Being Intuitive: Laura Ricciardi
“In a very concrete way, the Choose Creativity principles set creativity into motion. They empower each of us to see possibility in unexpected places, to engage more deeply with the world around us, to notice the unnoticed, to ask questions and listen for answers, and above all, to honor the endless potential within each of us.”
Laura Ricciardi
Last June, we invited artist Laura Ricciardi on a creative shopping trip to the Materials for the Arts warehouse (where unneeded items from businesses are available for free to non-profit organizations and educators).
You may remember Laura as one of our past Lulu & Leo Fund benefit artists — she lights up a room with her smile, warmth and positivity and we adore her!
We gave Laura a simple challenge…to create something (anything!) using the materials she chose that day at MFTA to share with and inspire the Lulu & Lulu Fund community on our annual Choose Creativity Day.
At the MFTA warehouse, Laura used the Choose Creativity Principles to pick her materials.
Patient and Present: She wandered around, picked stuff up, turned things upside down, climbed shelves, noticed details.
Expressive and Inspired: Ideas flowed freely; even some shelves filled with 3-ring binders seemed to tell a story.
Unconventional and Resourceful: She chose a stack of large coffee filters and a giant frame, among other things.
We rode the subway home after snapping the first photos of what were the beginning of a great creative adventure!
Laura started with her key piece, the very large yet lightweight frame. She added a string of blooming coffee filter flowers to the inside of her frame.
It was when she photographed the frame against different backgrounds in her apartment that her creative intuition really kicked in…She and her frame needed to get outside into her world!
Laura walked the streets and parks with her frame in hand — each block she walked became more inspiring than the last as she arranged her frame in front of interesting (yet completely ordinary) backgrounds. By taking her frame for a walk, she connected to the magic of the world, chatting with new people along the way. It was a true Choose Creativity adventure!
What Laura did was so simple. It’s a perfect example of how accessible creativity can be for all of us, whether you think of yourself as creative or not. To Choose Creativity isn’t about trying to become the best artist. It’s about being open-minded to a moment’s possibilities. By connecting to your intuition and the other Principles of Creativity, you can experience the world’s magic and discover what you can do to make your mark on the world in a constructive way. It may not be the easiest approach but we know it is deeply satisfying! It’s what we personally aspire to do everyday!
