Collaboration: Creativity and Then Some!

One of the most productive forms of creativity is project collaboration.  Working with another artist, writer, actor, etc. enhances the creative efforts of a project.
 
 Lori and I  (2000)

In the past, I have collaborated with some amazing and gifted artists. Lori Gundlah, a dear friend and concert pianist, accompanied me on piano as I read my poetry.  I also collaborated with Trish Harms, a dance educator.  We did tag team workshops in a middle school where I taught a poetry lesson within the subject matter, then she came into the class to teach some form of movement. An example would be in math class, I taught the students to make diamante poems.  Trish taught them to make shapes with their bodies.

 Trish and I (2000)

Project collaboration can be fruitful, but it can also be problematic.  These tips are good to keep in mind.
  • Keep it small.  Project collaboration with too many people gets confusing.
  • Be willing to compromise.  Divas and drama queens need not apply for collaborations.
  • Don't be afraid to think out of the box.  Writers and dancers can collaborate, as can artists and musicians.
  • Have fun!  If it's not fun, something is terribly wrong.
Later in the spring, I am looking forward to collaborating with Louise Minks, a local artist and kindred spirit.  She has traveled to Africa, painting pictures from her travels there.  We will be facilitating a program together called, "Possible Dreams for the Children of Africa."  I will read from my book of poetry, Gogo's Dream: Swaziland Discovered.  Louise will read from a book of short stories she wrote about her travels, as well as show her artwork. While we are still in the development stage of our project, collaboration with Louise is exciting.

This excitement flows over into my other work.  That spark of creativity that was ignited by collaborating with Louise is burning brightly in my freelance work, my crafts and even my housekeeping!

What types of project collaborations have you tried?  I'd love to hear about your stories, ideas, experiences and dreams.

Namasté!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Comments

Jen said…
Recently I collaborated with Cardiogirl on a huge project (we just finished it late last week) and having someone else to work with made a project that was originally overwhelming become doable and enjoyable. It really makes a difference.
March 27, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas, M.Ed. said…
Hi, Jen!

Yes, that is another benefit of collaboration...the old, "Two heads are better than one," thing.
Thanks for stopping by!
March 27, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hyacinths to Feed Thy Soul

Image
As we progress through Poetry Month, I have been reading many of my old poetry books. Some are journals into which Momma placed her favorites poems, which are now my favorite poems. One of my absolute top ten poems is: If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft, And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left, Sell one, and with the dole Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul. This beautiful verse was written by MOSLIH EDDIN (MUSLIH-UN-DIN) SAADI (SADI ) , who was a major Persian poet of the medieval times. It is just one of the many beautiful verses in his book Gulistan ("The Rose Garden") . (Photo Credit) ~~~~~~ Also from Gulistan, is the verse which visitors find at the entrance to the United Nations Hall of Nations. It reads: Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul . If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot
Read more

Words as Balm - Words as Pain

Image
My mother, bless her, gave me many solid ideals upon which to base my life. One of her favorite bits of advise was, "If you don't have something good to day, don't say anything." You see, words, regardless of what the nursery rhyme states, do hurt. They can literally maim another person's spirit, integrity, and mind. Alternately, words can be the balm that heals the spirit, builds the integrity and comforts the mind. While we may have all the intentions in the world of saying something good, I have learned that sometimes, what we say can either be mistaken or said in a careless way that unintentionally hurts others. I know this first hand, because, as my mother told me, I had chronic foot and mouth disease (F&M)...in other words, I was constantly putting my foot in my mouth by saying things that I shouldn't. As an extremely inquisitive child, I wanted to know why people had crutches, why our skin was different colors, why some people didn't have clean
Read more

Grandchildren Connections - Guest Post

Image
 Today, I have the honor of sharing a guest post with the author of I Can't Wait to Love You Forever, Patricia Eckerman Ambas.  I highly recommend this book both for the content and the illustrations. I wished I had a copy of it way back when I was raising my girls. Patricia is a talented writer. I hope you enjoy her post. Grandchildren Connections Grandparents are powerful forces. The ones who can be the second parents, but more of the love and fun, and less of the discipline. Not even close to being a grandmother yet, I consider myself close to the source of what grandchildren want (as a beloved and loving granddaughter myself) and raising three children who have a close connection with both sets of grandparents. I have two tips to share with you that can begin to cultivate a stronger relationship with your grandchildren.  One of the reasons I’m sharing on this topic is that I’m finding some of my biggest book fans are grandparents. They love buying my books for their grandchildr
Read more