A powerful portfolio involves so much more than just a strong grasp of the technical aspects of photography–it’s a complex mix of style, techniques, and intriguing ideas. Many photographers struggle to achieve a high-impactportfolio, feeling that they lack the creative spark to invigorate them andmove their work forward. Creative 52 is that spark–and your guide to a new and more creative portfolio in just one year! A remedy for that “average” portfolio, this collection of innovative projects will help portrait, wedding, and fashion photographers build a portfolio that draws the attention of editors and clients–leaving the competition behind. While other how-to books often use bland imagery simply to prove a technical point, and many fine art books are filled with beautiful imagery but contain minimal (if any) educational insights to help working photographers, this book blends both: inspiration and knowledge that you can use to create images that attract potential clients. Divided into three parts–concept, technique, and post-processing–author Lindsay Adler’s 52 challenges each contain a description of the project, potential inspiration and suggestions of other artists to check out, and her own unique solution to the challenge–all to push you beyond your comfort zone to explore new ideas and approaches to your work. Includes a year’s worth of weekly projects that motivate you to experiment with new concepts, techniques, and software tools like Adobe Photoshop to achieve more eye-catching images Offers the cure for “expected” imagery, showing how to produce memorable photographs that are distinct from the competition, enabling you to reach new clients Empowers you with the encouragement and expertise necessary to create spectacular images

Collects photography exercises that can be completed with any type of camera, including tutorials that focus on such topics as reflections, backlighting, tension, portraiture, and shadows.

Paint outside the lines! Jumpstart your creativity and inject new life into your art. Struggling to get started? Paralyzed by the fear of failure? Find yourself falling back on the same colors again and again? Just plain stuck? It happens to every artist sooner or later. What can you do to get unstuck quickly and painlessly? Creative Freedom presents 52 strategies for getting out of ruts and venturing beyond your comfort zone, courtesy of 25 artists who have been there, done that. Each approach is illustrated with a step-by-step painting demonstration. Together, they help you experiment with different mediums, new color combinations, fresh approaches to favorite subjects, and more. Try one a week for a year of creative adventure. Or dip in whenever you're feeling inspired. You may be surprised at the creative liberation that comes from... • Painting with your other hand. • Going big with your canvas and brushes. • Painting fast with 10-minute studies. • Limiting your palette. • Starting with a random line drawing or custom painting surface. • Zooming in on one small detail of a landscape for abstract results. • Copying the work of an Old Master. Featuring an exciting variety of styles and mediums (oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel), novel perspectives and an invigorating sense of play, this book is sure to generate creative sparks and joyful painting sessions. Getting unstuck has never been so fun!

Carla Sonheim is an artist and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more spontaneous, playful approach to creating. Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume. Carla offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity and nonsense into your art and life. Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers readers a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, yet, the readers gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.

The Little Book of Great Dates will help build romance and fun into any marriage with its creative ideas for a year’s worth of weekly affordable dates. This book—a simpler, gift version of Focus on the Family’s The Date Night Challenge campaign—will help couples to proactively and intentionally build their relationship, showing how everyday activities can become “dates” that strengthen the marriage relationship. It includes plans for special-occasion dates, such as the couple’s anniversaries (first date, engagement, wedding), birthdays, etc. Couples can get to know each other better by sharing fun times and discover dating again in their marriage with this great little book of ideas!

Highly creative thinkers are good at seeing connections. By enhancing your ability to see connections, you can enhance your creativity. Based on this observation, a solid theory and the latest neuroscience, this exercise book is for people who want to become better creative thinkers. This book gives you: 52 exercises to enhance your creativity Opportunity to think, rethink and think again Fun training for your brain Hands-on training in generating ideas Fun for everybody age 6-99 Creative Thinker's Rethink Book trains your ability see and make connections - the underlying mechanism that helps you to think creatively. The exercises in this book forces you to go beyond the obvious - to think and rethink - again and again. It is not a theory book. It's a hands-on exercise book to boost your creativity and innovative thinking. Working with these exercises will help you to come up with fresh thinking, original ideas and unexpected innovative solutions. You can use this book as a creative morning booster, a warm up before working creatively, for everyday creativity training or just as a fun activity. The exercises can be used at home, at school, in the design studio, in the office or in the agency. Creativity is for everybody!

Each volume in this unique series presents 52 innovative, field-tested, and ready-to-use exercises for mental health professionals who work with any type of group in any type of setting. The exercises are designed to help group members develop interactive skills, motivate individuals with poorer verbal skills to contribute to group discussions, and encourage group cohesiveness. The variety in these exercises makes them relevant for every stage of group development. Complete directions for the group leader are included with each exercise. These techniques have proved effective for all ages, from children over six to adolescents and adults.