It is easy being creative. Ask any struggling or successful artist, musician, or writer and they will all agree with that statement. There is a reason why they are starving artists. As an artist you need to be creative enough to do something that interests you and at the same time sparks the attention of everyone else; finding that creative energy is the hard part.
As artists, we’ve all hit that point when the brain tank is empty and cannot come up with anything that is new and exciting. For artists, it’s called a dry spell. For writers, it’s called writer’s block. Whatever you may call it; I call it a chance to find a new direction. You’d be surprised at how simply taking a break is enough to revitalize you back into the creative atmosphere.
For others, a break sometimes simply isn’t enough. Some of us need a more active approach to get those juices flowing once more. Here are some ideas and ways to stimulating your creativity. These ideas cross over easily into all of the artistic disciplines you choose to study.
Pay attention to everything around you – Carry a notebook with you and take a moment to stop and look. Be a people watcher. Watch how they act and interact with one another in various situations and write down your thoughts and observations. Keep your eyes and ears opened. You’ll never know what will happen and what could become creative material for your next piece. As you watch, you’ll begin to see beauty and humor in everyday moments.
Try something creative outside of the dance world – Try to focus your creative energies into something other than dancing like painting or sculpting. Try something you know would be fun and don’t judge yourself on how good or bad you at it. Just take the time to fully enjoy it. Cooking, building something, or organizing your photo albums are all different creative ventures you may enjoy trying. Even if it doesn’t spark the choreographer juices in you, at least you may have found a new hobby and a way connect with other aspects of your creativity, all which is good for you in the long run.
Stimulate your brain by reading some books the creative process – I know it can be somewhat difficult to find the time and more importantly the focus when you are working on a project. You’ll find that even the most experienced artists need to go back to the basics and fundamentals sometimes. When you are in a funk, go back and review the principals of choreography. You’ll find a lot of great books on the subject at any major book store. I’ve always felt that ones that generate ideas on movement principals work the best to get those creative juices flowing. You may also like to read books by other choreographers. By picking the mind of the great choreographers, you may just find a great gem of an idea for yourself.
Take a step back from the dance world and appreciate it – A lot of the great dancers get away from being in the dance world by watching it from the outside. Watching others perform a play or ballet is a great way to remind yourself why you love dance so much. You may find yourself some great works inspiration at times of a creative low. If there are no dance shows going on at the time, try the theater. It can be just as inspirational and technical as any dance concert. Try spending some time at an art gallery or museum. That too is great and fun way to immerse yourself with the creative spirit of other artists like yourself. Find works of art and styles of art that interest you, and see what new ideas are ignited. The creativity of other types of artists is bound to awaken some new ideas in your own creative process.
Moscow Ballet's Russian Cultural-Ballet Project is an in-depth look at Russian culture for children. The project features highlight performances from classical ballets and small lectures on Russian heritage and customs. For further information on the Nutcracker ballet or Nutcracker auditions, visit their website at www.nutcracker.com.
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