Today I stumbled across a site that allows writers to post articles for use in other blogs and websites, so I decided to look through it. I found that they have all sorts of great articles on creativity and musicianship! I was really impressed! I also found out that as a blog owner, I’m allowed to share these articles with my readers around a couple times a month, so I think I’m going to plan on taking advantage of that from time to time, starting today.
This article isn’t necessarily about “music”, but rather about creativity in general. I think there are some interesting points made, and things that as musicians and songwriters we can use to stretch out our own creativity a bit.
Let me know what you think of not only this article, but the idea of searching the web for things that other people want to share… Oh, and don’t worry, reprinting other people’s articles is not going to make up the entirety of my blog! 
Are you as creative as you’d like to be? Are you able to think creatively and use your imagination to think of original new ideas? Do you have the ability to recognize opportunities others fail to see? Do you find you’re able find creative, ingenious and innovative ways to solve problems?
Your ability to think creatively can be improved dramatically by making use of certain exercises and techniques.
Here is one way you’ll find very effective indeed. You’ll experience an immediate improvement in your creative imagination and your creative thinking.
YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION.
In order to become more creative you first step is to improve your creative imagination. Creative imagination is the mental faculty that enables you to create mental images and visualize situations or conditions you have never actually experienced.
What is the value of exercising your imagination?
People with highly developed creative imaginations have the ability to extract features of their experience and re-arrange them into new forms. All new inventions are discoveries; artistic creations – and even new ways of doing business – are based on this form of creative thinking.
By using certain exercises to develop your creative imagination – and giving your imagination a “work-out”- you’ll find you’ll experience a tremendous improvement in your ability to think more creatively.
Even if you have no interest in Art whatsoever, one useful strategy that will make an enormous difference to your ability to think creatively is to visit an Art Museum.
If this is not convenient and there is no Art Museum in your area, get a book from the library that features illustrated paintings by impressionist and abstract painters.
Impressionism is a form of art that deals with the effect of an object rather than a photographic representation of the object.
Find a detailed book of modern art that features paintings by artists such as Monet, considered one of the founders of Impressionism. Also examine the painting of Degas. Renoir and Pissaro.
Instead of a photographic likeness of a scene you will find that the artist has attempted to reflect an emotional reaction to the scene.
For example, when Monet first exhibited his painting entitled, “Impression. Rising Sun”, viewers to the gallery, where the painting was exhibited, expected to see something that resembled a rising sun. Instead they were presented with a painting that bore no resemblance whatsoever to sunrise.
Monet’s explanation was that it was his impression of “the fugitive changes of nature”.
Examine examples of the works of abstract painters like Kandinsky, regarded as one of the initiators of abstract art. Here again it is difficult to understand what the artist is attempting to depict. The painting is a form of personal experience rather than an accurate picture of a scene.
In an essay “Concerning Form” describing abstract art Kandinsky wrote: The art of today embodies the spiritual matured to the point of revelation…”
In examining these painting it is important to remember that this is not an exercise to try and establish what the artist is trying to express. The purpose of the exercise is to PRACTICE USING YOUR OWN CREATIVE IMAGINATION TO FORM IMAGES IN YOUR MIND OF WHAT THE PAINTING REPRESENTS TO YOU!
The accuracy of the images you create in your mind is not important; neither are the emotions you experience.
The object of the exercise is NOT TO INDICATE EITHER TO YOURSELF OR TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT YOU ARE A SERIOUS AND A PERCEPTIVE STUDENT OF ART. It is a valuable exercise in developing your creative imagination.
The same exercise can be carried out with all forms of music; beautiful, harmonious, melodic music written for example, by composer like Chopin and Tchaikovsky, and the modern discordant music by Stravinsky, Bela-Bartok and Schoenberg.
Even though you may not find the music of Arnold Schoenberg appealing make a point of listening to it as an emotional experience. His music is regarded as a typical example of what is known as atonality. It is completely without melody or harmony.
As you listen to the music try and form images in your mind that relate in some way to the sounds you hear and the emotions you experience.
Listen also to the strange rhythms and discordant sounds of music composed by Stravinsky and Bela-Bartok. Here again attempt to create visual images. Perhaps you may form images in your mind of huge waves crashing on to the rocks or perhaps a noisy street filled with the sounds of motor horns blaring and tires screeching.
Close your eyes and try and form as vivid and as clear images as you can.
Contrast these images with those created when you close your eyes and listen to the gentle, melodious sounds of a cello recital of Sain-Saens “The Swan”. In this case it is easy to imagine a graceful swan floating effortlessly across a placid lake. It arouses emotions of peace, tranquility and calm.
Discordant music obviously arouses quite different emotions and the images created in your mind are quite different. But here again, this is not an exercise in musical appreciation, it is a very useful and effective way to develop your ability to use your creative imagination.
The more often you make use of this simple method to improve your ability to think creatively, the greater will be the improvement you’ll notice in your ability to think more creatively.
Dennis Fisher is managing director of financial and investment Companies. In addition to his involvement in many different fields of business, his interests include an in-depth study of various schools of practical psychology, with special emphasis on the development of creativity and creative power.
To find out more about powerful techniques that will enhance creative power go to his website:
http://www.creativemindpowers.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Fisher
