Some thoughts on creativity
Creativity is a practice.
Over the years I’ve learned it’s a muscle. The more I spend time exercising it, the stronger it becomes.
It has given me a framework for developing my intuition, working through my indecisiveness and taught me how to break out of self-created boxes that limit my abilities. (Basically an alternative version of what fitness does for me.)
The third University of Ottawa CADRE creativity workshop, was another building block in the foundation of trusting my creative process.
Our project involved shaping plaster strips into a heart. To be honest, I dreaded it for a whole week because I’ve never worked with plaster. I thought it would be messy, complicated and put it off until the last minute. Memories of school and incomplete assignments haunted me. I was ready to show up to class with supplies and figure it out on the spot.
The day before class, I came across a heart-shaped wreath at the dollar store. Ahhh, gotta love synchronicity! It looked easy enough to cover in the plaster strips. The spaced out branches would allow for quick drying if I used a blow dryer to speed up the process. There was one flaw: a broken branch in the middle of the heart. While not ideal, I thought about asking for a discount on the piece at check-out.
Unfortunately, the cashier told me the store policy didn’t allow for discounts, even when a product is damaged. I asked him what happens to the damaged items. Apparently, they get discarded.
I envisioned this heart in a dumpster. In a split second I had to make a decision: Should I buy something damaged at full-price? It totally went against my usual way of thinking.
I let it go, figuring that somehow I could make it work. Maybe the heart could be an artistic statement on the nature of damage.
Our art teacher Mary, talked about the connection between creativity and intuition. She defined intuition as a combination of impulses and inner wisdom. I often second-guess my creative impulses, which means I need to build more trust in my process. Don’t overthink it, Lindsey! The creativity is already there. Let it unfold. She had us imagine the heart as a wide playground.
What took shape is a patchwork of fabric remnants that put me in a happy place— some were from the art supplies provided from the program and some were leftover from past projects. I like that it was a combination of something from my past and something from my present. The thought that others in the group are incorporating similar supplies has been a beautiful thread of interconnectedness throughout our pieces.
One participant shared that she used a cover from her picc line on the heart, which reminded me of gauze and tape I had leftover from my explant and flat closure surgery in November. I knew immediately where it would fit best on my mine: over the broken branch. For a bit of flare: I added shimmery gold fiber under the bandage to represent the ability of creating something positive out of a negative situation.
The back of the heart needed some texture and an element of softness. I took some yellow wool fiber that I had stashed away for a different project and layered it over the plaster.
It still needed something else. As I was looking through my personal art supplies, I came across a few punch-needle textiles that I made last year. That’s where I found “Take The Time To Create.” I loved the colors, the message, and It complemented the yellow background.
In the end, as I listened to the participants share their process, the thought occurred to me: our minds are always searching for connections and making meaning out of situations, places and things. Each of us has a one-of-a-kind perspective and story. How it’s reflected in what I present to the world is totally up to me. That’s the magic of creativity.
“My magic adds beauty and meaning to whatever I touch.”
Art can serve as a platform for our stories, a refuge from the thinking or both. We can give ourselves permission to play just for the sake of having fun. Not everything needs a purpose or an explanation either. It doesn’t have to serve others. “I like it that way” is enough.
