tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73429679687757207892011-07-31T03:47:09.741-07:00the story of my MBA thesis projectErica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-40239515507415450172010-01-04T13:56:00.000-08:002010-01-04T13:56:14.132-08:00

I have now had two people let me know that they have started producing more creative work as a result of their participation in the Creative Q pilot program. I can't possibly explain how happy that makes me feel. This project has changed people, their behavior, their feelings...exciting. I am pretty sure I will work on making it apply to a broader audience (possibly a business) and use it as my

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-26549467152307375742009-11-10T09:10:00.000-08:002009-11-10T09:10:57.918-08:00

The Creative Q is like a wine-of-the-month club for artists/crafters/creative people who have stopped making art or feel uninspired. Members receive a simple physical object and a related prompt that is open-ended and "media agnostic" so they can interpret it in any way they choose and make whatever they want, whether its a painting, a song, creative writing, etc. There also a little mini

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-24262972922378292032009-10-28T15:48:00.000-07:002009-10-28T15:49:44.070-07:00

Creative Challenge is a subscription-based service (web or snail mail) where users receive prompts, materials and timelines to create work and share it in a virtual studio. INSPIRATION My interviewees cited a lack of time, inspiration or funds to create art. There was also a common longing for the structure of art classes and the sense of community found within a working art studio...so

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-28725172276094125732009-10-10T15:06:00.000-07:002009-10-10T15:09:21.352-07:00

It is hard for me to identify exact corollary experiences to analyze since I am uncertain as to what my final solution will be. Below are a few similar experiences that I have identified as related to my intended area of focus. This list will change and grow as I refine my solution space, and only reflects a small portion of the many competitive experiences I have researched. paint-your-own

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-61279491079936166282009-10-10T14:58:00.000-07:002009-10-10T14:58:41.007-07:00

While anxiety and making play a role in this new permutation of my project, I am currently exploring a variety of concepts which intend to jump-start "stuck" ex-artists/crafters to help them find their voice and start making art again. The new working title for my project is BLANKCANVAS. BLANKCANVAS is a collection of solution concepts and prototypes which all intend to provide an experience

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-2863614756048882422009-09-30T12:00:00.000-07:002009-09-30T12:05:25.640-07:00

based on my research, making is hard to start, but once started, it: is fun creates confidence encourages mindfulness imparts satisfaction and pride engages others So why don't I create something which helps people MAKE and reframe their identity into one who makes: a MAKER? But people already make, everyone is a maker, just not everyone considers themselves a maker so they can't reap the

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-55765677317580578362009-09-30T11:34:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:34:12.343-07:00

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-56626066346924223632009-09-30T08:59:00.000-07:002009-09-30T09:15:06.379-07:00

I created this experiment to see how people felt about making. find a sheet of regular copier/printer paper (8.5" x 11" white paper) set a timer for 10 minutes take your sheet of white paper and make something with it! You can use whatever tools you have on hand to do something, and create whatever you would like. Transform the piece of paper into anything...it could be a 3D form like origami

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-86961908487583259382009-09-30T08:56:00.000-07:002009-09-30T08:56:02.630-07:00

Making is a Choice Making "says" something making is not a solitary act--requires feedback and support; commonly is created as a gift People make excuses about making (or not making) Making is an emotional topic: it is not just about creating something with your hands Getting started is hard making requires space: mental and physical making requires time: making time to make making affects

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-83511070634705932912009-09-30T08:49:00.000-07:002009-09-30T08:52:23.957-07:00

Ashley Frazier Creative Director & User Interface Designer Masters in Interior Design "Ex-maker" (of art: printmaking, painting) without feedback, i'd be happy, but it makes it better to get another level of commentary i feel so bad about it...i spent so much time on art making. I liked having a way to express myself, but now that i don't do that anymore, it's kind of like if i went to law

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-64508021628558194392009-09-16T08:19:00.001-07:002009-09-17T09:16:20.752-07:00

Kristina Ho account executive at a marketing firm college art major ex-maker (printmaking) my art is so thought and process oriented...(photo-based subtractive prints) that i need to think about everything ahead of time. i already have a concept, a composition (in the photo) and I have a basic idea of how it will look in the end. I'm not as creative as I used to be, because I am consumed with

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-15776885432131430252009-09-13T13:47:00.000-07:002009-09-14T08:14:06.296-07:00

Miriam Wild-SmithCCA Graduatewriter for AAA's Via magazinewriter for comedy troupe "Killing My Lobster"getting started is the worst possible thing in the world for me. In any case it's always a blank piece of paper--writing or artI was in a long term relationship with art, and was dumped after I graduated from school [because finding a job as a "professional artist" didn't work for her]I'm

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-37869794668297273652009-09-02T09:29:00.000-07:002009-09-02T09:56:57.362-07:00

I went to a great group brainstorming session last night and got some feedback on my ideas.I talked about anxiety like goldilocks--too little anxiety, you lack motivation, too much, you are debilitated....how do you capture the "just right" amount. Like what if procrastinators were able to take a pill that made them more anxious (opposite of an anti-anxiety drug). After blabbering on for a few

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-39564959364015985752009-09-01T08:22:00.000-07:002009-09-01T08:34:12.426-07:00

For SmallSteps, I did a lot of anxiety research. Here are some of my notes from that project..."Anxiety Disorders Association of America"Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18.1% of U.S. population).Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country's $148

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-20344319633055119832009-08-17T11:55:00.000-07:002009-08-17T12:02:31.902-07:00

although this is unrelated to my current thesis idea, I think it's a valuable lesson...people attribute value to objects when there is a story associated with it:http://significantobjects.com/about/THE PROJECTThe project’s curators purchase objects — for no more than a few dollars — from thrift stores and garage sales.A participating writer is paired with an object. He or she then writes a

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-9312038217571730232009-08-10T14:45:00.000-07:002009-08-10T14:57:07.055-07:00

I'm working with Elle (my communications professor who is an artist/corporate vision coach) to help her update her website. In return, she is giving my coaching sessions.My first assignment was to have a conversation with myself. For the goal setting course I took earlier in the summer (also taught by Elle) I had mapped out my goals and then had to write a list of stumbling blocks that would

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-81064151987476338372009-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:002009-07-22T13:35:30.380-07:00

Apparently creative anxiety is a hot topic. There are creativity coaches, like the multi-book author Eric Maisel, PhD who help people deal with anxiety related to creative production. In a write-up on this random blog, Barbara Martin quotes Meisel, saying:“We get anxious when we fear that we are about to embark on something with potentially negative consequences for our mental, emotional,

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-7557623836074378072009-07-15T08:26:00.001-07:002009-07-22T13:29:17.094-07:00

Back when I was working on Small Steps, I conducted an expert interview with my mom to learn about anxiety treatments in the mental health profession (relating to eco-anxiety). My mom said a few things that really resonated with me...anxiety is necessary. Too much can become debilitating, but without any a person cannot anticipate consequences to their actions and end up somewhat sociopathic. But

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-67719215961035645382009-07-14T12:10:00.000-07:002009-07-14T15:12:45.367-07:00

Kathryn found this article and forwarded it to me: Think outside your box: Enhancing creativity through multicultural interactions. It covers a few scientific studies (questionably valid experiments, in my opinion) that imply that creativity is heightened by exposure to other viewpoints.While it was shown that multicultural experiences can promote creativity, the authors believe that people’s

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-33599460593814141042009-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:002009-07-14T09:39:54.847-07:00

Kathryn and I visited Heath Ceramics over the weekend. It flicked a switch in me. It made me think, "I want to do this." The new owners, a designer couple, bought the business 6 years ago. They were able to modernize and streamline Heath while still maintaining a quality product which is both beautiful and functional. that's what I hope to be able to do when I graduate from this program.

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-56492642044675815292009-07-14T09:28:00.001-07:002009-07-14T09:40:09.198-07:00

If I am going to work on this for a year, I think I should be passionate about the topic, audience, something...Here's a list of things I am passionate about. Or, things I like/get excited by that I doubt I'd get sick of over the course of a year:CreativityHome DecorDiet CokeCeramics"Pretty" thingsfoodIllustratordigestable information/infographicscraftempowermentownershipfun/playfulnessTANK

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-3898139584600968752009-07-14T08:20:00.001-07:002009-07-14T08:36:05.789-07:00

About a month ago, when I started thinking about this project, I did what most people do when they are looking for something: I Googled it. More explicitly, I googled "power of creativity."Crayola has a program called "Power of Creativity" which asks parents to encourage creativity. I the opening letter of the program guide, Cheri Sterman, Crayola Director of Child Development says:Creative

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7342967968775720789.post-64464692318509196222009-07-13T15:57:00.000-07:002009-07-13T21:00:11.281-07:00

All theses start somewhere. Mine is starting with an amorphous idea...Throughout high school, college and after I graduated from college I worked at paint-your-own pottery studios. I worked at 4 different studios, but they all were basically the same: people walked in, picked out a piece of pre-formed, slip-cast bisque, painted it with underglazes, we glazed it with a clear glaze, fired it, and

Erica M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13342153950445325475noreply@blogger.com0