Sample content from my course

Shoes by Irregular Choice

If you're wondering what the content of my eCourse might be like, then wonder no more. Here's some content from a typical week where we'll be exploring how to try on inspiration until we find the size that fits.... You might also like to look at my previous post, another example of the type of content I'll cover where I'll introduce you to the work of other artists and demonstrate how you can take their techniques and make them your own.

We'll share our work and inspire each other into new directions too. I want to gently push you into expanding your creativity and teach you how to find little tendrils of inspiration that pull you into their story and beg you to tell it...

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Stories from Shoes

What do you see when you look at these shoes? Now don't go moaning that you're a bloke and what do you care about shoes, or that you wouldn't be seen dead in anything so outlandish. Keep looking, then listen to the voice in your head. What does it see? What does it hear?

I have conjured up fairy tale castles filled with adventure. Dainty ladies wearing their hair too high for battling dragons bent on destruction.... Is that a ring tied into the bow? So, that's where she hid it!

I see turquoise oceans; I feel aching feet that aren't used to heels; I smell the Chinese sweat shop where each tiny flower is hand sewn for a pittance as Wai wonders how she will hide her bulging belly from her employer. I hear music that makes my toes tap and, looking down, notice the beer splashes on my pretty ribbons and wonder if they'll wash...

These are not shoes. These are whimsical paintings of a Princess, dance music, contemporary poetry. These are a written outpouring of shoe envy or a lament at the heel height of 2012 fashion. These are colour, shade and story.

Your challenge is to look deeper into this picture than just the footwear and let your Muse whisper their creative longings.

There's a story for everyone in this fancy pair of turquoise party slippers. Will yours be painted, written or photographed.

Close your eyes and let you imagination wander.... but if you're still looking at a blank page, then try on a few of these:

• Sketch your ideal pair of shoes - total fantasy - if you want wheels, you've got them; if they need rocket launchers or 500 buttons, then they're yours! What materials will you use? When will you wear them and with what... and who...?
• Write about your favourite pair of shoes. Do you still own them? What make them so special? Put yourself in 'their shoes'.... What stories could they tell about you? What do they think of you?
• Quickly scribble a list of words associated with footwear and then compose a poem using every single one of them.
• These shoes are very different and will most certainly make their owner stand out. Why might they want to do that? What does the rest of their outfit look like? Where are they going and why?

Share a link to your results in the comments on this page or on my Facebook Page and let me see where you (or indeed that pair of shoes) take this prompt.

What is behind the door?

Click on it (go on, I dare you) and see where it takes you... (it's a bit of fun... don't worry there won't be any monsters waiting to bite your bottom.... unless you want them to of course!)

Ooh did you hear those hinges creak? And what's that shadowy figure disappearing into the gloom? Can you hear someone playing the piano? Oh hello...

It's OK to be messy

Week 2 of the messy book group (never to late to join in!!) and I'm trying to remind myself that it's OK to be messy - in fact, that is indeed the point of the exercise! So, it being Friday night and all, I decided to get smashed.

Don't tell my son, but I 'borrowed' a couple of his crayons and hit them hard with a hammer until they pulverised all over this page. But that wasn't really messy enough (unless you count the bits that flew off and embedded themselves in the carpet). Next up I headed to the kitchen and my art iron...

(As an aside, I would not recommend using your normal iron to melt wax with. I made that mistake before so have now purchased a £5 iron from Tesco which I use exclusively for this purpose!)

While I was waiting for the appliance to heat I turned my back just long enough for the boyfriend to come wandering in to the kitchen and move my messy journal scattering bits of crayon across the kitchen floor. More accidental mess.... it's getting good...

I melted neat, I melted through paper, I melted over greaseproof sheet. I burnt my hand and got bits of wax stuck down my fingernails.

Then, I turned to the glue page - nice and sticky. This one took a while as I had to wait for the glue drips to dry before I rubbed them with alcohol ink.

Then, I couldn't quite resist getting all arty... I took some macro photos but darn it the flash went off...



Hold on... if this isn't an accidental discovery, then I don't know what is... They have a certain appeal don't you think - accidental art.

I think there's a creature in this one...

Finally...

A real close up. I like this - follows the rule of thirds compositionally. A piece of art made from mess. Good work. Next week I might use food.... Eeek!

A Special Announcement and a Giveway

Sophia

I am bursting with excitement, nerves are tingling, butterflies tickle my tummy and my eyes are bright with anticipation.

The time has finally come to announce my new creative business venture! I'm still working hard on finalising content, but today I woke up and just knew that today I just had to launch. Maybe there's some alignment in the stars, or the Universe is just getting fed up with waiting. So, I draw in a deep breath, pull myself up to my full height and invite you to...

Please open your minds to The Wright Brain Stuff. We begin our adventure with an 8 week eCourse designed to set fire to your imaginations, open your inspiration and bring your Muse out to play.

I would love if you popped over to my website to find out more and discover how, for the weekly price of a coffee and a cake, you could find the resources to dig deep into your creativity.

While you're there, if you want to become a follower and sign up to my mailing list I'll also enter you into a giveaway to win this little lady. Her name had to be Sophia as, if you look very carefully, you'll notice it written across the bridge of her nose! It's also rather appropriate as I'm sharing her with Sunday Sketches hosted by.... Sophia!

Entrepreneurial me

Yeah yeah, it's another girl on a book page... What can I say? I like drawing girls on book pages. I find the whole process soothing and restful.

Chill time is definitely something I have to make the most of these days - as well as ensure I make time for. I'm on a roll with launching my new business plans. I'm already self-employed as you know, but I've got a few new irons in the fire in addition to the work I do out in the corporate world - I'm branching out into the fairy-tale magic of creativity.

When I was made redundant three years ago I had a number of sessions with a career advisor and at the time she said she saw me owning a portfolio of businesses; that it would suit me. These thoughts have simmered gently at the back of my mind but then the gentle bubbling began boiling over as the urge to embrace the creative tribe forced its way to the surface.

I can't see myself being anything other than an entrepreneur. The thought of being tied to one company now sends shivers down my spine - the kind where bunch of ramblers take an amble over my grave! At last I am in the vocation I was born to do. It surely explains those old Sunday night feelings of dread as I contemplated another week at the grindstone of my employers. They are long gone! At last I am free to do what I love. For my corporate clients I write and advise. I let rip with creativity and my heart and soul into doing the best work I can.

And now, I am on the cusp of an additional venture. I want to take what I've learned and inspire others to write and paint, craft and create. I want to work with this creative tribe I have found online and weave magic together.

I'm finalising my offering and will be sharing it soon, I promise. In the meantime, you can sign up to the mailing list (see the box in the top right of the sidebar) and I've also created a separate Twitter account @WrightBrains.

Sharing this piece today with Sunday Sketches - pop over to Sophia's blog and check out what everyone has been creating this week!