Nit Wits Cartoony Comic Journey Collection #1-50
By Chris Dunmire
 Between 2002-2009 I doodled, moodled, and noodled out 50 unique Nit Wits corny, punny, word-play comics as reflections and manifestations of the goofy and humorous thoughts that pass through my mind.
If you're interested, they're all listed here for easy browsing and clicking to the coloring pages, cartoony drawing lessons, and other freebies that sometimes grew out my small, silly ideas. And of course, don't forget the acclaimed printable lessons book You Can Draw Cartoony Things!, which freely inspires others tap into their own cartoony silliness.
Nurture Your Creativity by Asking Questions January-30-2010
26 Simple Ways to Nurture Your Creative Life #17
Months ago, in the fall of 2009, I conceived the idea of writing an article comprised of only questions for my "26 Simple Ways to Nurture Your Creative Life" series at CoachingYourCreativity.com. "Can I write an effective creativity coaching article just by using questions?" I challenged myself. What do you think? Read it here. •
"Through their innate desire to draw,
children can illuminate meaningful stories
that teach us about art and life."
Rob Court, Respecting Children's Drawings
Writer & Fiber Artist Debra Ponte January-28-2010
On the True Essence of a Person
How would you define the "true essence" of yourself? Are we the things that we create? The ideals and values we identify with? The morals we claim, the faith we breathe, the food we eat? Writer and Primitive fiber artist Debra Ponte (www.debraponte.com) states in her recent interview with Molly Anderson-Childers:
“I don’t feel you can know the true essence of a person without the knowledge of how they spend their time — the books they read, the music they listen to, the environment in which they live.”
Are we the accumulation of our collective knowledge and experiences, biology and environments, current mental and emotional states? Or are we fluid and undefinable — ever-changing, evolving, recreating... Is it possible that we can, in the present moment, briefly define the undefinable before it slips away into the next moment and we change?
'True Essence' questionings aside, I enjoyed the response from Debra to Molly's question, "Your sagest advice for those experiencing a creative block is…"
"Keep creating. My way around the obstruction is to allow myself to flow into another medium. I write, and when the words get tangled, I work on a hooked piece…and when the loops aren't connecting in a lovely flow, I may spin a bit. Or, I will go take a walk, and return to start all over again." •
Writing Prompt: Why do humans steal?
The Original Self-Checkout System (of Trusting Proportions) January-24-2010
John & Sandy's Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks, Gleeson, Arizona
It's hard to imagine that John & Sandy Weber's Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks gift shop runs itself on a successful self-checkout honor system, but it does. I've seen it with my own two eyes! I had the pleasure of visiting their remote gift shop and desert museum in 2008 and recently interviewed them for Creativity Portal about their decision to "trade the work-a-day world for the laid-back and somewhat lazy lifestyle of rattlesnake hunters" 30 years ago. Don't miss the captivating Q & A! •
365 Pictures January Collaborators January-15-2010
Shout Outs: Web Sites & Blogs
Creativity Portal's perpetual 365 Pictures daily photo prompter rolls onward! If you're interested in the creative talent January displays, here's their names and Web sites:
Dave Dufour's Creative License Podcast & WATIZIT Idea Generation Tool January-13-2010
PLUS Five More Inspiriting Instructional Web sites
Even after 10 years online, the purpose of the "directory" part of Creativity Portal remains to promote Web sites, blogs, and social media communities with generous free instructional content sharing in the form of programs, mp3 or streaming podcasts, lessons, tutorials, patterns, how-to's, and other creativity- and expression-enhancing tools.
For example, sites with free multimedia content, such as Dave Dufour's Creative License Podcast with "'quick tips' and discussion of how to be more creative at work and home," and his WATIZIT Creative Idea Generation Tool certainly fit the bill (doesn't he have the best broadcasting voice for that?), as well as instructional content sites like The Scribbles Institute (free drawing instruction) and the Jewelry Making Professor free patterns and streaming how-to video tutorials).
Sites with free download & printable craft lessons, teaching articles, and activities like Michaels' The Knack and the community-based Quilting Board (photos, tutorials, and lessons uploaded by members) are also welcome site suggestions.
And as an avid creativity prompt person, I can't forget the plethora of imagination-inducing writing prompt Web sites and interactive blog and social media communities like Stories Without Words (a photographic inspiration blog) which are welcome additions.
If you likewise have a site with similar content for your visitors, please feel free to suggest it for possible inclusion on the Creativity Portal Web site. •
Michael Jackson on Innocence and Its Relationship to Creativity Blocks January-12-2010
Dancing the Dream, 1992
Before I return this fascinating book to the library — Dancing the Dream, which is a vast book of poems and reflections written by Michael Jackson in his earlier years, I want to share a small snippet from one of his writings on Innocence and how he relates it to creative expression:
"When you get right down to it, survival means seeing things the way they really are and responding. It means being open. And that's what innocence is. It's simple and trusting like a child, not judgmental and committed to one narrow point of view. If you are locked into a pattern of thinking and responding, your creativity gets blocked. You miss the freshness and magic of the moment. Learn to be innocent again, and that freshness never fades." — Michael Jackson, Dancing the Dream (p. 58)
Insights to ponder from a very deeply sensitive and creative man, who's presence was electrifying to experience. If only we will allow that innocence to continue to rise within us...•
'Brickstorming' Creative Writing Exercise Gets Testimonial from Dawn Goldberg of Write Well University January-12-2010
Brainstorming with Bricks
I was so encouraged by the positive responses I received from my playful Be Creative! Adults writing exercise, Brickstorming, when I first unleashed it to the world in July 2009.
Several Creativity Portal NewZine subscribers were so impressed by its creativity-inspiring potential that they asked if they could promote it elsewhere, including Dawn Goldberg, Chief Writing Officer of Write Well University. So, in exchange for a testimonial (which you can read here) I allowed Dawn to reproduce my Brickstorming activity in her Ready, Set, Write Toolbox, "covering creativity and 46-and-counting strategies to help people create, whether it's for writing, art, or any creative pursuit."
The exercise is great fun if you haven't given it a try yet. Feel free to download the Brickstorming activity page and challenge yourself to craft a meaningful legacy brick with few letters and small spaces. •
Tenured in Creative Bliss: Happy 10-Year Anniversary, Creativity Portal! January-4-2010
A Glistening Epiphany Shines a Decade Later
I still remember the cold, gray, sunless day in March 2000 — my last day at the electronics giant that had played an integral role in awakening the creative passions in my life. After saying good-byes to co-workers and packing up my desk, my immediate supervisor, Ed, accompanied me to my exit-interview and then escorted me past security and out the front door for the last time. I puzzled many people, including him, over my decision to leave the company. ...
Orna Ross' 15 Questions: Are You Highly Creative?
January-2-2010
'Do you carry a lot of unfinished projects in your mind?"
Orna Ross (www.ornaross.com) writes beautifully on the sensitivity, imagination, emotionality, and competence of highly creative people in her article You’re Not Mad, You’re Creative.
Out of the 15 questions in the self-assessment, I answered yes to 12, which had a reminiscent parallel to the highly sensitive person profile. "Ever been told you are “too sensitive,” “think too much” or are “too much of a perfectionist”? Orna asks. My high creativity blossomed later in life, which is why I didn't have the day-dreaming, sitting-still problems early in school. Mary Taylor, LCSW, of the Creative Intelligence Centre contributed some of the questions in the article, which if you're of the highly creative sort, will find resonating.
Speaking of highly sensitive and creative people, I just read Dancing the Dream*, a book of poems and reflections written by Michael Jackson (Doubleday, 1992). I have felt such a deep and profound sense of loss since Michael's death from both a creative and spiritual perspective. Iconic cultural figures, especially those who are prolifically present during our formative years leave such an impression on us. An amazing life, an amazing creative being, and of course, his essence of LOVE — Michael will always represent the best of those things to me.
A couple more features I love from the Portal in the last weeks of 2009:
- Molly Anderson-Childers & Jill Badonsky's playfully fun Interview with Modern Day Muse Bea Silly, in which Molly invites us into the Realm of the Ridiculous, the City of Silliness, the Garden of Goofy. "'Silly' is becoming a lucrative movement." And if you've ever wondered how muses treat new year's resolutions, how's this for an answer:
Q: Do Muses make resolutions to ring in the New Year, the way mortals do?
A: Muses know the folly of New Year's resolutions. We subscribe to the belief that mortals work best when they run on the intuition in the moment. So, although we encourage mortals to decide on an intention to follow like a North Star…the intuition in the moment may bring more action in alliance with what their souls really need to shoot for. We encourage mortals to follow North Stars such as joy, inner peace, higher purpose, service and creativity — where the intuition leads mortals following these essences will always be the right action…even if for some weeks it means daydreaming about the next small step.
* Michael Jackson's Dancing the Dream appears to be out of print, but still available at an upscale collector's price through Amazon sellers. If you wish to read this book (I highly recommend it), you can easily request it from your local library. • |
