DIG A LITTLE DEEPER

If you didn't sing "Dig a Little Deeper" from Princess and the Frog in your head just now, you're lying 🐸

 

Not only is this a great song that's now in all of our heads (please tell me you've also seen this movie), but it's an important mantra for any creative to hold onto during their creative process.

 

Whether you're a writer, artist, dancer, or musician, this advice will take you out of your comfort zone and amplify the impact your work has on others and yourself.

   

​

BRACE for IMPACT

 

The key to impactful writing is easier said than done. Everyone wants their work to sound or look beautiful, but beauty is not always equivalent to depth. Once you've mastered the technique behind your art form, the next level requires you to tap into what makes art art: vulnerability. 

 

Here are some exercises to get you started:

 

ONE: What do you fear the most? Make a list📝 Start with easy ones (aka my arachnophobia) and end with the ones that aren't as easy to reckon with (fear of failure, loneliness, loss, etc). 

 

TWO: Keep a journal. Tracking your day-to-day thoughts, reflections, and reactions to events will keep you in touch with yourself and your emotions💭 

 

THREE: Dissect your favorite artist's work🔍 Write down different ways to interpret the words or visuals of the piece, and see if you can draw meaning that tells a deeper story about yourself, the world, or the piece's creator.

 

FOUR: What is something about yourself or your life that you don't want anyone to know about? Something that makes you mad, sad, angry, or ashamed. Let your art keep your secret, and channel your stories & emotions into your work💛 

 

As you create, tap into what you've learned about your art form's technique and the creative ways you can display meaning without directly spelling it out for your audience. A more somber instrumental? A different material to draw on? A strategic line break in your poem? You do you.

 

If you've made something you're proud of, add our next submission deadline (midnight, August 31st) to your calendar!

​

​

NC Events🌸

• Now - July 11th, Reflections on Light: Works from the NCMA Collection → This art exhibit at the NC Art Museum in Raleigh features "objects from 16 countries and spanning more than 2,500 years of art history," that showcase how a diverse collection of artists "responded to, used, and revered light."

• June 26th, 2:30-4:00pm, Writers on the Air Radio Show → WKDW Radio in Charlotte invites all types of writers to read their work as they're broadcast live on air. Listeners can also listen online here.

• July 3rd, 8pm, End of the Line: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band → The Orange Peel (music venue in Asheville) is back! Next on our radar? This Allman Brothers tribute band concert.

​

SC Events🏵️

• June 26th, 10am-4pm, Pop-up Delights with Past Visiting Artist Jen Swearington → At The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, "build a range of amazing structures, from clever cards to a multi-layered, accordion-fold diorama within its own hard book cover." Event is $85 for members.

• June 26th, 11:30am-2:30pm, Brunch with Mike Stone → At Main Course in Columbia, enjoy Mike Stone's jazz concert while you grab brunch! 

• June 27th, 7pm, Say What Poetry Open Mic at Coffee Underground → Coffee Underground in Greenville will be hosting this poetry open mic event! Tickets are $10.

​

​

CREATIVE ARTS INSPIRATION

from the team