I’ve been thinking a lot lately about all of the ways that we creative types – whether we’re visual artists, artisans, crafters, writers, musicians – express our creativity and about how much that creativity permeates our lives.
I’m a visual artist who spent a lot of years as a singer and songwriter and who has always been a writer of one sort or another. I have a constant need to create in some way; for me, that translates into decorating my home (sewing all of the new draperies and bedding for my bedroom instead of buying them ready-made, for instance); making jewelry, which I’ll never do professionally, but I love making it; gardening (I’m a firm believer that most gardening enthusiasts are flexing their creative muscles); and so it goes…
I refinish furniture, I crochet a little, instead of painting I draw or felt, I make gifts for people rather than purchase them. I go to art parties and make shrines and postcards and birdhouses and mosaics. And I’m always thinking about something I might do, would do, should do, used to do. A new medium? A new story? Sure! It never stops…and I don’t want it to.
How do others express their creativity outside their primary medium or field? What do you do? And what does it do for you?
Gosh, I’m like you. I have my main stuff, but have lots of other little things I enjoy doing. I like to crochet. It’s relaxing. And sometimes I make a gift with crochet. One of my favorite things I’ve done with crochet was to crochet a hot pad, then crochet bacon and eggs to sew to it.
I have indoor plants that I enjoy caring for. They bring life inside. Well, there IS life in an occupied home, but they bring a sort of energy.
I like to periodically paint my walls. I like to put squares (checkers) on them sometimes.
I used to make most of my own clothes, but now that I’m fat, it’s not as much fun. Plus, it is harder to get great clothes making fabric. Gone are most of the fabric stores, having been replaced by more specialized quilting stores. I’m not into quilting much. (NOw watch, I’ll start that tomorrow. LOL)
Seems like I remember a “real” fabric store in Lawrence. Is it still there?
Creative outside of my main area…. That somehow presupposes that there is this main thing I do and then I stop doing it and some other things. For me, not so much.
Textiles have consumed my life, mind, heart, soul. If I’m not weaving, I’m knitting or spinning. If I’m not making, I’m researching textiles. If I’m not researching, I’m teaching about textiles and all of the visual arts.
Creativity for me isn’t ending at a particular moment to be picked up later. It is a constant. Crafting visual images, crafting writing, crafting parenting….all creativity.
Is it all good art? Definitely not. Is it even all ‘art’? Not necessarily. (If everything is defined as ‘art’, then the word become meaningless…)
What a good question, Malissa!!!
Thanks, Janet! Yes, there is a “real” fabric store here in Lawrence on Mass St., but it seems far more geared toward quilting and home and craft sewing, not clothes sewing. The only real choice for that here is Hancock Fabrics.
When I lived in Houston, I used to shop at High Fashion, which was two full multi-story buildings of the most exquisite fabrics I’ve ever seen in my life. It was overwhelming. And good heavens, the prices on some of those fabrics…hundreds of dollars per yard for the most exquisite hand-worked textiles one can imagine.
Thanks, Carla! And I think you nailed it when you said creativity is a constant. It is for me as well. Everything I do is about being creative, although unlike you, I don’t have a specific area that consumes me, as textiles do you. Certainly encaustic is my primary medium when I paint, but that doesn’t even begin to cover the creative territory I spend time in and explore.
For me, music is my primary outlet. Singing and piano, specifically. I branched away from that through some choral conducting and lots of arranging for a Capella choirs.
Cooking is indeed another outlet for creativity. And I’m at the stage in my career where using creativity and wisdom is more fulfilling to me than the work itself. After 32 years, I’ve seen most of what can happen in IT. Now the challenge is to lead, guide and mentor others through those challenges in such a way that yes, the project gets done, but also, that my team members grow as professionals and as people. There is a role for an intuitive, compassionate manager who can still deliver on time and on budget. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.
From a totally different perspective, my main passion, music (piano and flute), has been held captive for the time being. I will get alone and turn up a CD real loud and sing, with a very small range, sounding pretty decent! About twenty years ago my heart cried out to the Lord in prayer for a creative outlet. My first twenty years I danced, twirled, drew, painted, crafted, etc.
I got brave enough to put a pen in my hand and can write very slowly. But wanting instant gratification, I put the pen in my mouth, made up my own calligraphy, and sold three plaques at For Heaven’s Sake Christian Bookstore before they closed.
I don’t like to read, I don’t like to write, but after being asked to write a small piece about myself for a small, 4 county newspaper, everything I have written has been published. And you know about the computer column each week for two years. Now that’s when you know it’s from God!
Lastly, I create with PowerPoint, Farmville, Christmas decorations, party trays, table settings, decor in the house and I’m anal about having my earrings, necklace, braclets, shoes, purse, and clothes…all disgustingly coordinating! Is being long-winded creative?
Martha, one thing I know is this: brevity is not my strong suit, either, so ma
ybe it’s a part of being naturally creative and expressive! And have you considered doing more of the pen-in-mouth work and trying to sell it to other bookstores? Do you have any photos of them? I would love to see them if you did.
I also am creative with how I dress, especially with my jewelry. I’ve begun to wear more and more super-basics so that I can wear jewelry that really makes a statement. I tend toward simplicity, so I’m liking everything simple and then pow! a necklace with strand after strand of great stones and beads or an armful of bracelets.
If you’ll give me the link to your computer column, I’ll be happy to do a link from this blog!
Jaime, like you, I consider cooking an expression of my creative nature. I certainly follow recipes from time to time, and troll them for ideas, but most of my cooking is my own creation. And most of the time it works, though I confess to a few less-than-stellar results!
And in terms of the professional creativity – I could not agree more. After a certain age or length of time in a field, while there’s always something new to learn, I do think it becomes more about the investment you’re making in other people, both professionally and personally. There is a lot of joy in helping foster someone else’s growth.