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Issue 16: Tuesday 26th July 2011

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In this issue:

1. TIC TOCC no.16 & A Summer Break Challenge...

2. Interview with Tammy from Daisy Yellow

1: TIC TOCC no.16 - A Summer Break Challenge....

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© Katina Wright

This week's TIC TOCC can be done as a series of timed challenges or/and as an ongoing summer project.

For the next seven weeks my children are off school for the summer holidays. Because of this I plan to take a few weeks off from writing this Wright Story Extra & sending TIC TOCCs. I shall return to normal in September & meanwhile will be posting my summer challenge results on my blog

BUT not wanting to leave you without a challenge for the next few weeks I've created a Summer Challenge for you & I. For the next few weeks I challenge you to:

  • Branch out - Example: expand your creative business, try a new medium, technique or/and learn a new skill
  • Dare to be different - Example: try making your skies green, your animals talk
  • Allow yourself freedom - banish those self-imposed restrictions & expectations
  • Try something new - Example: create in a new place, with new people or create something not in your usual style
  • Mix it up - Example: try a new combination of materials or combine obscure genres

Go on: express the joy of creating & take a break from the norm! Join in the Wright Story Summer Challenge.

I shall be posting my Summer Challenge experiences on my Wright Story blog. If you want to share your experience then leave comments and links on any of my blog posts. I always love to learn what you've been creating.

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2: Interview with Tammy from Daisy Yellow

I am very pleased to welcome Tammy who runs a website full of delights for the creative mind. Thank you for joining us Tammy!

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©Daisy Yellow

1.Please tell us about your creative work and how you originally came to make it part of your life.

Thank you Kat for the creative, warm and welcoming words you share at your blog. And thank you for interviewing me! I do all sorts of creative things - art journaling, photography, drawing mandalas, watercoloring and creating altered books. For decades after grad school I crunched numbers in the corporate world. After I quit 5 years ago, I was looking for ways to pass the time spent waiting at children’s activities. So on a whim I started doodling and drawing. I started listening to creative podcasts and discovered the creative community at flickr and then art journaling! A winding path.

2. Who/what has encouraged you in your creative work?

My kids and I encourage each other in our artwork, and I find a lot of positive feedback through blogging and Flickr. The more art I do, the more inspired I am to continue.

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©Daisy Yellow

3. How do you incorporate creativity into your everyday life?

Art is part of the flow of the day. The kids and I do a lot of art and creative things together; we might draw at the same time each working on different things. If I have time between commitments, while dinner cooks, while the kids are bathing, waiting at a doctor’s office, I grab my moleskine and a pitt pen and draw. If I have a few hours, I might get out my art journaling basket which has everything I need to create in my art journal. I don’t have a dedicated art workspace so I work at our breakfast table. I made it easy to set-up and clean-up for art so that wouldn’t be a barrier to creating.

4. How do you fuel/nourish your creative self?

Carrying a camera has had a huge impact on my creativity, as it has prompted me to look for things to photograph - patterns, colors, details, retro signs, textures, architectural details. I do a lot of playing and experimenting with art materials. I go to the bookstore and grab a stack of books in various subjects and skim through them in the café with a cup of coffee. Ideas pop up when my mind is focused on other things.

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©Daisy Yellow

5. In what ways do you think your creative work affects your mood and general well being?

A few years into this art adventure, I realized that I am happier if I do a bit of art each day. Focusing my mind on drawing or art journaling or taking photographs allows me to challenge myself creatively. This helps me focus in other parts of my life.

6. What challenges have you faced in your creative work? And how did you deal with them?

The challenges are mostly physical. I had surgery 10 years ago to repair entrapped nerves in my wrist and elbow, years before I started doing art. I have to be careful to work within my limits each day, to pay attention to how I am using my hands and arms, to stop before I get to the point of over-use. It’s crucial to pay attention to very small indicators like a twinge or certain feeling that comes before weakness or pain. I also experiment with art materials to learn what works better for me. For example, pitt pens are less taxing than colored pencils. I also jump between mediums, because that seems less taxing than working continually on one thing!

7.What creative tool or tip has proved invaluable in your creative life?

If you want to do something creative, it doesn't matter where you start! You don't have to pick one medium. Or one style. Or one time slot. You don’t have to have a plan. Focus on the process, the play.

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©Daisy Yellow

8: What's next for Tammy & Daisy Yellow?

I’m publishing the second issue of the Daisy Yellow st|ART e-zine, teaching an art journaling workshop at 21 Secrets, and at Daisy Yellow, I’m coordinating an index-card-a-day challenge through the end of August.

Visit Daisy Yellow for advice on art materials, techniques and inspiration.
You can also find Tammy on Twitter
and on Flickr

Thank you so much Tammy! It was a pleasure to interview you.

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TIC TOCC tips:

  • take a few minutes to read/contemplate the prompt. (It is better not to allow yourself too much time to over think otherwise your inner critic may drive away your initial idea.)
  • Gather your writing/art/creative tools eg. paper, paint, pens, collage materials...Whatever medium you feel inspired or most comfortable to use today.
  • Find a clock, watch or other device to mark time with
  • Remind yourself that there are no expectations. The result can be a scribble, an incoherent sentence or a messy collage. Just enjoy the process.
  • Set the timer (for ten or twenty minutes) and go - write, scribble, create whatever comes to mind.

Wright Story Extra will return in September with:

* More weekly TIC TOCC inspiration...

* More monthly interviews with inspirational people living a creative life...

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About Katina Wright...

I'm a Mum, writer, artist & generally creative person who in recent years has been suffering with a chronic illness (multiple sclerosis). Having experienced many disabling relapses that compromised my working and social life I turned to my creativity to cope. I discovered that being creative made me feel good mentally and helped physically in my rehabilitation. In the past couple of years I've been exploring how creative activity can benefit wellbeing. Through my Wright Story blog I've shared my story and through the blogging community connected with many inspirational people who are also trying to lead a creative life. Once a month in this Wright Story Extra I shall introduce you to some of these people through interviews and links. I'm also offering a weekly TIC TOCC timed creative exercise to give inspiration and offer the opportunity to create even when time or energy is limited.
Learn more here....

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If you enjoyed this Wright Story Extra please forward it to people who may be interested, spread the word on your blog by displaying a TIC TOCC badge and by directing anyone you think may appreciate receiving this to the Wright Story Extra info page. Thank you :-)

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