Great Magazines: Make and Craft

DIY (Do It Yourself) is an empowering movement that is gaining momentum. It is comprised of people who like to make things with their own hands AND to those people who would like to make things but don't have time to do so. The audience includes engineers, hacks, geeks, designers, artists, crafters and the like. See step-by-step instructions for making a myriad of cool things -- things like a pinhole camera, an elegant plywood coffee table, LED sculptures and so, so much more.
If you are a creative person, have many interests, and are very curious about the "how-to" of practically everything, then give yourself a treat and check into Make Magazine and Craft Magazine. The descriptor from Make: "The first magazine devoted entirely to DIY technology projects, MAKE Magazine unites, inspires and informs a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages." The sybling periodical, Craft Magazine, is dedicated to to transforming traditional crafts by celebrating DIY projects. Below are links to amazon.
Make Magazine
Craft Magazine

Visual Thesaurus

This is a great tool for brainstorming. The Visual Thesaurus is an interactive dictionary and thesaurus with an innovative display that encourages exploration and learning. The method illustrated is commonly called "webbing." Designers and writers use this method to generate ideas based on a word or theme. See the Visual Thesaurus in action.
Visual Thesaurus

Creative Retreat: Artists' Communities

Need to revitalize your creative energy? Destination: Creative Retreat. Artists’ communities, AKA, artists’ colonies, retreats, or residencies are programs that support artists by providing time and space for the creation of new work.

“Artists have always needed patrons and that is what our artists’ communities have become—the least interfering, the least demanding, and the most nourishing patrons of artists.”
Robert MacNeil, Introduction to Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies that Offer Time and Space for Creativity

According to the Alliance of Artists Communities –
• There are more than 250 artists’ communities in the U.S., and approximately 200 in another 40 countries worldwide.
• 66% of artists’ communities are multidisciplinary, bringing together all kinds of creative professionals, including visual and performing artists, composers and choreographers, playwrights and poets, creative and scholarly writers, architects and designers, historians, ecologists, scientists, and more.
• Each year creative communities serve approximately 12,000 artists and provide an estimated $36 million in direct support to artists (in the form of stipends, travel, materials, room/board, technical support, etc.).

Learn about the hundreds of residency opportunities available for artists of all kinds. Find out about locations, offerings, application procedures, and how to get the most out of the experience.

Here are two resources:
"Be Our Guest: Finding Creative Time and Space" -- This is a series of public information sessions on artists-in-residence programs, hosted at Rhode Island School of Design, presented in partnership with the Alliance of Artists Communities. Monday, April 30, 2007, 5:30-7:00 pm, RISD, Providence, RI
Be Our Guest

Alliance of Artists Communities
255 South Main St.
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 351-4320
Aliance of Artists Communities

Illustration Friday: Creative Community Forum for Artists

Illustration Friday is the art forum, the mission of which is to build a creative community for illustrators. IF features a weekly illustration challenge. A topic is posted every Friday. Participants have all week to come up with their own interpretation.

"It is a safe place to discuss creative issues, ask questions or just get feedback on your work. Want to find out how to get a certain texture? Ask. Want to find people in your area to start an illustration group? The art forum is a good place to start."
http://illustrationfriday.com

The Creative Blog Directory: Worldwide Blog Links

Satiate your need for inspiration by browsing through site listings in The Creative Blog Directory.
http://creativeblogdirect.blogspot.com