Stephanie's Studio

I am honored to have been granted an Artist Residency at The Residency Project in Pasadena. There I will have the opportunity to paint en plein air, as well as in the studio. In late summer, I intend to explore the colors, forms, shapes and natural light, particular to Pasadena and the San Gabriels environment. Midway during the residency, you’re invited to come see first hand how the work is developing. I will speak about my writing and art, as well as sign copies of “Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones,” and the newly released, “365 Days of Hoodoo,” and the volume to which I contributed “Llewellyn Spell-Day.” This will be a welcoming event that includes mandala-making, poetry reading and sharing conversation over herbal tea. See you there! Ashe

I've been reading "How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day," by Michael J. Gelb. It is a wonderfully inspirational book for all creative people, and those that want to become more creative. The book isn't limited to visual artists or writers because Leonardo da Vinci did so many different things, it embraces many different disciplines and ways of thinking. One of the interesting bits of information I came across last night was about Leonardo's notebooks. He carried a notebook with him at all times. 7,000 pages are in existence, but it is believed there were many more. As a man who cultivated curiosita , (an insatiable curiosity about life, and unrelenting quest for continuous learning) notebooks were a constant source of inspiration and motivation for his creativity. Some of the ways he used the notebooks, which you might try, particularly if you are suffering through a creative block, is to ask yourself a hundred questions in the ...

M is for mixing it up Being very linear, with everything planned out neatly, has it place. It is reassuring and can keep your energy flowing from a place of security. I like sketching and outlining but have also enjoyed m ixing things up a bit.  M ixing m edia as an artist is a sure-fire way to break up m onotony. Further, it is a challenging discipline that pushes boundaries preset by other well-defined disciplines. Mixed Media can lead you into unknown territory, ripe and ready to be m ined for new m aterial.  The Dancers, Mixed Media Book Art with Found Objects, Collage and Stitching, by Stephanie Rose Bird As a writer, I’ve found that adding poetry, letters, book passages, quotes, songs or recipes into my stories is another fun way of mixing things up, in a productive and fun way. "The Dancers," Mixed Media Book Art, with Collage, by Stephanie Rose Bird My theme for the A to Z Challenge is Creative Hacks to Break Creative Blocks. I’v...

F is for Feather One of the qualities of feathers that’s pretty much universally identifiable is that they are light. It is beautiful and a lovely meditative practice to simply slow down and watch a feather slowly descend, fluttering in the air, reaching the ground in its own time and own, often circuitous way. From the lightness of feathers, often I think of the unforgettable book, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera. This book was required reading during the early years of college, with many an animated discussion surrounding its reading. What stands out to me and why I want to include it in this discussion about Creative Blocks is that if we can borrow one of its thematic sentiments, that life is indeed to be lived surrounded by lightness, we can break through the block of our creativity. Blocks are heavy. They are self-important and all-absorbing. What if we were to take a new tact? What if being the very opposite of what the blocks want, could help us? ...