February is officially over which means March has arrived. Brighter days are here to come, that is for sure. You can see the stretch in the evenings now, the sun sets just before six, although it is nearly quarter to seven before it gets dark. You can also see the stretch in the mornings now, the sun rises nearly at seven thirty but those “pitch black” early mornings are over, as there is some sort of a glimpse of light at quarter to seven. It is amazing to see the difference a month can make. The weather has not improved yet, very unsettled still, but the promise of longer and brighter days keeps me going. Rain, strong winds, hailstones, damp and dull days seem to be willing to accompany us for a bit longer than we would like them to. Nevertheless, we will endure them as we look forward to those sunny evenings in the courtyard, having dinner al fresco. It is a cold but sunny evening, my usual cupán tae, the candle flickering away, Smudge tucked next to me (making sure I do not move until my blog is finished, she is the boss!). Let’s be creative and let the words flow.
The “be creative” topic has been on my list for a while, but sometimes ideas need their time to evolve and make sense; every so often, ideas tend to fluff around not willing to settle; and occasionally, you simply do not feel like writing about that idea. Inspiration has finally decided to join forces with me so I can get this blog published. Much more, my creativity has also agreed to give me a hand!
I was not given a proper chance to let creativity run free, as a kid at school. That was a long time ago, maybe things are different now. I have seen a collection of drawings from my years in Pre School, but that was the beginning and the end of encouragement for me as a kid to be creative. Once I set foot in primary school everything became about learning maths, literature, science, geography, history, languages and many others. There was no such emphasis on cultivating the art of exploring your own creative skills, simply because they would definitely not get you into college. All my years at school (both primary and secondary) were based on studying hard so my marks were good enough to enrol in university. Do not get me wrong, I have great memories from those times, I learned a lot, and all my hard work back then got me to where I am today. But I always felt there was something missing. I can clearly remember myself writing short poems while trying to find the perfect word, the perfect verse, the perfect rhyme. I can clearly remember myself drawing lines and curves, trying to find the right shape, the right dimension, the right structure. I can clearly remember myself playing with colour pencils, trying to find the best blend, the best shade, the best visual impact. Amid being ignored and not cultivated, creativity vanished as if it was like a magic trick. I guess I buried it myself, as a result of being ashamed and not being encouraged to let my creative flow.
“…It felt like a rainbow of inspiration embracing me to unleash my creativeness…”
Years went by, although I kept writing, things were really quiet on the artistic inventive side. I was in my mid-forties when a chance of being creative came to me, unexpected, unannounced, out of the blue, but at the same time full of energy. It felt like a rainbow of inspiration embracing me to unleash my creativeness, it felt like a powerful swirl guiding me towards an exciting universe; it felt like a super wave of inventiveness empowering me. It was early 2020, the global pandemic had brought lockdowns, curfews and many other restrictions: I found myself confined to the room I was renting, with not many amenities and hardly anything happening as the world seemed to have stopped. I have never been a great fan of television, video games or social media. There was only so much bread I could bake, I had reached my threshold of books I could read, I had lost the enthusiasm for tidying up my room for the umpteenth time. This was the perfect scenario for creativity to find its way out from the dungeons of ignorance, incomprehension and repression. My creative appetite had been unleashed and was eager to blossom: simply unstoppable!
“…It was such great fun! Matching colours so they blended with each other, adding decorative drawings so the overall effect was super…”
Writing was the first of many areas where creativity splashed its colourful brush-strokes all over. This is my forty second blog, which is a great achievement for me that over a period of nearly five years I have managed to reach such a milestone! What a journey of finding topics, playing with words, exploring ideas. Trying to disconnect from a demanding and stressful job I found myself painting, decorating and writing powerful messages on pebbles. It was such great fun! Matching colours so they blended with each other, adding decorative drawings so the overall effect was nice, coming across the right words so the message was powerful. Who would have told me that a few years later, I would have a super range of handmade and hand painted crafts that people would be willing to buy for themselves, for their loved ones, for colleagues: a mix of pebbles, wooden items, frames, hanging decorations, seasonal ornaments. All sorts of nice pieces of art to offer some warm touches to houses and gardens. Not an easy endeavour to find time for both creative activities; not an easy task to find the right balance between both inventive activities; not an easy challenge to find the perfect ideas for both artistic activities: writing and crafting. One could say I am doing great though!
Creativity was determined to spread its tentacles further and further. Our house and our garden have also been touched by the wand of my creativeness! It is great fun spending time making sure the curtains and ornaments match the palette of colours in a particular room; it is great amusement figuring out where to place that painting so it blends in with its surroundings; it is great enjoyment moving things around so you can find the right place for them. Organising pots in the courtyard, arranging the flowers in a vase, painting the outdoors furniture: another great way of letting creativity do its job.
“…Inspiration has even reached other areas, those I would have never thought I could be involved with…”
Inspiration has even reached other areas, those I would have never thought I could be involved with. To my surprise, I have discovered the joys of Lego and the infinite possibilities one can imagine. Building things by yourself using your imagination, without following any instructions from a manual, not knowing what it will end up looking like, is a very rewarding experience! You sit down, surround yourself by lots of pieces of lego and be ready to be inventive: the perfect setting for a unique vignette.
Once you open the door to creativity it is amazing to see how many other doors can be opened, it is unbelievable to discover what you are capable of creating, it is impressive to experience the power of its wings.Once you let creativity into your life, you will be surprised, it will not vanish but get stronger!
Jay Cee Moon ©
Jaycee Moon 