Creativity Cheat Sheets

I LOVE CREATIVITY.

It’s not just something that I think is cool… I totally love it. It’s the purest test for intelligence. And EVERYONE can be creative. Check out the graph to the right:

THAT IS SO TRUE! And the weirdest part is that so many people have been told by THEMSELVES that they are not creative.THAT IS PURE BS (Barnyard Slush)!!!

YOU are creative. Well, it’s more accurate to say that you CAN be if you want to. STOP saying you’re not. You just gave up. The only thing different between “creative people” and “non-creative people” is that creative people try and practice, and people who call themselves non-creative people have quit already. NO MORE QUITTING.

Your creative friends have a head start, but you can get there. And I’ll let you in on some of the secrets… Check out the following cheat sheets!!!

Elements And Principles

The Elements and Principles are the building blocks of art and design. There are a lot of ways to look at them and it seems every book uses a different list! Don’t worry about it. They’re not something you know, but something you explore.

Some Of Our Favorite
Resources Include:

johnlovett.com

Wikipedia

Project Articulate

Flye School

ArtHeroes Elements and Principles videos

Synectic Triggers

The Synectic Triggers are a great way to get yourself thinking creatively. It’s almost a checklist of crazy things you can do to your art to make it more creative, unusual, or unique. There are some resources out there but I believe all come from the original books by Nicholas Roukes‘ book called Synectic Triggers.

Some Of Our Favorite
Resources Include:

Rob’s Synectic triggers Prezi

Synectic Triggers Flashcards

Synectic Triggers Reference Sheet

Percy Principles

The Percy Principles of Art and Design are a great way to start thinking about simple rules for design. These are similar to others on the list but I’ve used these principles as triggers for creativity or discussion starters for class for my entire teaching career. These are a great way to just quickly reflect on your art and think about your design.

Some Of Our Favorite
Resources Include:

The Percy Principles (original)

Applying the Percy Principles article

Good Artists Copy. Great Artists Steal.

-Pablo Picasso (And Steve Jobs Agreed!)

Here Are Some Awesome TED Talks On Creativity And Breaking Out Of The Mold:

Want To Get Really Serious About It Or Need Some Proof?

Here Are Some Of My Favorite Books On Creativity And Developing A Creative Mindset: