I realize this will not be like my usual posts, with images and just a little text.
I have been doing the beginning work of a course on creativity resources. Meanwhile, my husband got fired from his job. So here I am--we are--looking again at "creatively" forming our lives around less money, less stability, less, less, less. But, I am SO good at living in the margins and I am also SO good at walking away from my creativity and needs when I think someone else needs those energies more. My task at this time is to stay my course, despite the crises around me.
Toward that end, I was off to the Bismarck Public library yesterday to see what books they had on creativity. Of course, I was expecting the crafty version of the genre, but actually found many other kinds of titles (and content) containing that word. It got me thinking. I--we--believe that creativity is an inherent human trait and not confined to one kind of expression. So I checked out books on using creativity in all different kinds of contexts. However, most of the resources fall in the realm of self-help, reclaiming one's life, opening up to possibilities, creating/reclaiming happiness. An interesting set of ideas.
I say this because in the midst of this crisis, I have been experiencing a burst of creativity myself. I have pulled up an old mode of creating--pieced fabric jackets. Each has a process: to the fabric store to find the one "perfect" fabric. A textile with pattern that holds my attention, makes me think about it when I leave the store. I then "hunt" for up to six other textiles to go with it--patterns that enhance or counterpoint the first one. The process is SO pleasurable! Holding up the fabrics, imagining the possibilities! I get them cut, usually only 1/4 yard of each. These get torn up into strips and sewn back together into strip-quilted, yummy combinations. Finally, the quilt blocks are pieced into a basic jacket shape and VOILA!
My goal today is to videotape the process of one of these jackets and make a cute little film for you all to watch. Kind of an cross-over between my technology for creativity course and my creative resources course.
An additional realization is that the WWW is a HUGE place with lots, and lots, and lots of people posting and doing great work around creativity. Most every website/blog I visit has the opportunity to do an online course or e-learning. This is a way that people are making money with their creativity. I am interested to try some of this, but again, going back to the "husband just lost his job" idea, I will keep to what I can do myself, here at my laptop with the resources I have.
Till later,
Linae
