Writer and creative entrepreneur Rachel Cochrane and Illustrator Carrie Dennison are on a mission: to take out the gospel of creativity and creative thinking to where it’s needed most. They want to reach those people whose lives need a bit of colour and imagination. Well that’s pretty much everyone then!
Rachel, from Stocksfield, has been a writer for 15 years and runs workshops, retreats and has been involved in many creative projects including exhibitions. She also produces creative podcasts of her own and other writers’ work which are available to hear onwww.listenupnorth.com. Carrie is from Shotley Bridge and runs art and printmaking workshops where she encourages having fun, letting go and experimenting. Her creative work can be seen on www.dendryad.co.uk.
Rachel and Carrie have collaborated on Graphiti a creative book for non-creatives because they truly believe that grown-ups should have fun too. Graphiti is a book of bite-size activities but it is much more than just colouring in, it encourages people to express themselves further through drawing and words to stimulate their creativity and imagination.
Perhaps you would like to design a costume for a superhero? Write your own graffiti message across a brick wall? Or how about decorating a mask for a ball then making up a dance card with the partners of your choice?
But as Carrie points out ‘You don’t need to be good at either drawing or writing to enjoy Graphiti. This is your own personal book; you don’t need to show it to anyone else. You make your own interpretation of the activities, there’s no wrong or right answers.’
Both Rachel and Carrie see Graphiti as ideal for those needing a digital detox – taking some downtime from the world of endless e-mails, schedules and constant demands. Its compact size means it could also be used on the daily commute to work or for a long journey.
Rachel adds ‘Creativity is not only about producing a piece of artwork, it’s about developing a different way of thinking and a different approach to life. That can be healthy not only for our personal wellbeing but could also be applied in other areas such as creating new ideas and solving problems in business’.
In fact, a North East business owner Anne Painter of Green Tara Consulting has done just that – she has contacted all her associates to recommend Graphiti and has also incorporated it into some of her programmes. The book has also received a fantastic review from Clrr.it, a blog dedicated to the review of colouring books and similar http://clrr.it/graphiti-
As reviewer Helena Hill described ‘On opening it I was immediately struck with a feeling of nostalgia, of being encouraged to use my imagination and of a childhood (I was born in the seventies) without social media and digital interference’.
Visit www.graphiticreative.com website for further info and where to buy Graphiti.