Harnessing Your Characteristics for Creativity

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Natalia

A little while ago, I wrote a blog called Discover the Magic Formula to Creativity about finding a key to filter which creative tips and tools are right for you.

It all boils down to one thing: YOU.

For example:

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Do you like to work in big blocks of time or in short bursts?
Do you like to get ‘hands on’ when you’re thinking?
Or do you need to see things written up first?

The more you understand yourself, your nature, work patterns, priorities, and habits, the easier it is to harness these qualities to bring more creativity into your work and life.

We’re also more likely to be creative when we’re relaxed and being ourselves.

Great! You might say. I understand that I’m a morning person who likes to get hands on in my projects and prefer to work in short bursts of activity. How’s that going to help me be more creative?

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The Creative Life of Thanuja Gunatillake – Santé Photography

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Natalia

Welcome to this first instalment of The Creative Life interview series!

I believe that we’re all creative and that we can bring it into many facets of our life.
Each month I will interview people to find out how they express and nurture their creativity, as well as how they make room for it with everything else that’s going on in their lives. I’m also interested in learning about how they approach the business side of things if they have one.

So please, allow me to introduce you to…

The Creative Life of Thanuja Gunatillake.

Thanuja Gunatillake is the founder and owner of Santé Photography. Thanuja set up Santé to capture those special moments and people in life that are worth celebrating. While Santé Photography is her labour of love, Thanuja is also a devoted Mum and works full-time in transport advocacy.

©Santé Photography

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Creativity tips – 10 tips to make your dream happen

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Natalia

Go for it – Dream big! No dream or aspiration is too crazy, as long as it rings true to you. However, you need to take some action to make it happen.

So here are 10 tips that you can use to start moving towards your dream, or when you need to pick yourself up if your motivation’s running a bit low. Once you get a little traction and begin to make some progress, then it’s easier to keep up the momentum.

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Creativity tips – The secret to making a creative habit – Final insight from the Mandala Play Adventure

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Natalia

Going on a mandala Play Adventure was rewarding in so many ways. I got to introduce more play and fun into my day. I got to express myself creatively. I learnt more about the creative process and what worked for me. But the biggest takeaway was learning about the importance of developing a creative habit or practice: doing something creative on a regular basis and making it a normal part of my everyday life.

In the first week of my mandala Play Adventure, I wrote about the practical tips that helped me make time to create my mandalas each day. In this blog, I want to share the secret behind making a creative habit.

By creative habit, I mean that you are spending time on a specific creative project (like collating a photo book, colouring in a colouring book, or knitting a baby rug). It can also include what’s known as a creative practice, where you are developing a particular craft or skill over time, for example short story writing, watercolour painting, or hand carving wooden chess pieces.

So what’s the secret to making this happen?

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Creativity Tips – Creating a creativity habit – What I’ve learnt from Week 1 of my Play Adventure

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Natalia

Last week I decided to embark on a Play Adventure where I would colour in my Mandala Colouring Page every day for 30 days. Well, it’s been a week already! Wow! Seven days of play :-).

I’ve really enjoyed having this time to play. It’s been nice to have some downtime where I don’t have to worry about anything else and can just be free to be guided by my intuition and curiosity. I’ve also had the opportunity to try out some different mediums (such as my new pastel and Inktense pencils).

As expected, this commitment to creating a mandala each day has also raised some challenges. Consequently, it has also helped me identify (and reinforce) some creativity tips and what helps me be creative and find time to deliver on my commitment.

Here’s an overview of my first 7 designs.

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