Past Issues of
breakTHROUGHArts
a free newsletter for visual artists

May 2003 Contents
I. Feature Article: Stages of Change
II. Friends in Print: When you feel like reading
III. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
IV. Creative Links: Sites for visual artists
V. Newsletter Info: Sharing this newsletter, subscribing, and unsubscribing

I. Feature Article: Stages of Change
Visual artists differ in their styles of handling change. Some are attracted to the word breakTHROUGH and would like to make changes rapidly. Others are quite clear that their style is to have a clear idea of where they're going and a plan to get there step by step.

There is a model* of how people make changes regardless of these outer styles; it proposes that we all go through six stages as we take on making a change in our life. I offer them here as a way for you to consider where you are with changes you may be contemplating or avoiding in the ways you make art. Even those who like to go step by step can also see that change, like many creative processes, rarely proceeds in a straight line.

Notice that last part about identity change.
Imagine you have always considered yourself an abstract artist. You may never have learned basic drawing and here you are responding to pressure to join in a challenge project that a recognizable, representational motif.
If you go through the six stages and actually create representational work, it can shift your self-image considerably. Artists who have made that kind of change often describe it with surprise in their voices. This shifts and enlarges our identity, and the pleased surprise…"but I thought I couldn’t do that…" marks the new energy it brings.
*Prochaska, Jame O., Norcross, John, & DiClemente, Carlo. Changing for Good. 1995.
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Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. James W. Pennebaker. Guildford Publications, 1997.You’ve heard over and over how "journaling" can support your creativity. Well, Pennebaker has been studying the helpfulness of writing for years. This is not a cookbook but includes good guidelines, such as "Explore both the objective reality of events and your emotional responses."

Unintentional Music: Releasing Your Deepest Creativity. Lane Arye. Hampton Roads, 2001. For those of you who learn more about your visual creativity by the inspiration of other art forms….pottery, poetry, ice dancing, etc., this slim volume provides an introduction to welcoming the unexpected in sound.
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III. Energy Management: Translations from the Psych Research Lab, the Board Room and the Shrink’s Couch
What’s a Good Stress? Have you ever questioned all those media reports on how bad stress is for you? Have you ever found that deadlines actually unlock your creativity?

(Of the many people whose work on stress contributes to my thinking, I’d like to especially acknowledge Berlyne, Salvadore Maddi, and Suzanne Ouellette.)
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IV. Creative Links
If you like gadgets and new toys to use with your visual thinking skills to solve problems, www.innovationtools.com has a nice collection of items to spark new combinations of ideas, including
   - a free Idea Generation List (note: no longer available as of January '06)
   - Creative Whack Pack - thinking outside the box
   - Magnotes - erasable magnetic post-its

www.galleryguide.org is a nice place to go for the inspiration of looking at others’ work across the country. It’s an online version of the printed monthly regional guides you may have seen in the larger cities.
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V. Newsletter Info
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