Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Staying Motivated

Staying Motivated

Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Creativity

If you've lost your creative zip, or your creative zazz, there's plenty of ways to get them back. Or at least, that's what I believe, so I wrote up an article with some advice on the subject to post here on Bearskinrug. But, to my great fortune, it ended up in the much more respectable venue of A List Apart magazine. So, if you're in a rut and looking for help, my first tip would be to go read that article. Especially since I'll just be using the rest of this article to name various exotic fruit.

The Orchards of Paradise

Mango, passionfruit, breadfruit, starfruit, kiwi, coconut, figs, rubyfruit, goldfruit, emeraldfruit, zebraberries, cloud dumplings...uh... neptune-hearts...

Comments on this Article

There are currently 23 comments.

[ Add one of your own! ]

Christian

Why is the boy in the picture beating that poor hoop with a stick? It looks as though the hoop was merely minding its own business, gayly rolling down the street when viciously and suddenly attacked.

bearskinrug

Yeah, these are definitely difficult times to be a hoop.

burd

well-written article. i enjoyed it very much.

heh heh. he said "dickens." heh heh.)

Filip

That's a very inappropriate place to touch a Q.

Malibu

I think it was wise judgment which inclined you to publish that article on ALA. It's much too long for the meager attention spans we wield here at Bearskinrug...

testMonkey

First you illustrate for ALA, now you're writing for them? What next -you get to name several new species of fruit and then what, total world domination?

Oh, would Mojo be your Cheney? I can totally see your campaign posters in my head.

Though I suspect that if Mojo were your Cheney, you'd "accidentally" swallow some toxic ink and meet your end slowly, leaving Mojo a convenient power vacuum to fill with dictatorial eh's.

Oh dear, I see that I've rambled.

bearskinrug

Burd - Thanks! And yes, I DID!

Filip - Well, once it's okay if it's showing it's belly like that. That's a sign of submission.

Malibu - Thanks Mali... Hey, your name is a beach name!

Testmonkey - I'll probably just stop at the new fruit species. I'm sure the Sexfruit will keep me busy for a while anyway.

Ew.

Shane

I spent some time in Brazil, and I have to tell you passionfruit juice is some of the best juice in the WORLD!

Boy do I miss that stuff.

Same thing with Mangos, which yes I know I can still get a mango here, but I've tried it and it doesn't taste as good, not even close...

diane witman

Saturday night I was camping in Elk Neck State Park, Md. and I was totally refreshed sitting outside on my chair looking up at the meteor shower that was occurring. It was relaxing and made me realize that I need to get away from the computer once in a while to be creative. Good article on refreshing the good ol' creative watering hole.

Elk Neck...that sounds like a new peoplemal...ha!

Captain Purple

Oh, that says "exotic fruit." Never mind.

Art Beard

Thanks for the article. advice is much appreciated and what does a zebrafruit taste like. Because if its zebra I am in

Jared

Just thought you'd like to know, but your site comes up as the top Google search result for "Cloud Dumplings."

biga

You're so publishy lately. Great article btw. More please!

bearskinrug

Shane - I don't think I've ever had passionfruit. Well, not without the word "flavor" or "gum" or "juice" following it.

Diane - Yeah - Kim and I were going to watch the meteor shower, but we got lazy. Our laziness gets in the way of a lot of nature appreciation.

Captain - Hey... "exotic" still has many interpretations...

Art - It's actually named zebrafruit because of its stripes, though the taste is reminiscent of hooves.

Jared - YES! Finally I know I've made it!

BigA - Okey doke... I'll write something up about cloud dumplings. I'm an authority.

Kari Pätilä

I've noticed that while a break from the ol' computer does temporarily make everything seem o.k. again, the newfound perspective also tends to generate more work.

Knowing when you're finished isn't like reading “The Great Gatsby” where you are supposed to know the finishing sentence in advance.

So we beat on...

Joseph

Great article. I sometimes stumble across the most random thing that jump starts me to be creative. One of them being your article. Thank you for getting me motivated again.
Cheers

Jon

So what exactly does your den of creativity look like? Unfortunately I have too small of an apartment to designate an entire area for creative pursuits.

Ruud Welten

Don't forget about Amazonian grapes, Avocado, Lychee, Lime, Mulberry, malay roseapple ...

bearskinrug

Kari - Yeah, often when I'm working on something, I SHOULD walk away, but I stay there pushing pixels trying to fix it. Then I give up in frustration. Then I return 5 minutes later and can see what the problem is. It's difficult to force yourself away sometimes...

Joseph - Glad to be of service! ;)

Jon - Haha - well, I don't have a lot of pictures, but it's something like this, and this. In reality though, ANY place can become a den... you just have to use it consistently, and be able to have basic needs fulfilled, like some privacy, and the right tools for whatever creative task you do.

Ruud - I've never had a Mulberry. Or a Huckleberry for that matter...

Jason Robb

Kevin, smashing ALA article! That was just what I needed. Seeing you writing for them was such a treat. Thanks very much, it means a lot to me. I hope there will be another sometime soon!

bearskinrug

Thanks, Jason - glad you liked it :D

Mountain Gnome

Don't forget Rambutans Drgonfruit and Carambolas!!

bearskinrug

Silly... Dragonfruit are just a myth.

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