November Theme:
How do you approach a creative project from scratch?

Barbara Ehrentreu — For me it depends on what I am doing. Usually with a creative writing project if it doesn’t require my looking for reference material I will just start writing. The topic informs my writing and usually that is all I need to get started. A sentence forms. I write it and the rest flows. Like I just did this. 

Lynn Garelick  — As an artist, I am always looking, watching, observing, listening for an interesting scene that I can draw on paper.  Lots of sketches, doodles, and yes erasures too, lead to a final work of art that I am satisfied with.  

Diane Tunick Morello — In the past few years I’ve dedicated time and imagination to fiction writing and to clay building. For writing, I maintain a digital journal of ideas, glimmers, anecdotes, quotations, photographs and life lessons that speak to me. I review the journal frequently to spark new stories and fuel my progress, often finding an entry that enriches a story line or sets a new course of action for a character. For clay, I maintain a digital “look book” of artwork, sculpture, architecture, whimsy, patterns, friezes and ideas culled from galleries, personal photographs, videos, social media, museums and magazines. I revisit the look book as I plan for a new clay project. I return often to the writing and clay journals, often capturing what I’ve learned or jotting down meaningful feedback. The good news is, successes outnumber failures.

December Theme:
How do you stay motivated during long or complex projects?