Copy-Play-Say

What's your stage of creativity?

Creativity is a skill that anyone can learn. It follows a proccess of distinct stages that reflect the thoughts and actions you undertake as you attempt to create. If you are ever feeling uncreative, recognising what stage you are in can help you find your creative flow. Our Copy-Play-Say is a simple way to help you find your stage and tools to suit. Even just 5 minutes of practice a day makes a difference.

Level 1: Copy

Copiers like to follow recipies, templates and step-by-step instruction. There's nothing wrong with copying to learn new technique. Copying gives you skills to move to the next level. Try a traditional diary or undated planning template, colouring in with artist grade pencils, hand lettering with a PILOT Parallel Pen, writing with a beginner fountain pen, doodling with Zentangle artist tiles or grab the official LEUCHTTURM1917 Bullet Journal which includes instructions to learn the technique. Use these tools as a guide and as you practice, have the courage to embrace your mistakes as 'happy accidents'.

Level 2: Play

Players combine or break "recipes" to find their own style. Do the opposite to your normal, take a different path, restrict your resources or write long lists to find novel ideas. Be playful, use big tools, sit on the floor. It's the changing and loosening of your routine that brings new observations and ideas. Try a fountain pen with waterproof ink, a dagger paint brush for more sweeping strokes, a lead holder with a wider lead, specialised erasers and brushes for creating textural effects, a dotted notebook that's visually looser than ruled lines, crayon like tools, coloured paper to mix up your lights and darks or a large notebook to record all your experiments.

Level 3: Say

This level is where you find your creative voice. You know what you want to say and have the skill and confidence to get there. Look for tools that allow for sharing. Tell a story with HAHNEMEUHLE Zigzag Watercolour Book, sketch in a square format for uploading to social media or go small with postcards that you can send to friends. Make more expressive lines with a PILOT Falcon Fountain Pen or SAILOR bent nib fude pen. This is the stage where you know the goal and you work the tools to get the result. 

Copy-Play-Say-Pray

Even a small pause to reflect or seek something greater can open your imagination, your work, and your life in ways you never expected. The great masters like Michelangelo often said their best work was a gift from something beyond themselves.