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Jolt of Joy

Jump-Start your Creativity with Artistlz

By October 18, 20204 Comments
Jump Start Your Creativity with Artistlz - 30 Circle Challenge
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Joyblz! Jolt-of-Joy

Welcome to the seventh “Jolt of Joy” newsletter. Last week, Artistlz suggested ways to tap into your inner child. We hope that you were inspired and took some time to play! This week, we want to help ignite your creativity by doing some fun warm-up activities from bilateral drawing to doodling. So, get ready to jump-start your creativity with Artistlz!

I believe that creativity and the ability to innovate are like muscles — the more we use them, the stronger they get. By doing some creative warm-up activities first, we can open our minds, stretch our imaginations, defer judgments, and inspire innovation.

One way to get warmed up is to do the 30 Circles Challenge. The above image shows what ideas I came up with while doing the challenge. Continue reading to learn more about this activity, download your own 30 Circles template, and try it for yourself …

30 Circles Challenge

The 30 Circles Challenge was developed by Stanford creativity researcher Bob McKim and featured in Tim Brown’s TED Talk: Tales of creativity and play. In his talk, the audience is challenged to do the test in one minute. However, you will have three minutes. Why not give it a go? First, download the template here. (Make sure to print in landscape mode). Grab a pencil, pen, crayon, or marker and turn as many of the thirty blank circles as possible into recognizable objects. Aim for quantity, not quality!

The motive behind the 30 circles challenge is to stop yourself from self-censoring. When you go for quantity, you don’t have time to think your idea is bad. This is the stage where creativity flourishes. How did you do? Did you come up with some new ideas?

More Activities to Jump-Start your Creativity with Artistlz

Artistlz is excited to share some more activities to unleash your creativity.

Bilateral Drawing

This is a great creative warm-up activity to unite both your right and left brain. It was pioneered by art therapist and best-selling author, Dr. Lucia Capacchione, and is one of many exercises featured in her book, The Power of Your Other Hand. For this activity, get a piece of paper and two different colored markers. Put one marker in each hand. Without lifting the markers, move both hands at the same time in opposite directions to draw free-form shapes in a mirror image. Fill the page with lines, circles, squiggles, or whatever you want. You can view two instructional videos with variations on this exercise here.

It might feel awkward at first but be loose and have fun with it. I found this activity to be extremely meditative, playful, and creative. It was so fascinating to put my non-dominant hand to work. I was pleasantly surprised at my creation, which you can see below. It looks to me like two dancing elephants! What do you see?

Jump Start Your Creativity with Artistlz - Bilateral Drawing
Dancing Elephants?

Doodle Something

Suni Brown, author of The Doodle Revolution, notes that some of the greatest thinkers, from Henry Ford to Steve Jobs, used doodling to jump-start creativity. I always find that my creativity is enhanced while doodling! I am a compulsive doodler and love doodling during phone calls and meetings. This past week, I tried doodling with my non-dominant hand and more whimsical characters popped out of my head. What will you doodle?

 “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not’?”

– George Bernard Shaw

Here’s your joy-full activity for the week

0049 Artistlz Small

Jump-start your creativity by trying any or all of the aforementioned activities. Don’t self-censor and have some FUN! Perhaps it will spark some creative ideas. 

Artistlz and I would love to hear about what activities you tried. Please leave your comments and joy-full responses below.

Note: Here’s the link to the TED talk by Tim Brown

Joyblz! Joyanne Signature

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4 Comments

  • Avatar for Valerie Moniz Valerie Moniz says:

    More fun stuff!!! Thanks Joanne!!! I love the idea of the dual hands drawing!!!! I will definitely give these a try!!!

  • Avatar for Carol O Carol O says:

    Great suggestions. I printed out the 30 circles template and will do it after lunch:-)

  • Avatar for Cindy Clark Cindy Clark says:

    Pistacio Peter…..you are terrific! I love your creativity Joanne, it is endless and happy and Joy Full….Thank you for sharing your Deep Heart with us all out here in Joy Land.

  • Avatar for Peter Peter says:

    The 30 circles challenge was fun!