The Creative Adventurer's Survival Guide

In the first episode of a new series of The Creative Adventurer’s Survival Guide we re-introduce ourselves and reflect on the creative journeys we’ve been on over the last year.
Many creatives find themselves going through a state of flux, periods when they can feel exceptionally laser-focused and other times when it’s necessary to go on a walkabout and to just let the imagination run free and untethered, but flux take us further off-course than expected.
This state of flux has been magnified by the upside-down nature of finding new ways of surviving a pandemic lifestyle, where social freedoms can chop and change. Just when you feel you’ve found your groove, it can soon be thrown off by further restrictions and road blocks. So how do we steer the stormy seas and navigate to calmer waters?
Well, in this episode we dig out the Sharpies and embark on a 'World Mapping' exercise, to ruminate over the new and exciting twists and turns that have blown us off-course, as we re-discover our natural rhythm of creativity.

• Need some World Mapping ideas? Take a look at our map created in this episode

Here are some further inspirational resources discussed in this episode:

• The Writer's Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands
• Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times
• A lesson in Wise Selfishness
• Special Books by Special Kids

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When it comes to turning a passion into a creative vision, Neil Cole has probably achieved what for most of us would remain a pipe dream. Neil has taken his love and enthusiasm and created... The Museum of Classic Sci-Fi!A permanent exhibition that has materialised in Allendale, an unassuming village in the heart of North East England, the Museum showcases a substantial collection of original alien props, monstrous costumes, artwork and visual effects that many would recognise from the realms of science fiction on the big and small screen.
Rather than leave iconic pieces to gather dust in a basement, Neil has in fact turned that basement into a celebration of storytelling and imagination for everyone to experience and enjoy.
From Star Trek to the Marvel Universe; from Planet of the Apes to leaping forward to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
Neil has even rescued and restored rare items that might have otherwise been destroyed beyond their onscreen use, and are now used to showcase a cultural heritage of genre stories and our fascination with all things above and beyond.
But being an Art Teacher turned Great Curator isn’t as easy as it sounds. It has certainly presented a unique set of challenges, from Daleks battling local Councils, to keeping an artistic venue going throughout a series of national lockdowns.
In this episode, Neil shares the power of creativity in his life - and the importance of following through with a creative vision, even when that vision may seem alien to others.
You can also support The Museum of Classic Sci-Fi by becoming either a Space Cadet, Starship Trooper or Space Guild Navigator and receive a wealth of content via Patreon.

Feeling energised from our previous Adventurer's Charrette (Episode 5) we're limbering up for another creative gym session!
In this episode of the Survival Guide, we begin to develop a creative 'happy hour' - starting with an ancient fossilised relic, we let our minds wander beyond the barriers of time to which we're bound and explore mysteries that we'll never ever know.
And a good mystery can always let the imagination run wild! What ideas will those mysteries uncover for you?
Here are some inspirational resources discussed in this episode:

• Emily Levine - How to Make Friends with Reality
• Orlando
• The Hive - a great place for a brew and to brew ideas!

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If living through a global pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the value of community, and by community we mean the family, friends and locality that we’ve been restricted to through our respective lockdowns.
While there are boundless opportunities to discover creativity across the digital landscape, online distraction can distract from your creative tribe, and exploring the wealth of talent that lives right round the corner.
In this episode of the Survival Guide, Claire and Mark share the value they've discovered in reconnecting with home turf and the wellspring of inspiration they've tapped into.

So we urge you to pick up your proverbial pickaxe and join us on an intrepid expedition for some Creative Gold Mining - you might just like what you find!

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"The best use of imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is anxiety." - Deepak Chopra
Back in the day, when you were lost on an Alpine Pass with all hope lost, you might have looked to the horizon and seen a barrel-chested St Bernard standing over you in your hour of need with a keg of warm liquor to offer you a glimmer of hope.

It’s a whimsical thought, but in reality there are times of crisis in our lives, when creativity can be a lifesaving force. One creative act can distract us when we're faced with an uncomfortable and sometimes frightening path.

If a year in isolation has taught us anything, it’s that creativity is humanity’s life jacket, that can be deployed at a moment’s notice when it’s so desperately needed.
So in this episode, we reflect on the times when we’ve reached for the rip chord and found safety aboard a creative lifeboat.

When has creativity been there when you’ve needed it the most? When have you pulled the rip chord on an emergency supply of creative distraction?

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