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5 Tips to Get Over a Creative Block
Creative block is something that we’ve all been through. The fear of the blank canvas or screen staring right back at you gets to everyone. Right before I started writing this blog, I changed the topic thrice and yet still couldn’t come up with anything! And let me tell you, it was aggravating! We understand your annoyance, so we’re here to the rescue. Continue reading and we (hopefully) will inspire you and get those creative juices flowing! Go outsideIt’s no mystery that spending time with mother nature boosts our creativity and feed our soul, so go outside! Take a walk in your favourite park or maybe discover a new lake in your city. Trust us, that will get your creative juices flowing for sure!Being in the same environment for a long time can obstruct our creativity. Inspiration will automatically strike you when you explore nature because it helps to free up these constrained ideas. Take a breakSometimes, it's all about finding the right balance! If you ever find yourself obsessing on the same artwork for hours on end, taking a break from it can be the best thing. In the meantime, you can pick a new book up or even tidy the heap of crumpled clothes in your wardrobe! Coming back to your unfinished artwork can do wonders! Try something newWhen we subtly push our limits and get out of our comfort zone, our creativity improves. Of course, this does not mean that you push yourself to a level where you feel completely out of place. Try a new painting technique or give the medium that you dislike a second chance or even experiment with a different art style altogether! Sometimes even the best ideas are found in places where you least expect them to be. Create something badOne of the most important things that artists should do is give themselves permission to create something they think is horrible. Holding back because of the fear of failure can stymie your creative thinking. So, jump right in, and create something without getting in your head too much! DisconnectWe cannot stress how important it is to give yourself a digital break once in a while. With the pandemic hitting us, our screen time has spiked since 2019. Most of us spend the day glued to our screens, willingly or unwillingly. So, turn that phone off and let your brain breathe. You'll notice a big difference in not only your creative thinking but also your efficiency once you get into taking healthy breaks from social media. Remember, there is nothing wrong with going off the grid at times! At the end of the day, keep in mind that being stuck isn't the worst thing and that it does not make you a bad artist. Creative blocks are merely a part of the creative process and can actually lead to a breakthrough!
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Why Try Writing as Therapy?
Contrary to the common misconception, writing is not just for authors and poets who effortlessly pen down their thoughts on paper. It is for everyone. Rightfully written by Julia Cameron in her book The Right to Write, “we all come into life as writers.” Writing is an underrated tool that is capable of making a huge difference in everyone’s life. This blog revolves therapeutic writing. We understand that the thought of penning down your thoughts and feelings can be terrifying. And it is difficult to think clearly while you are stressed. But to benefit from writing as therapy, you don't have to be a skilled writer. So, what is Therapeutic Writing? Therapeutic writing is a type of expressive therapy wherein the process of writing and analyzing the written words is used as therapy. The process is pretty simple: write whatever comes to mind without filtering or evaluating it. Don't worry about whether it makes sense or not, if it's confusing or boring, or whether it is grammatically correct. Your writing piece is solely yours! You don't have to be concerned about content, structure, or errors and typos for this. Writing as therapy, in any format, will assist you in propelling personal growth, practicing creative expression, and feeling a sense of empowerment and control over your lives. Wondering how exactly does it help? We are no strangers to the potential of therapeutic writing. Writers and poets who have documented and recalled the cathartic feeling of putting pen to paper are proof enough. Depending on your mood and needs, there are multiple writing therapy approaches to pick from. Research has shown that gratitude journaling helps with better sleep and increased motivation while writing poems creates self-awareness and sparks creative thinking. Self-reflection and dealing with negative feelings and experiences can both be aided by reflective journaling. It helps people become more self-aware and empathetic. At times, you will experience writer’s block, and you will fall short of words to communicate your emotions. This could be your reasoning mind fighting, 'saving' you from having to open up and introspect. Don't force yourself to write when this happens. Even if it's only a few phrases, try to expose your emotions. Continue to try the next several days; you'll be stronger, and your perseverance will support you in untangling your emotions via writing. Writing about what bothers/hurts you will assist you in recognizing it, comprehending it, and then dealing with it. At the end of the day, the feeling of simply picking a pen up and pouring your feelings out on a notebook is unmatched! If you don’t know where to start, head on to our blog ‘7 Journaling Tips for Beginners’ for tips and prompts!
The Ultimate Luxury Pens Gift Guide
We are sure that you would prefer to spend time with your loved ones this holiday season rather than tapping and scrolling through thousands of websites for hours to find the perfect gift for them. We are here to help you get back to enjoying the company of your loved ones. Fountain pens are the pinnacle of beautiful writing and writing instruments. They are a beautiful, classic tool that makes writing a pleasure. Our fountain pens come in elegant and sleek boxes, making them perfect for gifting. But the best part is that you can get them customized! After all, who doesn’t like a luxury pen with their name beautifully engraved on it? Hint: Everyone loves it! So, whether you’re shopping for your loved ones or hoping to find just the right addition to your own pen collection this season, we’ve curated the ultimate luxury pens gift guide for you!Balance Fountain PenTo be profound and different- this is what the ‘Balance Fountain Pen’ by Kaco is about. With its classy-brushed aluminium technology, it improves efficiency and precision. The German Schmidt knock type converter delivers ink stably, ensuring a mess-free writing experience! Kaco Master Fountain PenThe Kaco Master Fountain Pen is designed to offer a luxuriously unique experience that is intimately yours by combining grace and technology with effortless writing performance. The pen, with its high-end design and light-weight barrel, ensures that you never get tired of writing! It comes in a unique case, making it perfect for gifting purposes!Kaco Exact High-End Aluminium Fountain PenBeautifully well balanced and artfully writing instrument, the Kaco Exact High-End Aluminium Fountain Pen set is top of its class. The weight of the barrel has been meticulously adjusted to make it ideal for a writing experience that is not tiring.Dolphin Roller PenThe Dolphin Roller Pen features a one-of-a-kind, sleek barrel and a super fine stainless steel nib that provides an unrivalled writing experience. Each pen delivers high-density yet smudge-free ink. But this is not all! The pen’s ergonomic design features a stylus at the head, making it versatile.Lamy Al-Star Fountain PenThe Lamy AL-Star Fountain Pen is a sleek, contemporary pen built of feather-light, durable aluminium with a unique metal clip. The pen features durable steel nibs that are very smooth and ideal for longer writing sessions. The best part is that you can choose a nib that is perfect for you! Available nibs: EF (Extra Fine), F (Fine), M (Medium), B (Broad), and LH (Left Handed).Tube Fountain PenTube Fountain Pens by KACO are the perfect blend of the innovation of the modern era with the elegance of the classic era. The pens feature stainless-steel nibs that evenly deliver ink, making your writing experience a smooth one.
The Different Types of Drawing Charcoal
Trying to experiment with charcoal drawing can be a little challenging sometimes. After all, not being able to understand how the artist has achieved certain tones or values can be frustrating! So, like with anything, start with the basics, and work your way up. In this article we are going to help you do just this- tell you all about different types of drawing charcoal! Willow/ Vine The willow branches or grapevine portions are the most basic types of drawing charcoal. Since there is no binder in them, they are highly fragile and powdery. They can be directly used on paper in the raw form; however, the charcoal does not stick to the paper due to the lack of a binding agent. The absence of a binder in willow and vine charcoal means that the drawing is not protected from smudge. On the other hand, some advantages of charcoal as a drawing medium are that it can be readily smoothed out and erased easily and, a wide range of tonal values and a variety of appealing textures can be achieved. Powder Charcoal As the name suggests, Powdered charcoal is charcoal in the form of a fine powder. Willow or vine charcoal is crushed into a powder material to make charcoal powder. It is traditionally employed to give a design a softer aspect or to tone down huge portions. The grey will tone down the paper's brilliant white, allowing light regions to be "lifted out." With a paintbrush, tissue, napkin, or paper stump, you may quickly cover big areas with charcoal powder. Compressed Charcoal Compressed charcoal is made from powdered charcoal that has been bound with gum or wax. The suppleness of the charcoal stick is determined by the amount of powdered charcoal and binding agent employed, affecting the hues of each stick at the same time. Compressed charcoal may be sharpened because of its hardness, allowing for finer intricate lines that are impossible to produce otherwise. However, if wet media is used over it, it can be more difficult to erase and can bleed. Charcoal pencils Hate being fussy? Then charcoal pencils are going to be your best friends! They are simply compressed charcoal encased in wooden or paper cylinders. This variation in artists’ charcoal allows you to create precise, sharp, and clean drawings similar to those made with graphite pencils. However, what makes charcoal pencils different from graphite pencils is their ability to create very deep black matte areas and hues without a sheen. With charcoal pencils, you can make your artwork as detailed as you want it to be. Its variations range from hard to extremely soft, commonly graded as HB to 6B. It is commonly used to add detailing to the eyes, lips, accessories, etc. in portraits. Tinted Charcoal Finally, we have Tinted charcoal on the list. It is a mix of charcoal powder and colour pigmented binder. It works just like regular charcoal pencils and compressed charcoal sticks. Because tinted charcoal is based on the dark grey and black tones of ordinary charcoal powder, the colours they produce are rather faint and muted. We hope that this article cleared up your confusion about different types of drawing charcoal and inspired you to create you next charcoal masterpiece!
Daily Planner or Weekly Planner: Which one is the right one for you?
With 2022 right around the corner, we have already started making our list of new year resolutions that we are definitely going to follow through this year.👀 One of them is to be more organised and start using planners. If you are planning to start using planners too but don’t know which one to choose, you've come to the right spot!
Know Your Brushes!
It is said that paintbrushes are an artist’s best friend. The satisfaction of that first stroke when the paintbrush oh, so smoothly glides on the canvas is unmatched! But seeing so many kinds of brushes can be confusing and overwhelming sometimes. We’ve got your back though! Here’s a list of different kinds of brushes and what they’re used for! Fan Brush The bristles of this type of brush are evenly fanned out in a flat curve. They are ideal for blending and achieving special textures and patterns on a canvas. They are also used for painting trees, grass, branches, fur, clouds, etc. What makes them most loved is their ability to paint hair naturally- as you can paint numerous, single strands with just one stroke. Mop Brush As the name suggests, a mop brush can ‘mop up’ and hold a significant amount of paint. They are ideal for making large washes and shading. The bristles are soft, making them perfect for blending. But make sure that the brush gently caresses the canvas to get the perfect blend! Flat Brush The flat brush is the most versatile yet consistent one out of all. The bristles form to look like a square and have medium to long length. The uses of a flat brush range from broad, bold strokes to thin brushstrokes and everything in between, offering control to the painter. Liner Brush A Liner brush, also called a ‘rigger brush, is a fine, narrow brush. The bristles are long and come together to form a point. They are used for creating continuous fine lines and details, making them ideal for highlighting, lettering and outlining. Round Brush A round brush features long, closely packed bristles. They are used for delicate brushwork, filling and shaping, adding details, etc. They are adaptable and can be used according to the painter’s choice. Spotter Brush Spotter brushes are quite similar to round brushes, the only difference being the length of the bristles. Spotters have shorter bristles for less flexibility and better control.
7 Journaling Tips for Beginners
There’s something relieving about pouring your heart out on paper! Regular journaling is a practice that you didn’t know you needed. It’s a stressbuster, sparks creativity, helps to be more mindful, etc. - the list goes on! So, whether you’re want to express yourself more, reflect on your life, be more consistent or simply want to fill those hoarded diaries, these journaling tips will help you get started AND keep going!
Corporate Gifting: Gesture or Task?
How exciting is the time period from October till January. Isn’t it? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year; these months are just bundle of joy and filled with excitement. Time goes by in fraction of seconds. So much happiness, family reunions and feasting. And, how can we forget gifts? Gifts we plan to bring smile on the faces of our dear ones. But why do we forget the same emotion when we plan CORPORATE GIFTS? Do you take it as a TASK or a genuine GESTURE? If you take it as a task this isn’t for you to read, but if you believe in true gestures then go ahead give us one more minute of yours. Before you start planning for corporate gifting, you need to understand who are you gifting? Employees? Business Partners? Or your Clients? Often big success stories are written with a pen! Pen to write a plan, pen before a big contract or a pen before a big decision.. Let the pen they write success stories with be your gift to them! Check out our best range of Fountain pens that makes all your business partners remind of you (with a smile & pride). And it cannot just be your business partners but your clients as well? Have you thought of anything yet? Let us take that burden off you. Let’s get creative; Let’s get thoughtful here Eh?! Check out our Business Collection you’ll know exactly what we are talking about. Well, we covered mostly everything for corporate gifting. Aren’t we forgetting gifting someone really important? Someone that keeps the engine running for your business. Employees! Yes. We often keep trying hard to impress our clients and business partners forgetting it is our employees who have been our continuous support. A thoughtful gesture will only bring more value to your business. Check out some amazing stationery range they can decorate their desk with or amazing Vacuum mug they can make the best out of in this cold weather. And you know you can always customize to give personal touch to it. All you have to do is mail us at info@scooboo.in We will be waiting for your gestures! Are you still wondering if Corporate Gifting is a task or all about gesture? We hope not! :P
7 Painting Techniques for Beginners
Painting Techniques for Beginners: A short blog for coming up artists Want to learn painting but don't know how? Here are 7 painting techniques every beginner should know. Drybrush | Washing | Stippling | Impasto | Splattering | Underpainting
