot of interesting things to say about his experience and 30 years with Hallmark cards. About how he tapped into his inner child, staying away from corporate gray, rules and policies to maintain the creativity he deemed necessary to enjoy life at work.

One of the things about creativity in this book that I found interesting is how he related the little squiggly things you see in your eyes with creativity. The medical term for them is 'vitreous floaters'. You know when you are looking just right, not focusing on anything in front of you and you notice things moving on the surface of your eyes, little squiggly things.
Anyway, if you try and focus on them - they move out of your vision, but when you stop looking, the come back. They are shy! At least what MacKenzie says - but the point is, they are just like creativity. If you focus and try to be creative, it won't come, but if you stop focusing, creativity slaps you in the face when your least expecting it.

I have found creative solutions to problem in some of the strangest places - like the toilet. Often I'll wake up in the morning with a new found solution. Funny how it works.

Creativity seems to be something that got distorted during my days at the Art Institute. The distortion of creativity vs imagination - rules rules rules. Think figure ground exchange, balance, negative space, perspective, proportion and etc.

"Creativity is the ability to solve problems that are worth solving."

Above is the dictionary's definition.

My definition, "to let mind wonder and produce things that make sense to you." But that would be the sense of the generic term: fine arts.

When you start creating at a commercial level - your goal is to provide a visual solution to someone else's problem. Usually for chump change.(pennies for Utahns)

Due to the subjective nature of visual creativity - do these colors work together - will the client appreciate this? Will it convey the message the client wishes to share?

It may all work nice a dandy for you, after hours of sketching and coming up with mocks - but the client may see things entirely different. It's too darn subjective. No pleasure in that. At least not for me - or a good friend of mine (say soap label designer?)

Since I haven't done much design in the past several years and have focused on the technical side of the industry - I'm guessing I could tap into my childhood energy of artistic creativity. Serve my own purpose - That is, if I find time.

Shall see where that takes me.