How Thrift Shopping Makes you More Creatively Productive

I was introduced to "The Artists Way" yesterday, referenced as "Writing the Artist's Way". What Marketing Writer and budding Art Collector could resist?

After reading "The Basics Tools" .pdf available on the website while sipping warm Earl Grey tea I felt inspired and revitalized. This bit of writing reaffirmed something I'd suspected for a while now, Thrifting and Junk Collecting is extremely creatively productive. Thrifting inspires you and provides creativity.

Inspirational Books Scooped up at the Thrift Store this weekend

The "Basic Tools" in creative recovery, according to Julia Cameron's teachings are "The Morning Pages" and "The Artist Date".

Most bloggers and writer's already engage in a form of The Morning Pages. To write "Morning Pages" open your notebook soon after you wake up and write three pages in stream of consciousness fashion. This helps remove negative thoughts so you can focus on being creative later in the day. This makes your "Morning Pages" journal a great piece to reference for an understanding of your ideas and frustrations- and how to nurture or fix them. I've been doing this for years, but I'll take it up a notch and start writing three pages instead of just one.

I dug out this dollar-store faux anime Engrish notepad to use as for my Morning Pages

The Artist Date is where thrifting and junk hunting comes in. According to "Insert her name here", your artistic side is your "artist child" and like any child it needs to be nurtured. You have to spend one-on-one quality time with your Artist Child once a week, you have to do something, anything, that inspires and nurtures it, or you'll lose it. An "Artist Date" to the Thrift Store or your favorite Junk Heap is the perfect way to inspire artsy thrifters and junkers. You're on the prowl, searching for an item, being bombarded with different sights, textures, and colors. All of this is very artistically stimulating and inspirational.

My unfinished drawing from Dr. Sketchy's, I didn't get to finish coloring- but we still won a lolly pop, limited edition beer, and pies for a week!

Dedicated thrift addicts, you now have yet another reason to enjoy your weekly (daily?) thrifting excursions. It's good for the artist inside all of us.