Exploration of Creativity

Ok, I have to be honest, this is the class I've been looking forward to most since deciding to come out to Portland. I have a mixture of emotions about it. I'm really excited to get to use different materials and really branch out, and I'm also really nervous for the same reasons. I feel like this class will show me if I am, in fact, creative and it will kind of sum up everything I've learned in the last couple of months. The one thing I've really struggled with during this whole experience is whether or not I'm creative enough to do it. I want to be artistic so badly!

So, there were only 3 of us in the class and it started out great! We talked about how creativity is stifled in us throughout our whole lives as we try to fit in to the rules and things we are taught. We learned how to release that baggage and talked about ways to surround ourselves in a more stimulating environment. It was actually a really cool discussion and there are a lot of things I'm going to put into practice now. Besides designing flowers, I really want to learn how to paint. I think it will help foster the growth of my creativity and will eventually help in my business. I also learned some really cool design ideas that I want to turn into art pieces for my home.

This is kabuki and these are the ones I am going to turn into art pieces. They will be slightly altered, obviously and I think they're going to look really cool.

A support system made out of aluminum wire. It turns out pretty neat.

Petaling on the ball, and tying sticks together to form a base.

Different things you can do with Lomey collars

I was really worried about the second half of the day when we got to use anything in the warehouse and design whatever we wanted and it didn't matter how many things we did or anything. Amber found some sort of sheet metal grid and made a really cool design out of it.

This was Amber's first, smaller piece that she just whipped out of a Lomey collar while she was thinking about her larger design piece.

Her finished project, which I thought was pretty cool because of the incorporation of industrial materials.

The other guy in our class did a few pieces, experimenting with different materials and techniques. Petaling on a small cardboard box. I think it looks cool because it kind of looks like a mini picket fence garden.

His wire based bouquet

His stab at the kabuki

I had kind of an idea of what I wanted to do for one of my pieces, but I had no idea it would take me all afternoon! It was a doozy, but I have to admit that I was pleased with the way it turned out. I'm still not 100% sure about my creativity level, but I am sure that I know how to foster and unleash it, and I know I just need to learn how to trust my natural abilities more too. So, all in all this was a fantastic experience and I'm so happy I did this!

It's an ikebana design made out of topiaries