ALMOST free theme with a twist....

I was recently thinking about the creative process I use when I make ATCs (or make art in general). Of course some things there isn't much thought has to go in- if you have to make a picture of a cupcake then it is what it is! But when there is a more open-ended theme, how do you decide what direction to take your art?

So this led on to me thinking back to when I studied art at college and how we used to do things then. We'd start with a very open-ended theme such as 'Time'.

The first thing we'd do is a mind map (also known as brainstorm or mind dump) where you write 'Time' in the centre and then all around it write everything that we think that could connect to it, then things that further connect from those words.

The next step was to start pencil sketching. For 'Time' I remember sketching cogs and watch parts!

Then we'd look at artists who had worked with this theme or similar themes that our mindmap had thrown up.

After that we'd start to develop our ideas further with different media.

And the final thing would be the 'Final piece'. The piece that culminated all our previous thoughts and brought them together as one piece of top notch art!

I thought it might be interesting to swap ATCs that show a creative journey and ideas developing. A little bit like we did in another swap here .

I'm going to list seven very open themes that could take you in any artistic direction. You choose one to work with, and then make at least five (5) ATCs. More than five is fine but no less. Here is what each ATC should be-

ATC1. A mind-map ATC. Cover it in words and ideas. You don't have to use all the ideas you come up with, but fill the ATC with a mindmap of possibilities!

ATC2. A pencil sketch. This should be a relatively basic, literal, underdeveloped idea at this stage, ie/ If you chose the theme 'Time' you may sketch clocks, or for a theme 'Close ups' you would draw a close up view of an object.

ATCs3 and 4. Moving from the literal and basic interpretations, these two ATCs should develop your ideas further. They should each be different media to each other and should be 'more' than just pencil sketches, eg/ pen, paint, mixed media.

ATC5. A final piece. Any media except pencil sketch. Should depict where your creative process ended up. It doesn't matter at all if it seems bizarre or a strange place your creative process has taken you as long as you can explain HOW you got there! This can be abstract or literal.

If you are inspired please feel free to make more than 5, thats fine.

Please include a letter/note of explanation about why you went in the direction you did, what your 'artistic journey' was.

And finally, here are the themes to choose from. You choose ONE of them and make all 5 ATCs based on your one theme choice.

Time, Perception, Bloom, Motivation, Principle, Liquid, Power.