Creative Urges

MS may have taken away a great deal, but in return it has given much, namely: the opportunity to fulfil my creative desires. Since childhood, I have loved art and making things. Add that to observing and enjoying nature and it equals bliss.

Perhaps you don’t feel that you have time for such self-indulgence. Perhaps, but there are ways of solving even that, which I’ll address in a later post. But suffice to say, that if you do want to create – do. The benefits it brings far outweigh any losses and I guarantee that you will be happier (and I believe healthier) for it.

Putting pen to paper

Everyone expresses their creativity in different ways, but my outlets are essentially writing, art and cooking.

Every morning, I write my morning pages: noting dreams, events of the previous day, musings. It is a form of meditation that requires no skill, only a pen and paper. I like to go outside, because the natural world always seems to stimulate me creatively whilst filling me with joy. If the weather is inclement, I have my shed.

The earlier I am able to do this, the better. Getting out before the rest of the world ensures peace and quiet.

It is a discipline. I don’t always feel like it and thought I didn’t have time, but once I’d made the commitment to write every day, I did. Curiously, life is easier this way. Each morning, pages need to be filled. Time can be found; topics explored.

The same applies to this blog. Initially, I worried that finding a new subject and writing 1,000 words per week would be too much, but somehow, several years on, I’ve managed it. Like everyone, I prevaricate a bit (I’ve just done my DuoLingo practice instead of writing) but ultimately, I get my bottom on the chair and write.

So many of us wait for inspiration, but inspiration comes from doing. The more you do, the easier it becomes and the more you want to do. Trust me!

A student of fine art

For many years now, I have been visiting my wonderful friend and art teacher Mary. At 86, she knows pretty much everything there is to know, and she is expert at sharing her knowledge. But I only see her once a week and I needed a prompt to do more art. I began with a light-hearted 15 minutes a day drawing book.

I finished the book and was ready for more. The habit of daily drawing was established and I wanted to test myself further. On a visit to the library, I noticed some excellent art books for sale in their little shop. I bought them and worked through those also. Here was excellent advice and a chance to copy how it’s done – which is itself a great way to look and learn.

Art is so much more than simply drawing. It requires observation skills, accuracy, good fine motor skills and maths. Learning 3D perspective almost made my head explode, but Mary guided me through. My High School geometry enabled me to copy a fabulous folding flower. Maths finally had a purpose.

Getting crafty

Crafts – since they are associated with women’s work – are unfairly delegated below the fine arts. Yet, they require every bit as much skill. They are also (as women generally are) rather more practical!

When we moved here, I fulfilled the dream of my own craft room. I made the curtains and decorated in bold colours. Your own space is vital. Even if you can only commandeer a corner of a room – do so and make it yours.

Almost every day, I mount the stairs to do a project. It may be as small as an envelope or as big as a quilt, but if I don’t do something, I get cranky. And the more I do, the more confidence I gain and the more I want to do.

Below is a little notebook I made for calligraphy and the basis of a book vase made from an old paperback. I’m itching to get more done, but I need to finish this first!

The aesthetics of cookery

Cookery opens up a whole new area of creativity from the breath-taking cake creations of my friend, Penny, to the exquisite presentations of Mariia’s meals.

We can use our creativity to imagine new ways of using ingredients. I’ve made apple and blackberry vinegar; Jeff is making mulberry vodka.

And craft and cooking can marry, as below. Having deconstructed my husband’s old shirts for their fabric, I cut circles for jam tops and finished with vibrant rickrack.

Re-fuelling

It is impossible to be original all the time and the most successful artists invariably draw inspiration from others. Klimt was clearly influenced by the Impressionists and the Scottish Arts and Crafts movement – but it doesn’t make his work any less impressive.

We mere mortals need all the help we can get. I frequently buy reference books from the library shop, watch YouTube videos, buy art books and go to galleries. Sometimes these act as a catalyst for my own work; sometimes I just admire theirs, but we cannot hope to be creative without ‘refuelling’ every so often.

Benefits of a creative life

Though I doubt that many of us choose a creative life for its benefits, they are extensive.

Total concentration on a project from knitting to composing a song pushes out the thoughts that threaten to unbalance us. For those who struggle with meditation, this is your alternative.

Keeping our minds active and challenged is key to staving off the nightmare of memory loss and dementia. Using our hands or bodies in a way that strengthens them, helps keep us supple even as we age.

Our mental health is also likely to benefit, as a mind fizzing with ideas and creative challenges is unlikely to slump into a stupor of despair. As we hone our observation skills too, we are likely to be increasingly aware of the beauty surrounding us and grateful for it. And if there is a key to happiness, it is gratitude.

We will sometimes fail, or make a mess or have to throw it away. Things will seldom turn out perfectly. Accepting this strengthens our ability to cope when life itself doesn’t work out as planned either. Mary’s favourite artists are potters, because they are reminded every day how little control we really have and simply accept it. (Of all crafts, ceramics is the most nerve racking – pots collapse; objects in the kiln explode or crack; glazes bubble and craze).

And if disaster strikes? It is an opportunity for learning, or perhaps takes us in a new direction. No matter. We enjoy the process and the outcome is a bonus.