Day 22 – August Arty Challenge – I Allow Myself To Play

Day 22 – August Arty Challenge – I Allow Myself To Play

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I Allow Myself To Play I think sometimes we forget that making art is supposed to be fun! We get so caught up in whether it looks right, whether the colours work, whether we’ve done it “properly”, that all the joy can disappear out of it. So today’s affirmation is a little reminder to loosen up and play. Try the colour you wouldn’t normally choose. Put something where it probably shouldn’t go. Scribble, splodge, stamp, tear, layer — and see…

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Day 21 – August Arty Challenge – Creativity Begins With Curiosity

Day 21 – August Arty Challenge – Creativity Begins With Curiosity

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Day 21 – August Arty Challenge – Creativity Begins With Curiosity I reckon curiosity is where most creative ideas start. What if I try this? What happens if I put that with that? What would it look like if I turned it upside down, added some colour, tore it up, stamped over it? In fact, right at the centre of this year’s retreats was a BIG “What if?” session – fun, playful, experimental and completely unpredictable. I LOVED IT! And…

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Day 20 – August Arty Challenge – I’m not afraid to try something New

Day 20 – August Arty Challenge – I’m not afraid to try something New

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Well, this one couldn’t be more appropriate! Trying something new can feel a bit daunting, especially when we’re comfortable with the things we already know how to do. But that’s where so much of the fun is, isn’t it? You don’t have to be brilliant at something the first time you try it – in fact, you probably won’t be! The important thing is simply being willing to have a go. Yesterday, here at the Retreat, we introduced our second…

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Day 19 – August Arty Challenge – I Enjoy The Process

Day 19 – August Arty Challenge – I Enjoy The Process

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I enjoy the process. And today, that particular affirmation couldn’t be more fitting! Yesterday we waved goodbye to a fantastic, wonderfully creative group after two full-on arty days together, and today we welcome our second bunch of Retreat guests – another really arty crew, I know! There’s a brand new process for them to learn today too, and that really is what this is all about. Not worrying too much about the finished piece, or whether we’ve got it “right”,…

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Day 18 – August Arty Challenge – Believe You Can And You’re Halfway There

Day 18 – August Arty Challenge – Believe You Can And You’re Halfway There

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Believe you can and you’re halfway there. I love this one, because so often the biggest thing standing between us and having a go is that little voice telling us we can’t. I’m not artistic enough. I’m no good at that. Mine won’t look like theirs. Sound familiar? But the minute we change the conversation in our head and think, Actually, why not me? I’ll give it a go, something shifts. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing,…

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Day 17 – August Arty Challenge – My Creativity Grows Each Day

Day 17 – August Arty Challenge – My Creativity Grows Each Day

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My creativity grows each day. And I think that’s exactly what happens when we actually use it. The more we make, the more ideas seem to come. One little idea sparks another, we try something different, discover something by accident, and before we know it we’re looking at things with fresh eyes. We’re already on Day 17 of our August Arty Challenge, and today is rather special here at Clarity too, because it’s the first day of our Retreats! So…

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Day 16 – August Arty Challenge – My Imagination Has No Limits

Day 16 – August Arty Challenge – My Imagination Has No Limits

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My imagination knows no limits. That sounds a bit big headed, but I don’t mean that I have the greatest imagination in the world! Not at all. I mean that there really are no rules or boundaries when we use our imagination. We can go anywhere, try anything, mix things up, change direction halfway through and make something that has never existed before. Nobody can tell you that what you’re imagining is wrong. And I’ve been seeing wonderful proof of…

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Day 15 – August Arty Challenge – I Trust It Will All Work Out

Day 15 – August Arty Challenge – I Trust It Will All Work Out

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Day 15 – I Trust It Will All Work Out Hi there. We’re almost halfway through our August Arty Challenge already! Today’s affirmation is I Trust It Will All Work Out. Now there’s a useful one — in art and in life. How often do we start making something and, halfway through, think, “Oh dear. This isn’t going the way I thought it would”? But if we keep going, add another layer, change direction, cover a bit up, work with…

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Day 14 – August Arty Challenge – I Will Get Out Of My Head And Get With My Hands

Day 14 – August Arty Challenge – I Will Get Out Of My Head And Get With My Hands

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Day 14 – I Will Get Creative With My Hands I must say this nearly every single time I’m on TV: getting creative with my hands is how I switch off my head. And for me, that really is the crux of everything. I have never been very good at doing nothing. My brain simply doesn’t stop. It thinks, plans, worries, works things out, jumps ahead, goes backwards — you know the drill! But give my hands something creative to…

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Day 13 – August Arty Challenge – Every Day Is A Chance To Create

Day 13 – August Arty Challenge – Every Day Is A Chance To Create

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Day 13 – Every Day Is A Chance To Create Hi there. Day 13 already! And today’s affirmation really does sum up what this August Arty Challenge is all about: Every Day Is A Chance To Create. You don’t need a whole free afternoon, a perfectly tidy craft room or some brilliant idea before you begin. Sometimes twenty minutes is enough. Sit down, pick up a pen, a stamp, a brush – whatever takes your fancy – and just make…

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