The Adjacent Possible Blog
Explore The Adjacent Possible, a foundational pillar for creativity on The Artist’s Journey. Insights into intersections of art, psychology and science.Sign up to get weekly Art & Creativity Blogs from Nancy Hillis
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Start Your Art Interview & Demo: Misty Olsen & Nancy Hillis
The time to start your art is now. There is an old saying: “Find joy in your life, it’s later than you think”. Dead women don’t paint, write books or play cello.
Procrastination & Creativity: The Hidden Lessons
Procrastination affects us all, but offers insights into creativity. A theory about the origin of life can help us get stuff done.
What You’re Afraid Of Is Where The Juice Is
Trust yourself to explore the things that scare you in your art. These are the nascent, unexpressed, unexplored parts of yourself where your un-lived dreams reside. This is the realm of play, improvisation, and pure creativity. This is where the juice is.
Luck, Time & Creativity
We live in a world where stepping into the adjacent possible affects the spectrum of possibilities that open up after that, the only concrete question in life is what to do next. Everything else is abstract. But deciding what to do next requires an awareness of what we *can* do next. And this requires search.
Creativity & The Menu Of Possibilities
We live in a world where stepping into the adjacent possible affects the spectrum of possibilities that open up after that, the only concrete question in life is what to do next. Everything else is abstract. But deciding what to do next requires an awareness of what we *can* do next. And this requires search.
Tension, Constraint & Creativity
Sometimes your art feels impossible. Other times it feels as if it could be no other way.
Because art imitates life we believe that both of those experiences are inevitable.
Creativity Poised At The Ragged Edge
Sometimes your art feels impossible. Other times it feels as if it could be no other way.
Because art imitates life we believe that both of those experiences are inevitable.
Construction, Deconstruction & Creativity
Have you ever played a game of Jenga? So carefully put together, so suddenly a pile of wooden pieces. Construction, deconstruction and destruction. Why do so many things collapse quickly but grow slowly? Creativity and constraint are guilty suspects.
Scaffolding The Complexity of Creativity
How often have you admired beautiful art and wondered how something so amazing could flow from the creative hand?
It definitely can happen, but as usual, the story has a few twists. We take lessons from Gothic cathedrals and scientific papers for insight. Medieval artisans have something to tell modern artists about “selection bias.”
Creativity & The Garden Of Forking Paths
Our beloved forest is ablaze, and not just metaphorically. Flashes of lightning changed our life and jolted our reality. Even in fear and trauma there are lessons to be learned. Reality is a delicate thing, as solid as smoke.
Wolves, Wildness & Creativity
Creativity, complexity and the search for resolution. Art takes us to a place of not knowing. It will not be reduced to a simple yes or no.
Creativity, Complexity & The Search For Resolution
Creativity, complexity and the search for resolution. Art takes us to a place of not knowing. It will not be reduced to a simple yes or no.
FREE WORKSHOP: The #1 Secret to Creating Authentic Abstract Paintings You Love!
You question your talent, and painting becomes arduous and painful. You feel lost, wanting to express yourself but not knowing how. But when you learn the #1 secret to creating authentic abstract paintings, it all changes. Finally, you're able to paint with joy and create art you love.
