Hello 2025: Creativity and Creative Intentions For The New Year

My creative intentions for 2025. Write, read and paint. Plus a few more.

My 5 Things to Remember About Creativity (from an amateur with no professional qualifications whatsoever)

You don’t have to be ‘naturally good’ at something to try it. It’s not a competition. It’s not a race. It’s not about perfection. Allow yourself to be imperfect. Allow yourself to try. And to quit.

Seek out inspiration. From art galleries. From documentaries. From books. From nature. Honestly, I get a lot of ideas from scoping out crafts for kids. Go to your local library. Follow artists on social media. Take a class. Listen to a podcast.

Put down your phone. I know. I get it. I spend too much time on my phone too. It’s easy. The pretty aesthetics. The funny memes. The inspirational reels. The entertaining viral videos. The recipes! I read something recently about letting ourselves get bored. Turns out that boredom leads to increased creativity, among other positive things.

It doesn’t have to be a big something. It can be a small. It can be a 3 x 3 inch square of paper and BIC pen and a quick doodle. It can be a seed you plant in a tiny pot. It can be writing a haiku. It can be a pot of soup. Or an apple pie. It can be learning cursive writing (for the young ones out there). It can be origami. (This is what I’m doing right now. To understand how it’s going, see No. 1.)

Realizing that being a perfectionist is not a good thing. Let go of harsh self judgements. Kick those impossibly high expectations to the curb. It’s not that easy, believe me, I know. But it can be a work in progress. Give yourself some grace. You don’t need to be perfect at something to reap the benefits of doing it.

I hope every one of you have some kind of creative project on the go. Or are at least thinking of something you want to try this year. If that is the case, I hope you give that thing a go. Or that you do more of the ones that bring you joy.

Until next time…

Do you have any creative things you want to try? Are thinking of trying? Or have already started? Let me know.

December 2024: Recipe of the Month Recommendation

How To Make Chocolate Bark From The Pioneer Woman

So, forget the hustle, hustle, hustle of performance culture and take care of your mental health by doing what you can with what you have.

Until next time…

December 2024: Filling My Creative Well With Live Theatre and Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan

Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan at Globe Theatre.

Playing from November 27 to January 5, 2025

Remember to give yourself some grace during these hectic days.

November 2024: My Month in Review

November has come and mostly gone. I don’t know, what is there to say about November? I did stuff? I get that November is big in the US with Thanksgiving and all, but in Canada? It’s kind of just a regular month. Unless you’re one of those cheery, bright-spirited people who already have their tree up and have decorated for Christmas while bopping around to holiday music.

I have gotten some Christmas things done! I ordered our tree, which will be here the beginning of December. I made gift tags. I also started making lists to keep organized in an effort to manage my tinsel themed holiday anxiety. Who remembers that glittery silver tinsel that you hung on the tree and that stuck to everything? My anxiety is a little bit like that tinsel. It will hang around where it’s least wanted if I don’t manage it.

Also, it snowed. Like, a lot. Winter has officially arrived. As I sit here writing, big, fluffy flakes are falling down. Again.

I’ve been writing almost every day. I’m very happy about that.

In spirit of American Thanksgiving and because it’s always good to give thanks, I’ll say I’m grateful for family and friends and the understanding and empathy we’ve felt from our loved ones this year. May the rest of 2024 be kind to you.

And, lastly:

Until next time…

November 2024 Romance Book Recommendation: Mother Faker by Brittanee Nicole

Mother Faker by Brittanee Nicole

Blurb:

Now if someone could just remind him that it’s all fake.

Thoughts:

What has everyone else been reading?

Romance Novel Heat Ratings: Tender vs Warm

Tender vs Warm

Tender

Warm

Author Genevieve Graham comes to mind as an example.

November 2024: Recipe of the Month Recommendation

I might be Canadian but doesn’t mean this week’s US presidential election didn’t deeply disappoint. Just this morning at the mention of a known anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist possibly being put in charge of a major health portfolio had a someone from my home town hoping more of that nonsense makes its way into Canadian politics. Sigh.

Anyhoo…

Food.

Remember one way to stick it to the patriarchy is to feed ourselves. We’re going to need all the energy we can get to fight against governments that want us to shrink and become as small and docile as possible. So, if you like to bake then bake. When you bake your focus and concentration is on the recipe and you are staying in the moment. Destress. Clear your head. Feed yourself and others. Find the joy in whisking up a little something and get creative with your food.

Quick and Easy Blueberry Muffins from Inspired Taste

They really are so easy to make and simply delicious! I’ve made them twice now and each time they’ve been great. This recipe is probably versatile, as I think you could probably use any fruit in it. I’m going to have to give it a try with strawberries or apples.

Until next time…

What’s your favourite muffin recipe?

November 2024: Refilling My Creative Well with Cross Stitch

October 2024 Romance Book Recommendation: Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

Hands up if you, like me, are a bird fan? I haven’t always been as enamoured of our feathered friends. But when my daughter took a liking to birds I somewhat overcame my fear of them and now I love watching them. We often see chickadees, nuthatches, house finches, and sparrows at our feeders. We also get juncos, flickers, woodpeckers, and bluejays, depending on the seasons. Robins in the spring. Partridges year round. The occasional hummingbird flits through too. And the other night we heard an owl in the park area by our house.

There is something very calming about watching the birds. I read somewhere that watching or even hearing a bird can improve your mental health for hours. And it just so happens that my province of Saskatchewan is home to an exceptional number of birds. Whether birds live here seasonally, year round or migrate through the province, Saskatchewan is an excellent choice for a birdwatching holiday.

Saskatchewan Birding Tips from Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation organization. You can get advice, book tours and find out what birds are where.

Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

Published: Simon and Schuster, June 2024

Categories: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy

Blurb:

Thoughts:

Until next time…

What’s everyone else reading?