A creative start using a variety of elements.
Visual creativity exercises are a practical way to develop essential visualization skills. Aside from being a way to take action and start making things, quick creative projects are a great alternative to time wasters. The results represent thoughts and ideas visually expressed, and that is something to celebrate. Visual art can form the basis for communicating in many contexts where showing is often more effective than telling.
How to do this?
When working with visual materials, using a set of clearly defined rules will help grow those creative muscles. Imposing constraints is thought to stimulate creativity. Without any order or plan, the visual elements themselves—point, line, and shape, don’t amount to much. With something as simple as limiting yourself to a single shape, you can generate a series of more of less abstract art pieces.
Try it yourself!
Here are some suggestions to get started:
- when working with elements, proceed within constraints
- pick any element (a shape, colour, line-type, point, or many dots)
- operate with precise measurements in scale, offset, rotation, etc
- select a predetermined format and size, use a grid or template
- challenge yourself to create a specific number of versions
- work in a series while periodically focusing in on each piece
Art activity sheets
Check out these printable creative exercises.
