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.Get weekly Art & Creativity Tips on the blog from Nancy Hillis
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Transformation, Enlightenment & The Games We Play
Cultivating the idea of the adjacent possible is a way of freeing oneself from an undesirable context, of being the author of a new paradigm and transcending the prison of other people’s rules.
Overcoming A Crisis Of Creative Confidence
Overcoming A Crisis Of Creative Confidence CLICK ON THE ARROW ABOVE TO WATCH THE VIDEO P.S. Speaking of books- our forthcoming book, The Adjacent Possible: Guidebook & Stories of Artistic Transformation is getting closer to being published. Meanwhile, we're still running the cover contest and we'd love your help selecting the cover! Here are the 3 contenders. Which do you prefer? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Meanwhile, we found out...
The Adjacent Possible: Flow & Ease
The Adjacent Possible: Flow & Ease P.S. Speaking of books- our forthcoming book, The Adjacent Possible: Guidebook & Stories of Artistic Transformation is getting closer to being published. Meanwhile, we're still running the cover contest and we'd love your help selecting the cover! Here are the 3 contenders. Which do you prefer? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Meanwhile, we found out this week the first Adjacent Possible...
Lost & Found On The Adjacent Possible
If you search for the Adjacent Possible, it is going to require taking some paths less traveled. And if you take these paths, you might occasionally get lost. In fact if you don’t ever get lost, you’re probably not exploring adventurously enough. It comes with the territory.
The Adjacent Possible On Earth & In The Heavens
Perhaps our civilization has co-evolved with the idea of story in such a way that language, writing, and story are an integrated structure, as inseparable as the circulatory system, the nervous system, and the skeleton of our bodies.
Swimming, Art & Zero to One
Swimming, Art & Zero to One We have often spoken of the idea of Zero to One, an idea that is both mathematical and existential, of going from nothing to something. It’s about doing something you’ve never done before. Even though this concept is very relevant when you, as an artist, face the blank canvas, it has application far beyond the world of art. It comes up so many times in a typical day that it is easy to take for granted or miss it entirely. Every day is composed of many...
Color & The Cycle of Life
Color & The Cycle of Life Spring is hitting us in full force, the air is redolent with a wild mix of perfume as everything blooms in a hurry. To a plant, it’s always late. They’re all trying to be first with the result that they’re all pretty much at the same time. We are fortunate to live in a place where something blooms every month of the year, but March and April is the crescendo in the annually performed Symphony of Life. By May things are already drying up,...
The Artist’s Journey: Experimental Painting & The Adjacent Possible
Being an artist is about stepping into the unknown, allowing “not knowing”, accessing the adjacent possible & continually evolving your art.
The Adjacent Possible In Art & Life
As creatives, we seek ways of living at this boundary of the known and unknown because that’s where creativity flourishes.
Light, Color & Perception
some women may be “tetrachromic,” having an increased perception of color than the rest of the population, based on four different kinds of cones in their eyes. Could this be why so many women are drawn to art? The correlation of tetrachromacy with artistic expression has not yet been explored, but it’s a compelling question.
The Crocuses Will Still Bloom Redux
Sometimes you count on your parents long after you consider yourself “grown up.” Maybe nobody is ever entirely “grown up.”
Symmetry, Asymmetry & Activating The Canvas
Symmetry, Asymmetry & Activating The Canvas Just a couple of weeks ago, an artist wrote to us asking why it was necessary to “activate the canvas” instead of just starting with a blank canvas. It’s a good question, and I didn’t have a ready answer. Not surprisingly, especially if you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, the question brings up parallels in the natural world. Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking In physics, activating the canvas is related to the...
FREE WORKSHOP: The #1 Secret to Creating Authentic Abstract Paintings You Love!
You question your talent. Painting becomes arduous and painful. You feel lost, wanting to express yourself but not knowing how. Learn the #1 secret to paint with joy and create art you love.
