Does your creativity occasionally hit a roadblock? Do you ever feel stuck, stumped or uninspired? The good news is: everyone does, even your favourite artists. The creative journey can be a bumpy one. And, sometimes, what you need to move forward is a new approach.
May is a month for creative beginnings. Inspired by this season of blossoming buds and blooming ideas, CBC Arts has made something special to help kickstart your creativity.
We asked some of Canada’s best-known visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors, authors, playwrights and other creatives: What is a simple trick you use when you encounter an obstacle in your work?
You’ll find this giant trove of knowledge and experience in a new digital project called Think Like An Artist. The responses are presented here as a virtual deck of cards. Draw one at random and let chance inspire you, or browse until you find the wisdom you seek.
How does an Oscar-winning filmmaker find her way in the dark? What does a bestselling author do to bust through writer’s block?
Think Like An Artist features creative advice from 67 notable Canadian talents, including Sarah Polley, Ken Lum, Kapwani Kiwanga, Peaches, Mariko Tamaki, Micah Lexier, Owen Pallett, Omar El Akkad and many more. Each tip is accompanied by a unique artwork from illustrator and designer Nolan Pelletier.
Inspired by other creative aids like Oblique Strategies (the influential lateral thinking resource devised by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt), Think Like An Artist is a tool to promote creativity. The project also offers a rare peek into the workings — and workarounds — of some of the nation’s brightest artistic minds.
“Maybe, as artists, we don’t talk about this enough,” says performance and video artist Bridget Moser, who’s one of the project’s contributors. “How do you get ideas?” They don’t always strike at random, she says. You have to work at them.
The question of how to channel inspiration and overcome obstacles is one that’s been asked since time immemorial, says architect Bruce Kuwabara, another participant. “I really do believe creativity lives everywhere,” he adds, “and it’s available to those people who are willing to commit.”
Would you like to draw a card?
