I am always surprised when people tell me they are “not creative at all.” I noticed this especially when talking to people at my solo show events; someone would ask me about the process of making my art, listen with interest, then respond in an almost sheepish manner, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

I’m here to tell you, that’s just not true.

When people announce to me that they’re not creative, I think what they’re really saying is, “I don’t have the drawing or art making skills to make fine art like you did.” And that’s okay. Creativity is more than just making marks on paper or shaping clay into a sculpture. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines being creative as “having or showing an ability to make new things or think of new ideas.”

And don’t we all do that on an everyday basis? From figuring out a smart new way to streamline an old work routine to spontaneously making up a fun game that calms a child’s temper tantrum, we’re all flexing our brains everyday to dream up new workarounds to everyday dilemmas.

So the next time you think of yourself as “not creative,” I challenge you to recall a recent time when you had a problem and found a solution that was unusual, innovative, or just a little crazy. I bet you can think of at least one example from the past week, if not more.

For those who want to learn a little more about everyday creativity, here are some good articles exploring the topic:

Five Creative Myths You Probably Believe
“These misconceptions cloak creativity in mystique and they foster elitism—the idea that the potential for innovation and imagination is a rare gift enjoyed by only a select few ‘creative types.'”

You’re Got to Have the “Can Try” Attitude
“What sets these people apart from everyone else is not their innate abilities, or necessarily their intelligence. What matters is that they approach their creative endeavours with the menality of ‘what if I tried this…” as opposed to “I could never do that.’”

Unlock Your Inner Creative Genius in 5 Simple Steps
“Creativity isn’t limited to left-leaning designers, artists, and architects alone. Ideas and inspiration can (and should) come from everyone, regardless of their background.”

The post Think You’re Not Creative? Think Again! appeared first on Amy Ventura.

Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8th, we had our opening at Sidetracked Studios in Evanston, IL. Curated by collector Michele Mahon Jahelka, the show is titled “What Did She Say?” and runs until May 10th.

L to R: Raeleen Kao, Amy Ventura, Michele Mahon Jahelka, Mary Lou Novak, Lauren Levato Coyne (photo courtesy of Maike van Wijk at maikesmarvels.com)

I’m honored to have my work hanging alongside the art of these very cool women and thrilled with how amazingly cool Lauren, Rory and Michele of Sidetracked have been. They hung my work beautifully and put on a great evening for the opening reception!

(photo courtesy of Maike van Wijk at maikesmarvels.com)

Check out some of the work below and click here for more info on each piece.

The post Good Women Making Good Art appeared first on Amy Ventura.

I’m so excited to be part of this show, which features eclectic work from six women artists at the very cool Evanston gallery, Sidetracked Studio. Please join us for the opening reception this Saturday, March 7th from 6-9pm for some good art, lively conversation and a little beer from New Holland Brewing Co.

Sidetracked Studio
707 Chicago Ave
Evanston IL 60202

The show runs until May 10. Want more info? Check out Sidetracked Studio’s Facebook page.

The post What Did She Say?!? appeared first on Amy Ventura.

I’m so honored to have my guest post, The Top Five Lessons I Learned From My First Solo Show, published on the incredibly helpful blog of The Abundant Artist. An excerpt:

The year leading up to that solo show was a tremendous learning experience in terms of shaping my voice, organizing my work structure, and refining my creative process. What truly surprised me, however, was finding that the learning didn’t end once the show was hung. In fact, some of the most valuable lessons I learned through the entire process came after the opening. And it’s these I’m sharing with you below.

You can read the rest of the post here. Thank you, Cory Huff!

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All things must pass.

My show at Firecat is over, the artwork is packaged up on its way to new homes or other art exhibitions, and I’m moving on to my next series. Here’s the collection, for posterity.

They Came Between Dreams
exhibited at Firecat Projects
Chicago, IL
Dec 26 2014 – Jan 24 2015

Burned wood engravings chronicling the state of hypnagogia: that mysterious period of semi-consciousness between wakefulness and sleep when the mind’s eye conjures strange images, textures and hallucinations….

Want some more info about a piece? Please contact me or visit my shop.

The post “They Came Between Dreams” Gallery of Images appeared first on Amy Ventura.

My brilliant writer friend, Heather Mackey, published her first book, Dreamwood, last year. In addition to having one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen (check it out below!), Dreamwood is smart, powerful and gorgeously written. Don’t be fooled by the “Young Adult” classification; this is a sophisticated story that will captivate adults as well as older kids. Heather has created a strange, spooky and magical world inhabited by strong characters winding their way through a unique and fascinating plot. I’m thrilled that she is already under contract for another book. Congratulations, Heather!

This interview is the second in my series, How Creativity Works.

What motivates you to sit down and begin work each day? Do you have a ritual/process to ease into creative work?

I’m really motivated to get to work (well, my creative work, that is), and partly that’s because I have a day job. I’m not going to say it sucks, rather … it provides a useful contrast that makes me eager to escape into my imagination.

By now, I’ve got a world-class “easing-in” process. I have a great chair that makes me feel like a starfleet captain. I eat a square (or more) of dark chocolate and knowing that I get to eat chocolate makes me pretty gung-ho. I have a few particular tracks of music I listen to. They’re very specific. When I find a new piece of music I can work to I get pretty excited. I just discovered “Open” by The Necks. It’s 68 minutes long. Thank you, The Necks!

But even with all my tricks, I can be a terrible procrastinator. And now that my book is out, I feel like I should be building my presence on social media. Really, the social/networking side of my brain and the creative side do not mix. I find the key thing is making a plan for my time and being really intentional.

Do you work steadily, day after day or does your creative work happen in bursts and pauses?

For me writing a novel feels like trying to levitate bricks with my mind. I’ve got to keep focused or they all fall down. It’s definitely easier for me to work steadily, even if I have crappy days, because then I get the benefit of momentum. And eventually I’ll reach a delicious state where I’m just so deep inside the book the real world seems less real in comparison.

That said, I have had the experience of pushing too hard, staying up too late when I’m clearly dry but I’m just masochistically soldiering on. Breaks are good. I used to be afraid of them because I thought they meant I was lazy. Now I realize breaks are just times when subconscious work happens.

(Dreamwood by Heather Mackey)

What do you do when you are stuck?

I’ll usually try to go for a walk or take a run. Doing something physical helps so much (though strangely housework never seems to do the trick). If I’m really stuck I try to visualize myself finding the answer—usually right before I go to sleep. I just wrote a blog post about imagining and naming a part of my subconscious who I can boss around and tell, “hey I’m stuck, go find me what I need.” The added benefit of this is that now it’s her problem!

My goofiest remedy is telling myself that in an alternate universe I’ve already figured it out, so I don’t need to worry. Amazingly this has helped.

I guess what all these tactics have in common is that they try to release or deflect the stress of being stuck. Being stuck is like having insomnia. Whatever you do don’t look at the clock and freak out about how late it is.

Do you consider your work, the process of creating, to be “fun”? Should it be?

I think Dorothy Parker said, “I hate writing, I love having written.” Sometimes, though, you just feel ecstatic. But no matter the ups and downs it is still fun on some level. Even when I’m really struggling I still love my story. Unrelenting misery would be a sign to get out.

What is the most satisfying point in your process of creativity for you?

The most exciting moment is when I have something I think can be a story and I’ve written some random pieces—a moment, a scene, some dialogue—that I feel point their way to something interesting. Then the hard work begins.

I recently read the novel Euphoria by Lily King—a totally amazing book. The central character is modeled on anthropologist Margaret Mead, and there’s a point when the character describes the favorite part of her work as that brief moment of euphoria, about two months in, when “everything feels reachable, comprehensible, before the full scope of the work ahead sets in.” (I’m actually quoting from an interview with Lily King). I think that’s a great way of describing it.

Check out more of Heather’s writing and keep up with news of her next book at heathermackey.com.

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