Virginia Spiegel has just published a Blurb book entitled " Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life" which touches on her exploration of her artwork and her creative life. http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/4013 Her book couldn't have been more timely for me and I am about to order a copy to study and enjoy further.
Currently, I am thinking more and more about creativity and challenging oneself as I am taking an innovative class with the Canadian Embroiderers' Guild called The Broader View of Art. ( I will be blogging about this shortly - stay tuned). This class has given me much food for thought and taken me back to my early school years and ways in which my creativity was both encouraged and discouraged by various teachers and educational systems. I have also dug out old report cards etc. , which many years later have given me greater insight into myself and my creative development over the years. Having taught Creativity Workshops especially in relation to the Fiber Arts, I have an ongoing interest in the subject and especially how early childhood education has affected our creative processes and thinking.
There's a most interesting blog written by Richard Kessler, who is the Executive Director for The Center for Arts Education in New York. He writes on the importance of art education for children and how it affects their development, not just artistically but in life itself. Richard's take on things and his wonderful connection with fascinating artists, educators and scientists proves for valuable and insightful reading. Read his blog here:
Another terrific read is the book "The Element " by Ken Robinson Phd. who is one of the world's leading thinkers on creativity and self fulfillment. In addition to his book, you can view a fascinating and humorous clip on his thoughts about " Do schools kill creativity?" on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
I hope you will enjoy exploring these gentlemen's take on the subject and reminisce about your own early development and how it affected your creativity both then and now. As always, your comments are always welcome.
