Gregory - Art before breakfast: a zillion ways to be more creative, no matter how busy you are

More books by Danny:
An Illustrated Journey
A Kiss Before You Go
An Illustrated Life
The Creative License
Everyday Matters

Copyright 2015 by Danny Gregory.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-3547-2 (pb)

ISBN: 978-1-4521-4058-2 (epub, mobi)

ISBN: 978-1-4521-4923-3 (epub fxl)

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This book is for people who dont have time to read it.

You dont have a second to catch your breath.

To smell the roses or the coffee.

Your life is getting more and more full and crazy.

Which is why you need to add one more thing to your to-do list:

[ ] Make art.

Seriously, art? Yup.

I know you dont have much time, so lets get right to the point.

You are about to discover that

(a) making art will make you saner and happier,

(b) you don't need to think you have "talent" to make beautiful art,

and

(c) art making can fit into the craziest, busiest, most hectic and out-of-control lives even yours.

And it'll take just a few fun minutes a day.

Got it? Moving on...

Be here. Now. Art stops time. When you draw or paint whats around you, you see it for what it is. Instead of living in a virtual world, as we do most of the time these days, you will be present in the real one. Instead of focusing on all the things whirring in your head, you will be able to stop, clear your mind, take a deep breath, and just be. You dont need a mantra or a guru. Or an app. Just a pen.

Tell your story. Life is just a long succession of small epiphanies. You need to stop and seize them. By making art, you will be recording what you are living through and what you are learning about it. A drawing and a sentence or two in a sketchbook turns those everyday moments into something significant. Your art will set a frame around it and give you perspective on what really matters. Over time you will build up a book of memoriesa true record of whats important in your life.

Welcome to the world. Its not perfect, but its beautiful. And the most beautiful things have character and experience built into them. Theres a lot to learn and appreciate in a chipped mug, a half-eaten apple, the tiny lines in the leather of your dashboard. Making art will show you how much you already have. Your real treasures. A brand-new Maserati is a lot less beautiful to draw than a rusty old pickup.

Sudoku no more. You will never be bored or waste time again. Every day is full of those moments between activities. Waiting in the doctors office, watching mindless TV. Instead of reading tweets on your phone, youll make a piece of art. Every minute of your day counts. Make it worthwhile.

We all live in chaos. Its the natural state of things. Physicists call it entropyeverything is always changing and unraveling and ultimately turning into cosmic mush. Thats why your desk gets cluttered and your calendar gets filled. Its physics.

Creativity is the act of shaping the mush of the world around us into somethingof creating your own order. Im not talking about going crazy and compulsive with a label maker and color-coded files. Im talking about having a vision of what you want things to be like and moving toward it.

I assume that, deep down, you want to have more creativity in your lifethats why you have this book in your hands. But you just dont know how to fit it into the chaos of your day. There are always too many things to do, too many obligations and chores that take precedence over you. Maybe you think to yourself, Sure, Id love to make art, but I dont have the time to indulge myself right now. Maybe on the weekend, on vacation, when I retire, etc.

But creativity isnt a luxury. Its the essence of life. Its what distinguishes us from the mush. And its why our ancestors survived while other less adaptive critters perished. They responded to change by being creative in some way, by inventing a new answer to the chaos.

And thats what you need to do to make the most of your life, every day of it. To be inventive, open, flexible, in touch. To have perspective on what matters to you. To deal with change without being overwhelmed. And thats what creativity offers you.

Creativity can become a habit that fits into your life, like Pilates or flossing, only a lot more fulfilling. You just need to shift your perspective on what it is to be creative. It doesnt mean you have to be a full-time artist. It doesnt mean you need lots of training or supplies. Or time. It doesnt mean you need to be a so-called expert.

You just have to be youand express what that means.

Art with a big A is for museums, galleries, critics, and collectors.

a rt with a small a is for the rest of us.

Art is a business, an industry, a racket.

a rt is about passion, love, life, humanity