Where Do You Start with Art? Part 2
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 12:00AM 
A trip to a museum to see and photograph (if allowed) related art could be a "big experience."
MORE WAYS TO PRIME THE MIND. See the last blog post to figure out what and why-for this is all about!
Research.
Start with a list of questions about your topic. Write as many as you can. Review your questions and, if possible, discover additional questions to ask and answer about the subject -- perhaps by sharing with a group. Use one or more of these methods to track down answers, possible answers and even just hints of answers to your questions:
Search the internet.
Look in the library.
Read related books or magazine articles.
Interview someone.
Create a survey.
Experiment.
Check out YouTube or other online sources of video or audio.
After researching, draw, write about and/or graph what you learned, what was most important.
Generate ideas.
Use your imaginations about the subject in these and other ways:
Daydream
Ask "what if" questions.
Brainstorm or mind-map
Consider the subject from as many viewpoints as possible
Think WAYYYY outside the box
Big experience.
Design for yourself, if possible, a large, concrete, “unforgettable” experience related to the subject or theme of your study. Examples:
An excursion (can be imaginary)
A live animal
A live demonstration/performance
Participation in a big group or collaborative event
A visit to a museum or park or historical site that gives you ideas about your theme
See a movie or documentary related to your theme, if possible on the big screen!
PS: Dr. Cynthia Herbert (my friend Cindy) added two more great ideas to her list. Since she inspired this whole series, I want to include the ideas, so look below in the comment section -- and add your own ideas, too.
The next post will feature ideas for INVENTION.
Reader Comments (1)
Look inside:
Search your own reservoir of memories and experience. What is your story? What impacted you? What helped to make you who you are?
What punches your buttons? What are your favorites? What makes you mad? What hits you where it hurts? What do you care deeply about?
What do you wonder? Hope? Daydream?
Get random:
Take something from one context and something else from another and try to integrate them.
Examples:
Two words you randomly select from a dictionary or other book. Examples: "shark" and "happiness."
Two objects you randomly select from your "junk" drawer or "beautiful trash stash." Example: a piece of newspaper and a feather.
Two specifics you choose from areas of the Sensory Alphabet. Example: A specific shape (round) with a specific rhythm (syncopated).
Two concepts/things from two different fields. Examples: "equation" (from math) and "interdependence" (from social studies)
Two person play. Example: Start a drawing, stop after a few seconds and give it to a friend to add to for a few seconds and pass back, etc.