It’s hard to find the time to be creative and to tweet every day so don’t feel that you have to! Maybe just challenge yourself to tweet 365 times over a two or three year period.

I decided to start the campaign as I wanted to do more creative activities  in 2011 and by challenging myself – very publicly on twitter – I think it will help me do this! I’d also like to get the hashtag #365creativechallenge trending on twitter to show how important creativity is in our lives. It should also help bring creative people together.

I’d also love it if everyone living and working in towns and villages on or near Kent’s coast (in south east England) could take up the challenge to show just how creative this part of the world (where I live) is. If you can squeeze #kentcreativecoast onto your tweet as well that will be great!

The campaign seems to be capturing people’s imagination and already lots of  people are starting to tweet about their creative activities every day using the hash tag #365creativechallenge.

If you are a creative practitioner, work in the ‘creative industries’ or are a student on a creative course it should be easy for you to take up this challenge. If you aren’t any of these I’m hoping it might provide you with the inspiration to get a bit more creative!

I know I’m at my happiest doing creative things and so, in 2011, I’m planning to get up an hour earlier every day so that I can enjoy at least one creative activity every day whilst also doing my work that pays the bills.

Creativity for me includes drawing and painting, playing the piano, cooking, gardening and writing. It will mean different things for you.

There are no prizes. Sorry.

You can start whenever you like. It’s your challenge.

So go on, start tweeting about the creative activity you undertake each day and use #365creativechallege

If you aren’t already using www.tweetdeck.com I’d suggest you download it as you can then create a column to follow #365creativechallenge

I look forward to reading your tweets.

PS If you are reading this blog and have no idea how to use Twitter send me an e-mail at catriona@createinkent.co.uk and I can send you some tips.

The launch of  ’21st Century Kent – A Blueprint For The County’s Future’ is the vision for Kent, commissioned by Kent County Council and produced by architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell and his team.

The document is useful and important, in terms of setting a context and goal to aim for but, as Sir Terry himself says ‘this vision will only be realised if people support it, feel ownership of it and engage with it.’

This is the real challenge.

With the growth in social networking comes the increasing realisation that we, as individuals, have a responsibility and the power to make things happen more than at any time in history – well in my history at any rate!

My vision for Kent’s Creative Coast

So, I have been prompted to write about my vision for Kent’s Creative Coast and how it would support many of the ambitions outlined in the Farrell blueprint, particularly the one that aims to use culture as one of the ways to position the Kent coast as the ‘the UK’s most distinctive and thriving coast by 2030.’

I want Kent’s coast to become known as the place in the UK where people can be creative, engage with creative people, and enjoy creative places and events. (I deliberately use the term creative rather than cultural as I believe it has much wider appeal.)

I want this to happen because I am passionate about Kent’s coast and want others to discover the creativity that exists here alongside the beautiful beaches, working harbours and stunning sunsets.  I also believe it will be good for the economy and bring much needed work to the coastal towns.

Many exciting creative places and events can already be found on or close to Kent’s Coast

• The planned opening of the Turner Gallery in Margate in 2011 and the development of the Old Town and Harbour Arm
• The Creative Quarter in Folkestone – the arts led regeneration steered by the vision and financial backing of Roger de Haan
• The thriving Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable and the newly opened Creek Creative in Faversham
• Creative events like Fuse in Medway, Whitstable Oyster Festival and Whitstable Biennale, Herne Bay, Canterbury, Broadstairs and Deal Festivals and those planned for Ramsgate and Sittingbourne and the Folkestone Triennial

But how many people know about what’s happening on Kent’s Creative Coast?

We should not get carried away thinking that everyone knows what’s happening.  Most people are concerned with a very small part of their world. Outside of Kent few people know about the exciting creative communities of artists that exist in every Kentish coastal town. Many graduated from the University of Creative Arts (which has 3 campuses in Kent) or others have been drawn to the coast by the opportunity to live by the sea, to live amongst like minded people in interesting distinctive towns, whilst still being close to London.

What is also less well known is that many of these visual and performing artists do not make a living from their creative practice. Also, with the likely reduction in public funding for the arts, this is a situation that is not going to improve in the short term.

It’s wonderful that you can already find interesting independent shops selling local arts and crafts, wonderful galleries and vibrant music, art  and theatrical venues on the Kent coast. The new Turner Gallery and the arts led regeneration of our coastal towns will also add to the creative buzz but we must not overestimate how many new visitors to Kent they will attract.  Kent faces stiff competition, not only from London but also from other parts of the country and the rest of the world.

Successful destinations provide differentiation and local distinctiveness and I believe Kent’s coast can provide just that if we encourage and support all those talented creative people living and working here to pass on their skills if they wish to.

I want to see more opportunities where people can meet and learn from local artists and take home not only a wonderful memory but also a unique souvenir, by developing creative tourism along the coast.  Creative workshops also provide something for people to actively participate in.  This is particularly good if visiting the coast on a wet day in February.

Who wants to participate in creative activities?

I know that there is a market of people who want to learn what these creative people could teach.  They are called creative tourists or visitors.  They don’t want to sign up for an evening class or lengthy course but they do want to be taken away from their daily routines, even if only for a short time. They want to learn in a setting that is welcoming and distinctive, that possibly will combine the learning with an overnight stay and they need to be able to book easily.

They might be people who have brought up a family and now have more time to indulge their creative side. They could be creative professionals looking to add another dimension to their practice. They could be a group of girlfriends who want a short break and something to do as well as shopping eating and drinking.

Creative pursuits appeal to local peple too

There are many people living in the coastal towns who would not be motivated to attend any event if it had the word culture attached to it. However, I believe they would want to participate in creative activities if they are organised in distinctive venues and settings and provide them with a new skill in an enjoyable and supportive environment and a memento from the day.

My research and experience is that there are many creative people who lack the skills and confidence to develop creative workshops and limited knowledge and means to promote them.  With training they could. My plan is to provide this training for those artists who wish to extend their creative practice, by helping them to develop creative workshops that will appeal to local people and visitors from other parts of Kent and further afield.

I am not proposing replacing qualified teachers of creative subjects who do an excellent job in educational establishments and other settings. I am talking about providing a very different experience to that found in schools and adult education classes.  An experience that people will be prepared to pay for and which will complement the existing and planned cultural venues, creative events and activities (as outlined in the KCC/Farrell Vision for Kent).

Visit Kent, the official tourism body, responsible for promoting tourism in Kent has been very supportive in helping me to start communicating with artists and tourism providers who are interested in developing creative tourism products and funded a workshop attended by almost 100 creative and tourism professionals in November 2009.  They are also keen to see creative tourism products developed and if you are  already running creative workshops on Kent’s coast that combine overnight accommodation with a creative pursuit do please send me details for possible inclusion in the Creative Coast area of the Visit Kent website.

Want more information?

If you’d like more information about how my vision for Kent’s Creative Coast can be realised please send  brief details about your involvement in creative activities on the Kent coast to catriona@createinkent.co.uk

I’d also like to hear from you if you are an artist interested in developing creative workshops.  The more evidence I can gather that this training is wanted will be really helpful.

In a future of reduced public spending I believe that it is important that some of what is left should be used to help people become more self reliant and this is what my training would facilitate.

If you like and support my ideas please pass them on.

So to KCC and Sir Terry Farrell; I hope you will be pleased that I share your vision and am doing my bit to make it happen!

This is not a business networking meeting in the traditional sense but hopefully will provide the opportunity for people to make connections, share ideas and inspiration and provide motivation for one another. I love being my own boss but need and like to meet people regularly, to discuss my ideas and to get feed-back and to hear what other people are planning. If you feel the same and you’d like to come, please do, and don’t worry about coming alone.

I originally decided to organise as a way of meeting some of the people I’ve met through Twitter but will also be inviting other creative people I’ve met locally who don’t tweet – yet!  There is no agenda but please buy a cup of coffee or tea (and a cake if you’d like!) if you wish to join us.

I will write #TWhitmeet on piece of paper on my table so you will know where to sit! If lots of people turn up we will probably spill into the workshop room next to the café.  There will also be a new art exhibition in the main gallery at The Horsebridge so do call in and have a look if you have time.

If you can let me know you are coming that would be great too.

Email me at catriona at createinkent dot co dot uk or DM me on Twitter @escapetocreate

I look forward to meeting you.

I now need to fnalise my presentation for the creative tourism workshop I’m delivering for Visit Kent later this month.  As regular readers know, I have been passionate about trying to develop creative tourism in Kent for a long time. I’m really pleased that Visit Kent are now well and truly supporting this initiative by working with me to run a creative tourism workshop that will bring together tourism providers, along Kent’s coast, wth creative people (working and living in Kent).  The aim is to encourage people to work together to develop creative tourism products to add to the existing vibrant cultural offer that you can find along the Kent coast.

If you are a visual artist or crafter, with experience of running workshops or teaching adults in visual arts and crafts subjects, live or work in Kent, and are  interested in participating please contact me.

Potential workshop leaders offering visual arts and crafts subjects should contact me before Tuesday 22 September at catriona@createinkent.co.uk to receive further information.

See Create in Whitstable for details about the first ‘Escape’ that took place in July during the Whitstable Oyster Festival.

Please note that we do not have a facility for firing clay and so unfortunately at the moment we will not be offering pottery or ceramics workshops.

I’m also considering offering a baby/child sitting service for parents who want to ‘Escape to Create in Whitstable’ at the Horsebridge  for a few hours.  If you live in Whitstable, are CRB checked and have experience in providing this service, and are interested in discussing how we might collaborate please contact me at catriona@createinkent.co.uk