I mentioned last week that I’d been reading a lot. The last ten months have been full of strife, stress and worry. Life often leaves us feeling depleted. It’s important to fill your creative well. And my well felt very, very empty. I couldn’t see my way to doing the things that I have always done to feel creative. And because my creative well fuels my writing, I haven’t been writing very much at all. But it’s time to change that and to be able to do that I have to once again fill my creative well.
My sister gave me a watercolour journal for my birthday. I cracked it open and feathered through all thee crisp clean pages waiting for colour. I love playing around with my watercolours. Nothing too serious. I find inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest and go from there. Lots of times I’m happy with the results. But mistakes will be made. There will be times when I don’t like the colour combinations I’ve used or the strokes or the idea anymore. Or a host of other things. But none of that matters because it’s all about the journey. It’s about exploring. Not about criticizing my efforts.
I’m also working on a very little something for my granddaughter. It’s something I’ve never tried before, a little attempt at a tiny magazine. She may like it, she may not. And that’s okay. It’s not something precious. It’s just a little something I wanted to try that might make her smile. What she does with it is up to her.
So there it is, a little look into my creative process lately.
Until next time…
How are you filling your creative well these days?
In 2019 I started on a journey of pursuing a more creative life. There is some much information out there and so many different ways to take it in that I needed something to offset the deluge and that gave me the time to process and absorb things. It was also a way to make the things I care about a priority. I purposefully sought out inspiration and tried things that interested me but also scared me a little. Something other than reading, which I still adore most of all.
I wanted these creative endeavours to be about the process. To be an outlet. A nod to self-care. I have my writing, my primary creative focus and something I take seriously, and I needed this to be different, to feel different, to be about something else.
My goal was to cultivate a consistent daily dose of creativity. I wanted to learn some new things, but more than that, I wanted to create the habit of, well…creativity. I wanted to focus on the journey and not label my efforts as successes or failures. I wanted to have fun and to embrace the mess and my mistakes. I wanted to play and experiment and learn how to shift my focus when I felt stuck on something in my writing, or everyday life.
I started small. I went to a big box craft store and bought a palette of watercolour paints for seven dollars. I picked up some cheap brushes to go with it. I started to experiment. I didn’t know what I was doing but I studiously ignored the rather loud voice in my head that told me to wait until I did, that suggested I should hit the pause button until I was better prepared to start. I ignored that voice. I went for it. All last year was about ignoring that voice. I also posted my efforts on Instagram and I continue to do so even if they’re not perfect – which they never are, at least to my eyes.
Then I stepped all the way out of my comfort zone and I took an Adult Art Sampler class, geared towards beginners or anyone interested in experimenting with new techniques. I tried alcohol inks, pottery (on an actual wheel), charcoal sketching, and printmaking. I took a modern calligraphy workshop. I watched YouTube videos on watercolour techniques. I found artists I favoured to follow on social media. I tried cross stitch.
But I didn’t limit my forays in creativity to the visual arts. I bought an ice cream maker and made the most incredible salted caramel ice cream (after my first attempt at the custard base curdled) and then baked the worst chocolate brownies ever to accompany it. I’m learning how to make bread. I made a pie from scratch. I’ve always planted the same flowers in the same pots. This past season I experimented. Full disclosure, that experiment was not a success. I planted the wrong plants in the wrong spots, and in the wrong kind of groupings. Not everything is going to work out.
I’ve never thought of myself as much of an artist. In the back of my mind, I still don’t. After all, it’s just doodles or a loaf of bread. But I’m creating. I’m learning. I’m expanding my mind. And for someone who struggles with anxiety, it’s also a way to be more mindful, to live in the present.
If you’re looking to add some creativity into your life and for inspiration, I love Lindsey Bugbee’s blog post The Postman’s Knock – Five Creative Goals for 2018 – on setting creative goals.
What I’m reading: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
What I’m listening to: Seize The Fire by Laura Kinsale
Until next time…
What are your favourite creative pursuits? Or what are your hobbies, in general?
