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For the Curious at Heart: How Your Curiosity Leads to Creative Ideas

December 10, 2019 by Clara Nartey 12 Comments

Curiosity is related to inquisitive thinking, exploration, desire to learn and many more things that you’ll think are great. Right?

Curiosity Leads to Creativity

However, in some circles, curiosity is not encouraged. Have you ever tried to find out more about something or suggested a different approach to doing things only to have someone tell you, “you’re too much”?

We cannot accept that way of thinking, though. The way of thinking that says – “This is the way it’s done. Period.” That’s something we cannot encourage, accept, or live with.

Curiosity results in creative ideas 

After all, when we ask, “what if” (in other words, when we’re curious), it helps us look for alternative ways of doing things.  This results in creative ideas. And creative ideas are the gems which result in creativity, innovation and changes in the world.

However, when we’re not curious we do the same things over and over again. Then something we do that was once “new and original” becomes “old and uninteresting“.

Can you imagine if in today’s world, we were still typing on typewriters instead of on computers and handheld devices?

As much as typewriters were new and innovative in their time, look how infinitely better electronic devices are. We wouldn’t have had any of these advancements in technology, if someone hadn’t been curious enough to ask, “what if”.

The thing is, finding alternative ways to use typewriters is what has brought us here today.

Similarly, when we think and set out to find alternative ways of doing what we currently do, the results will be an improvement on what we’ve always done.  This way we’ll not find ourselves stuck with our “once new and interesting ideas” which have become “old and uninteresting”.

If you find that something you do has become “old and uninteresting”, it’s time to ask yourself, “what if”.

Keep in mind that “old” is relative 

Someone might decide their way of doing something is “old” after a couple of months and another will not find their craft “old” until well over a span of several years has passed.

“Old” is individual. It is personal. Whatever it means to you, just make sure when you start sensing that it’s time for change, you make the change.

And recently, that’s what I did with my artwork.

Curiosity leads to creativity
Background Fabric Collage

My Own Curiosity Project

I decided that my way of stitching up faces which I started several months ago in my Drawn with Threads project, had become “old”. I wanted a new way of doing things. So, I started asking, “what if” questions. I knew that this way, I’ll come up with alternative ideas. And sure enough I did.

I settled on changing the one piece backgrounds I was using for my portraits to collaged backgrounds.

Curiosity Leads to Creativity
Detail View of Stitched Face

To start, I collected together a few fabrics in the color scheme I wanted to use and began to cut them up. Then I glued them together.  So, the process was, Collect, Cut, then Glue. I repeated that process several times till I came up with a big enough size that I could use.

Then, the next step was to sketch a face directly onto my collaged fabric with a heat erasable pen.

Curiosity leads to creativity
Reverse view of the stitching

After that, I brought it to my sewing machine to stitch the face I’d drawn. I started with outline drawing with threads and then I moved to shading with threads to arrive at my completed piece of artwork.

The result of my Curiosity Project is that I created something that’s different. It’s new and it no longer feels “old” to me.

Curiosity leads to Creativity

You should try it, when things start getting boring around your studio, embark on a “Curiosity Project”. whether you’re openly curious or curious at heart, this will benefit you.

What a Curiosity Project involves is this:

  1. Be curious in your everyday life. Ask what if’s
  2. Cultivate curiosity in your creativity. Find alternative ways to do things in your creative process
  3. Experiment and play with the alternative (creative) ways you came up with

To sum it all up, ask “what ifs”, explore, and try something new. Curiosity is not a bad word. It leads to creative ideas.

Question: What do you do when your creative practice gets boring or “old” to you? Does it ever get old?

Curiosity leads to Creativity
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Comments

  1. Sharon Harris says

    December 10, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Lovely, Clara, and definitely creative.
    Sharon

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      December 10, 2019 at 11:46 am

      Thanks Sharon. I’m so glad you like it.
      Clara.

      Reply
      • Peter Adeeko says

        December 12, 2019 at 5:49 pm

        Clara, its amazing work you are doing. Your curiosity project came at a time i was also so burdened to write about curiosity. You sum it up but i will add this… Curiosity is the mother of invention…No innovation gets done with out. And this has dislodged the age long believe that necessity is the mother of invention….you are such a beautiful soul. Thank you.

        Reply
        • Clara Nartey says

          December 13, 2019 at 1:05 am

          Peter,
          Isn’t it interesting how these things work out? I’m glad my journey into curiosity came at the right time for you.

          It’s why I write this blog – to inspire, educate and help others on their own creative journeys.

          Thanks for your kind words and for furthering the topic by adding that “curiosity is the mother of inventions”.

          Be well.
          Clara.

          Reply
  2. Desire says

    December 10, 2019 at 2:13 pm

    Great, the idea is accepted

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      December 11, 2019 at 12:30 am

      Awesome

      Reply
  3. ANDREA GASKELL says

    December 10, 2019 at 7:40 pm

    Clara, I love this work and you should most definitely carry on this path! Yes being curious is important and the ‘what if’ question is one question that I would encourage anyone to use to develop their creativity. I did this with my primary children … but I sometimes forget to ask it for myself! Thank you for the reminder. xx

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      December 10, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      Andrea, that’s awesome. I sure will explore more along this path.
      You’re right! Every once in a while, we all need that small nudge reminding us to do what we know to do but aren’t doing.
      Curiosity is sure helpful in sparking our creativity.

      Reply
  4. Carol Deards says

    December 11, 2019 at 12:15 am

    Love the description of your process in allowing curiosity to inform your art, Clara. Love the portrait that resulted from your path along “what if”. Backgrounds are something I think about a lot in my work and I really like what you did with it for the portrait.

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      December 11, 2019 at 12:23 am

      Thanks Carol. I hope “Curiosity” will inspire the background for your next work.

      Reply
  5. Neeti Hegde says

    December 11, 2019 at 5:46 am

    Hi,

    This is so lovely. I watched that video too, liked the idea of shading & the fabric collage. I think you are going to come up with some more interesting works like this. Like the curiosity bit.

    I am reading this mail at the right time, getting to do my abstracts and was thinking about how different can i may it.
    Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays in advance
    Love & Warm Regards

    Neeti

    Reply
  6. Pat says

    December 11, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Love your new work, like the layering, modern!p

    Reply

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