JODI WILEY 15/8/12 JODI WILEY 15/8/12

Book Review: Graphic Design Thinking by Ellen Lupton (ed)

by Jodi Wiley Everyone's heard of brainstorming but it's not the only way to come up with new ideas. Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming provides enough thinking techniques to break out of even the worst creative rut.

The book is an overview of the design process in three parts: defining problems, getting ideas and creating form. Each section goes through the sequence of explaining a concept (such as 'visual research'), providing case studies and finally, giving the reader step-by-step instructions for how to carry out the technique. Many of the thinking tools (brainstorming, of course, and mind mapping) will be familiar to people in a wide variety of fields including design, business and education, to name only a few. But the section 'How to Get Ideas' proved particularly illuminating for me, and is packed full of activities for collaboration and individual processes.

The techniques covered might be elementary stuff for the professional graphic designer but some of the ideas could also be a revelation for those seeking fresh inspiration. For example, the section titled 'Regurgitation' advises to go for a walk with a plastic bag, a camera and sketchbook to collect printed ephemera for later study, documentation and transformation; 'Unconventional Tools' describes tracing with toilet paper; and 'Take the Matter Outside' suggests using the natural environment as inspiration for designing new patterns, textures and sequences.

One thing I realised as I was reading this book is that almost all of the techniques for generating design ideas can be applied in other contexts. I'm not a graphic designer but this book had me brimming with ideas about the ways I could use some of these prompts as a teacher, writer and artist.

Graphic Design Thinking was authored, edited and designed by students and faculty in a Graphic Design MFA program and as such, it does have a textbook feel to it - both in form and content. But this also makes it a great book to dip into rather than read from cover-to-cover (although you could definitely do that too, as I did). It's a perfect resource for the early-career graphic designer but could also provide inspiration for those more established in the field. People engaged in other creative pursuits may also benefit from the thinking techniques and activities provided.

Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming is published by Princeton Architectural Press.

Jodi Wiley is an artist, writer, teacher and blogger. She has written freelance articles and book reviews for magazines and newspapers, as well as education curriculum. She has won awards for her artwork and been a finalist for several art and illustration prizes. Jodi is currently on maternity leave from high school teaching and is on a (quite frankly deranged) quest to update her blog daily: artbywiley.com

JODI WILEY 18/7/12 JODI WILEY 18/7/12

Book Review: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

by Jodi Wiley

Twyla Tharp is a renowned American choreographer who has created more than one hundred dances for her own company as well as prestigious dance and ballet companies worldwide. She’s had a long, successful career, won many awards and obviously knows her stuff in the field of dance. But she also knows a thing or two about creativity. This book is not about dance, although Tharp does use many personal examples from her own life’s work. The Creative Habit: learn it and use it for life is about creativity in every field and Tharp draws her examples not only from the performing arts but she also references visual arts, writing, composing and even business.

It took me a while to read this book because I wasn’t sure, at first, exactly how to interpret it. It’s not a conventional ‘self-help’ or ‘how to’ book. It takes a more philosophical approach and the exercises at the end of each chapter aren’t always directives for action but are sometimes just food for thought. The book crept up on me though and after a while I started to really enjoy Tharp’s engaging voice and understand her innovative ideas a little better. The Creative Habit has more complexity and depth than your regular self-help title and I know I will want to re-read it again someday after I’ve allowed this first reading to settle.

Tharp writes about creative ritual and harnessing memory. Her thoughts on how to research a project and ‘scratch’ around for ideas are relevant to every creative field. There is a chapter about how to get out of a rut and into a groove. One about how to avoid over-planning and the need to accept failure as an important part of the creative process.

At one point she writes about the fallacy of needing the perfect conditions in which to create. I like what she has to say about this: ‘My perfect world does not exist, but it’s there as a goal. What are the conditions of your perfect world? Which of them are essential, and which can you work around? You may discover you are not that far from heaven’.

The Creative Habit: learn it and use it for life is an inspiring read for anyone with an interest in the creative life. It’s published by Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.

JODI WILEY 20/6/12 JODI WILEY 20/6/12

Book Review: The Creative License by Danny Gregory

By Jodi Wiley

Danny Gregory is a bit of a poster boy for sketchbook journaling, having written several books about it and published thousands of his own journal pages online. He's an advocate of the idea is that everyone is an artist, and everyone is creative, whether or not you're in a so-called 'creative' profession.

I've always been interested in journaling. In the past I've kept the written kind but recently I've become more interested in the illustrated form. So this book is right up my alley.

The Creative License inspires you to pick up a pen and just draw. Gregory wants us to draw no matter what, even 'badly', as a way to access our own innate creativity. This book is full of advice such as 'celebrate your mistakes' and 'give yourself deadlines' to complete pages in your journal. Gregory wants us to draw the mundane and the commonplace and in the process see the beauty in everyday life.

By drawing daily, Gregory believes we tap into our creativity. 'I want to show you that it is possible. That you can do it. That you can draw and write and sing, and live more richly, and find and be the real you.'

The book is filled with practical instruction on drawing (although it's always in the spirit of fun and never boring, technical lessons), lists of things to draw as well as pep talks about things like procrastination or calling yourself an artist ('an artist is someone who makes art' Gregory insists).

The book's design lends itself to the lucky-dip style of reading: you can just open it at any page and be inspired by what you see and read. It's full of Gregory's own drawings from his journals and the eclectic layout means your eye is constantly drawn to new material. After spending time with this book I always go away energised and motivated to draw.

And just as an aside, if this is the kind of thing you're interested in, you may also like another book by Danny Gregory - An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers.

The Creative License is fantastic for people who love drawing or want to be inspired to draw. But even if you've never considered this form of creative outlet, after looking through this book you may begin to feel like picking up a pen and beginning.

The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to be the Artist You Truly Are is published by Hyperion Books.

JODI WILEY 23/5/12 JODI WILEY 23/5/12

Book Review: The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin

By Jodi Wiley

This little gem of a book is a handy 'how-to' on selling your handmade creations (whatever they may be) locally, globally and online. Written by a crafter (Kari Chapin), for crafters, it's full of great advice for turning your hobby into a business.

Divided into three parts, The Handmade Marketplace covers everything from goal setting, branding and pricing in Part 1 to marketing, blogging and publicity in the second part, with the last section focusing on selling: at craft fairs, online and in bricks and mortar stores.

Sometimes the specific business advice is not relevant outside the north American market but there's still plenty in there to sink your crafty teeth into. It includes helpful tips about all aspects of creative business from using social media to building community and, of course, selling your stuff. I especially like that it's full of advice from real people who have successfully turned their passion into a thriving business. People like Ashley Goldberg, Grace Bonney and Holly Becker (and many others) have been interviewed and snippets of their wisdom appears throughout the book.

It has also been illustrated by Emily Martin (aka The Black Apple) and Jen Skelley whose drawings give it a funky indie art feel. The fun design of the book and the conversational writing style means it's a breezy and engaging read.

If you're looking for inspiration to turn your crafty pastime into a business this book will have you brimming with ideas. It's a great starting point for taking your crafty ideas to the next level.

The Handmade Marketplace is published by Storey Publishing.

JODI WILEY 25/4/12 JODI WILEY 25/4/12

Book Review: Drawing from Life - The Journal as Art by Jennifer New

By Jodi Wiley

Visual diaries are often associated with artists and written journals with writers. But, of course, many creative endeavors are aided by keeping some kind of record book.

I have kept a journal of one kind or another for most of my life so I was very excited to discover this book. Drawing from Life by Jennifer New is distinctive because it features a range of people from wildly different professions: illustrators and artists, yes, but also a psychiatrist, a geologist, a performing artist, a photographer, an engineer, a furniture designer and a quilter, among many others.

What they all have in common is their propensity to record their thinking in a book made of paper (I wonder how rare this activity is becoming given the rise of electronic organisers?). The book is divided into four sections: observation, reflection, exploration and creation depending on the way the person mainly uses their journal.

Each visual journal spread comes with a description of the particular approach its author takes, their reason for journaling, frequency of entries as well as any predilections for book types (lined or unlined paper etc).

The big draw-card of this book, though, is the voyeuristic opportunity to peek into all of these journals. There are illustrator, Maira Kalman's, observational sketches from life and artist Christopher Leitch's meticulous recording (in words and pictures) of his every dream.

Frenchwoman Sophie Binder bicycled her way around the world and her travel sketches are amazing. Cartoonist Lynda Barry writes with an Asian-style brush to slow down her thought-process and uncover more 'back-of-the-mind' images.

Designer Erica Bohanon covers her pages with drawings of chairs, tables and lamps. Quilt-maker Denyse Schmidt creates graphic diagrams of her quilt designs but also uses her journal to muse about life, paste in quotes and admonish herself for biting her fingernails.

This is what I love most about journals: the organic way in which they evolve, revealing the creation process, but also saying so much about the creator themselves.

In her introduction New says of Drawing from Life, '...while this is not intended as a how-to - most of these books are much too personal and pragmatic for replication - there are certainly many creative seeds to inspire readers'. That's for sure. I know I learn something new every time I open this collection and am inspired once again to continue journaling myself.

Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art is Published by Princeton Architectural Press

Jaclyn Carlson 21/3/12 Jaclyn Carlson 21/3/12

Scenes From Sydney: Embracing Change

By Jaclyn Carlson The changing of the seasons, the slow and often sullen shift from summer to autumn has caused me to explore and embrace the idea of change and transformation in our lives. As women, very few of us get to change our careers, shift directions and follow new paths. For many it’s the responsibility of family, for others the burden of finance but often it’s fear that holds us back and allows self doubt to creep in and spread like wildfire until our desire for change and dreams of a new path become just that…an old and distant, dream.

Without wanting this post to sound like something out of Sylvia Plath novel, my purpose for embracing change this month was to highlight a few bold women who have made mid-career and/or life changes and haven’t looked back since. They've embraced the fear, chased down impossible obstacles and have carved out new careers and hobbies one step at a time. Hearing their stories is not only a source of admiration but inspiration and something we could all learn from. Whether it be big or small, life changing or not, we all need a bit of change to push us forward…

Emma Scamell , Emma Scamell Photography Sydney-sider, Emma Scamell has turned a love for photography into a blossoming Sydney-based business. Drawing on her skills as a marketer and using a business savvy approach, she is the perfect example of what happens when you allow yourself to follow your heart. Below she shares with the CWC what change means to her and the moment she decided to move on a new path…

When did the idea of change first become clear to you? A few years ago, I read a quote in an article by Ralph Simon which really resonated and stuck with me. "Work hard and be nice to people. Do what you love, then it’s not work”. The work hard and being nice is essentially my ethos, but I made me think, is it actually possible to turn what you love into a career?

When did you decide to take the leap of faith and follow your dream? I’ve been working in marketing for around 8 years and had been wondering if the dream of working for yourself could actually become a reality. I have always loved taking photos and began expressing that dream to others. As soon as I started verbalising it, things started happening completely organically. I started getting asked to do shoots through friends, and then friends of friends, and I started to take the concept of going full time more seriously. After a long lunch with a friend who has just launched their own business, I realised that it could be more than a pipe dream and there was no reason why I couldn't do the same. From that lunchtime onwards, I’ve made sure that every day, I have done something to take myself closer to my goal – be it shooting, studying, reading, researching or connecting with people.

What’s next? I've just taken some determined steps towards my goal by becoming a member of the AIPP and working on some meaty client projects in my free time. I'm also taking a strategic approach to the business with a brand and marketing plan. Yes, I absolutely have the fear of "what if no-one likes my work?", but I also know that the same fear drives me to continually improve. Above all, I know that if I didn't at least try to make this happen, I would always wonder 'what if'...

Leanne Ambrogio, Sweet Style Blogging for Leanne Ambrogio began in April 2009 as a way to document the building of her house with the creation of Mrs A In The Cove. What began as a whim, suddenly began to change direction in 2010 when she discovered the world of dessert tables and styling - something she had always been passionate about – thus began a brand new path never before imagined. Since creating her first dessert table for her daughters fourth birthday in 2010 things have not stopped. In June 2011 her new styling business took another turn when she again changed her career path to launch an online store stocking all the beautiful items that are required for creating a stylish party. The store, Sweet Style, has gone from strength to strength and the product range keeps growing. The styling side of her business also continues to grow as well with a number of requests for contributions to some lovely online magazines. Leanne is an inspiration to me personally as she continually strives to taken on new challenges and pave out her own path. She leads a busy life with family as her main priority but is one of the best examples I’ve come across of taking what starts as a small hobby and turning it into a passionate, life changing career path.

For the rest of us still dreaming of or looking for change, Megan Morton might just have the answer. She has recently launched, The School, a Sydney-based hub for discovering new talents, and unearthing hidden charms. As Megan herself sums up, “ we want to hold a candle to everyone's inner creative and tap into the magic that happens when you work with both your hands and your heart.”

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column