Creative Wisdom from Pixar's John Lasseter 1 of 7

John Lasseter

We recently watched a documentary called "The Pixar Story." Lots of great information about John Lasseter and Steve Jobs and all of the creative people who work at that studio. I have to admit that I truly LOVE pretty much every picture they've created and would watch them all even without kids. my favorite is definitely "The Incredibles."

I recently ran across some creative wisdom from Mr. Lasseter here and thought I'd share it with you a bit at a time over the next few weeks.

John Lasseter’s 7 Points (by way of Scribble Junkies)

1.  Never come up with just one idea

“Regardless of whether you want to write a book, design a piece of furniture or make an animated movie: At the beginning, don’t start with just one idea – it should be three. The reason is simple. If a producer comes to me with a proposal for a new project, then usually he has mulled over this particular idea for a very long time. That limits him.

“My answer always reads: ‘Come again when you have three ideas, and I don’t mean one good and two bad. I want three really good ideas, of which you cannot decide the best. You must be able to defend all three before me. Then we’ll decide which one you’ll realise.”

“The problem with creative people is that they often focus their whole attention on one idea. So, right at the beginning of a project, you unnecessarily limit your options. Every creative person should try that out. You will be surprised how this requirement suddenly forces you to think about things you hadn’t even considered before. Through this detachment, you suddenly gain new perspectives. And believe me, there are always three good ideas. At least."

I love this. Don't get so close and focussed on the one piece you are working on now - or don't get obsessed with one little part that you loose sight of the whole. 

What other ways can you think of to apply the "more than one idea" to your work as an artist.

Here is the rest of the series:

1. Never come up with just one idea

2. Remember the first laugh

3. Quality is a great business plan. Period

4. It's the team, stupid

5. Fun invokes creativity, not competition

6. Creative output always reflects the person on top

7. Surround yourself with creative people whom you trust

I Love ... My Little Ones!

My Little Ones!

They are funny and bright and creative.

They came home from school last week all excited about a jump rope event - a fundraiser for the American Heart Association

JUMPROPE FOR HEART

raising funds to help other kids with heart disease.

Instead of just sending an email to friends and family I thought of Virginia Spiegel’s wildly successful efforts for the American Cancer Society and had an idea. I’m constantly flooded with the art the kids produce. If I kept it all we’d be buried to our necks in it. (I take a picture of them holding it then quietly put it in the recycling while they are at school. If they miss it we can pull it out of the bag.)

So, dear friends. My kidlets have are willing to work for a cause. If you donate $5 they will draw a valentine picture just for you. 

(You’ll need to send me a quick note at lyric (at) pobox.com with your address so we can mail it off.)

I asked them to draw something with a heart on it. 

Kidlet #4 drew several.

That’s her operating a robot.

Kidlet #5 works a little more intently and drew this.

That’s him going over a jump on a motorcycle

So - want to encourage my little artists in their altruistic endeavor?

Would you like to help my kids help kids have healthy hearts?
Leave a comment here - it will come to my email and I'll send you an email from their donation page.

(and thanks - from the bottom of my heart!)

I Love ... My Husband

On February 1st my littlest started dancing around and shouting "I LOVE February!? I agree. It's a great month. And I think I'll share with you some of the things I love.

I Love ...

MY HUSBAND

He’s truly almost perfect. 

He’s thoughtful and sweet. Intelligent. Hard working. He makes funny faces as soon as a camera comes out.

In the 25 years I’ve known him he’s never said a negative thing about my appearance. Yet he puts up with our teasing and gamely let my brother-in-law take him on a make-over shopping trip.

Yet, every once in a great while he gives a little sigh and says, “I miss your long hair.” (it’s been gone for 18 years.)

So. With the little one’s in school I have a little more time and as a gift to him I’m growing my hair out. One year to grow it out, one year to let him enjoy it. 

Because I love him.

But I'll tell you here...


When he's not around I go a little crazy. It's in my eyes and tickles my face at night.


I get out the clippers to give my son a buzz and think longingly of just running it up the back of my head. I find myself with scissors in hand too often - tempted.

Then I make an appointment and go back to my hair guy and say - just make it not look stupid while it’s growing out. He does a good job.

For Your Inspiration: Beach and Sand

I can be in the most beautiful place - with gorgeous clouds and all the ocean to view...

Hilton Head Island, SC by Lyric Kinard

 And still, I become completely absorbed in what is right at my feet

guest tutorial: Melanie Testa makes ...

My good friend and fellow artist Melanie Testa is currently a vagabond blogger. Sad for her - lucky for us. We wish her blog a very speedy recovery. In the meantime today I have the great good pleasure of hosting her fabulous

Artspark heARTfest tutorial

 Here she goes.....

If you haven’t noticed, I am having blog troubles, yup! it is totally broken! But that doesn’t mean I don’t have fabulous friends that don’t want to help  blogless girl out! And don’t worry, I will have a new blog and web site soon. So let’s all thank Lyric for helping me bring a Tute Toot Tutorial to you for our Heartfelt Blog Hop.

When I was a girl, I loved going to the pharmacy around Valentine’s Day to purchase a plastic wrapped box of Valentines. They would come with little envelopes and need to be torn down to size along perforated edges. This was so very exciting to do, and going home to make an envelope out to each person in my class was excitement beyond measure! So I present a tutorial using stamps, sweet imagery and perforated edges.

You will need:

Paper to print on

Sticky back fun foam

Pencil

Exacto knife

Tracing paper

Stamp pads

Tracing wheel 

plastic ruler

Fun foam is the way to go, create a stamp (or 4) that fits your valentine design. My valentine’s are 2x3”, so my stamps fit within this size. I drew my design on tissue and rubbed it onto the foam.

Cut your design. 

Peel the backing off the fun foam and adhere to acetate or a backing of your choice. I put my tracing paper wrong side up underneath my acetate.

Pencil in a grid to size and begin printing your stamps, using stamp pads, within the grid.

Using the Pattern Wheel and plastic ruler, perforate your design along the penciled grid.

Fold and tear your valentine’s apart.

Write a special message on the back of your design and start giving your special Valentine’s to your best friends, buddies and and of course, your most cherished loved one(s)! 

Enjoy!

-Melly

Tutorial: Lovin' my Thermofax Screens

It’s my turn!

Artspark’s heARTfest tutorial blog hop

Let's make a sweet little valentine postcard

Valentine by Lyric Kinard

I’d like to show you how my little love affair with my Thermofax screens can be put to good use. 

I've had these collage backgrounds ready to go for a while. They are old watercolor studies (and I do mean old - like from 20 years ago!) that I've collaged with some worn out sheet music. I stuck them on with gel medium and then painted over them with some watered down acrylic paint. Gesso would have worked just as well. I just wanted to knock back the colors and the strong printing just a bit.

 Next I took my favorite black pens and doodled random hearts on paper, scanned it and printed it out in three different sizes. I was thinking of creating an overall background texture with this doodle. Nothing too regular or controlled or overpowering.

I send each print of the doodle through my wonderful Thermofax machine along with that green mesh fabric. The heat rollers burn the carbon in the toner through the emulsion coating on the screen.

It's almost magic how that happens. It's a little addicting.

I usually tape my larger screens to a frame to make them easier to deal with. When I'm printing yardage I like to be able to lift the screen with one had while it still has big glops of paint on it and move it to the next paint location.

Smaller screens are simply "bound" with duct tape to keep them from curling. 

I mixed up some pink acrylic paint - ProChem's ProFab textile paint, since it was within easy reach. I pulled out some cloth to play with while I was at it and printed away. I ended up only using the medium and the large screens for the collage. I got a little lazy and let the screens smudge on some of the prints. No worries.

Next comes some focal point imagery. I doodled some more hearts and then got sidetracked for MUCH too long - playing with funky new fonts (dafont.com) and words. I don't always have a plan in mind before I begin a project. 

Time for some more thermofax screens. I cut out words and arranged them on a piece of paper in order to maximize my screen material. The stuff isn't cheap so I hate to waste it. I made sure to leave enough space around each word or doodle so that I could cut out and tape them.

By the way - if you find yourself needing these screens, I've added them to my thermofax shop.

This time I chose a medium contrasting color instead of a lighter color. Purple just happens to be one of my favorites so purple hearts it is! When a screen is taped instead of framed. I like to use a foam brush and just mush the paint through the screen like a stencil.

Lynn Krawczyk has some fantastic video tutorials for how to do this - and she sells some pretty awesome screens!

Last step? Choose which fun message you want to share with our valentine. These are cut into 5x7 cards. I can write on the back, stick on a stamp and drop them right in the mail. 

Super SWEET eh?

Valentine by Lyric Kinard

And yes, dear readers, I do.

Valentines, Lyric Kinard
I love you!
Life is too short not to just say it out loud.




If you are in love with any of these screens you can purchase them here.

Hope you've enjoyed this fun little project.
Keep your eye out for

1/29/2012 Judy Coates Perez 

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Heart Cakes

(my mouth is watering already)


1/30/2012 Kelli Nina Perkins
Felted Heart Soaps

(Is it just me or are they too gorgeous to actually USE?)

Work in Progress: Boro Skirt

Over the holidays we took all the kidlets down south for an absolutely fabulous week at Disneyworld.

That's a good 20 hours of total driving time and I consider it time will spent. I'm very fortunate that Mr. Almost Perfect likes to drive and I don't get carsick so there is a lot of nice open time for hand work.

boro in progress - Lyric Kinard

I've decided to cover all of the raw seam allowances on the outside of the skirt with hand stitching. There are still a number of seams left to go - and then I'll consider it wearable AND washable. I don't think it will ever be "done" because I can think of a million things to add to it. A canvas in progress. A stitched journal. Art in motion. A continual "to-go" project.

If you would like to listen in - Rice Freeman-Zachary and I talked and giggled about this project, among other things on her podcast: Notes from the Voodo Cafe.

http://ricefz.libsyn.com/webpage/lyric-kinard

Rice (rhymes with "Lisa") is talented, funny, and articulate. If you have a few minutes it's worth the time.


And.... day two of Artspark's

heARTfest

tutorial blog hop

1/26/2012 Traci Bunkers Printed Heart Ice Cube Trays

tomorrow look for

1/27/2012 Diana Trout Woven heart valentines card