My new career as a writer has me thinking more about creativity. Am I creative? Where does creativity come from?
Historically I believed that I wasn’t creative because I can’t draw or sew or paint. The image I chose for today features what I have traditionally thought of as creative. This beautiful art was made by women in India and hangs over the doorway of our washer and dryer. I wonder if the women who crafted this thought they were creative?
What I’m learning in psychoanalysis, the Freudian kind that I’ve written my memoir about, are things I didn’t really want to know. Not only did I not want to know, I am not sure I will be able to make happen.
Slowing down to think. Being with myself. These are both vital to the creative process. BUT – a part of me cries out – there are so many things I want to do and read and write about! So many books and podcasts and videos and movies – I don’t want to miss anything important and they all seem important and interesting and vital to my well being.
Here’s an idea I’m going to try: By the next time the 4th week comes around and the editorial calendar indicates it is time to write about the creative process again, I will have spent time just hanging out with myself at least once each week for a couple of hours. I remember Julia Cameron’s Artist Dates from her gem of a book The Artist’s Way:
One time a week do something that fuels your creativity.
I tried this several years ago. I remember going to the Art Center and sitting in front of The Flock II created by Magdalena Abakanowicz (I had to look up how to spell her last name!) with my journal. Another time I walked around Tuesday Morning looking at millions of interesting objects, purchasing a plastic container of 88 different sized colored paper clips. I don’t know what I’ll do in the next few weeks but I’m excited!
I will report back and tell you how many Artist’s dates I accomplish in February. In the meantime, do you want to make your own plan for something to fuel your creativity? What do you think creativity is? Do you think you are creative? Do you need permission to create? Where do you find it? What gets in your way? I love to hear from you.
Please let me know if you have an artist date and how it goes or what you think about creativity.
CLUE for a richer life: Cleaning out your sock drawer may not be the most creative activity but if you can’t think of any thing else to do – Clean our your sock drawer. Be wild and throw out singles that you keep waiting for the dryer to cough up the matching sock. Realize it is not going to happen – at least not until you throw it away at which time the mates will miraculously appear. Then wear your most colorful pair to celebrate a creative task well done.
Scroll down and comment. I love hearing from you!
8 comments
Cleaning out your sock drawer–and clearing off a desk, organizing papers, etc–is a wonderful way to make space for creativity. While engaged in these tasks, I often come up with writing ideas, and after I complete these tasks, I feel like I’ve accomplished something!
Wonderful Diane! Thanks for making sense of my post!
I was thinking about you yesterday and missing you! Hope we can chat soon.
When I recently cleaned my sock drawer, I felt satisfied but not creative. My life seems so simple compared to your ambitions. I almost used shallow instead of simple as I keep hearing that you should always be learning. What do you think?
Oh Hi Nolan! Great to hear from you! You always make me think.
I sometimes yearn for simple – but my missionary self makes that impossible. As I write that – I wonder if it really is that part or maybe I’m just anxious. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve had different experiences from you that call me to do different things. I like that you support me (of course) but besides making me happy – it tells me that you – as you say – want to keep learning. I think that is commendable.
I like your term satisfied. That seems the key to life – to be satisfied with what we have and with what is.
Thanks go out to my best brother!
Like this definition for your quest: Creativity, to me, is tapping into that deeper part of ourselves that is universal and then sharing a personal story that is, at the same time, relevant to all. Growth is a personal voyage but, simultaneously, when we read something true from another, our world is never the same. So, creativity is shared growth.
Kathi – Your comment fits with what I’ve been hearing about lately, that our success at anything depends on having a community. We need to share and gain support for whatever it is we are attempting to do.
Your support means a lot to me!Thanks for reading and commenting.
I get inspiration for vegan style cooking and pushing it’s limits by reading blogs and viewing You Tube videos of those people who are sharing their creations. I never copy their recipes. Instead I enter into their field of creativity around vegan cooking and and take away ideas and trends to try out in my process before I begin..I then follow the wave of my own creative ideas around a recipe so that I can customize it to my liking. I love creating my own masterpieces using ideas and expanding on them, tailoring to our tastes. It actually feels to me that I am a part of the field of creativity around this subject. I like feeling the sense of community as I share comments and outcomes with those in that field.
What a treat to hear from you Sherri! And what a great idea to be part of the field of creativity on and around a certain subject! I like that thought! It’s so different from using others offerings to compete against! Wonderful!
My observation from your posts on Insta Gram is that you & Pat are quite happy in your new home. I must say that I was surprised you had moved and wished we would have had time to say farewell before you left town. But perhaps it is good we didn’t – we can pick up right where we left off a couple of years ago. I remember good times and hope you do too.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Made me really happy! Hope you will come back!I’d love to hear what you think about Freud!
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