Creative Puzzle Pieces
What type of creative puzzle pieces show up in your Life? There are times I want to block out the rest of my responsibilities and simply do something creative. But the negative voice in my head questions my ability to try new things, create anything worth while or makes me feel guilty for spending the time in a creative endeavour. Yet creativity, in various forms and medium, form part of our makeup. They are part of our uniqueness.
At a conference at the end of September I listened to a workshop leader, Shelley Hitz, from Colorado Springs in her workshop ‘The Art of Prayer’. She encouraged us to explore watercolours, markers, pencil crayons, and coloured pens to add interest to our journal pages, and simply enjoy the journey of trying something new.
She makes bookmarks, postcards with sayings and takes sermon notes using key words, colour and simple line drawings.
I enjoy the artwork of friends and family members. I love to look at well done photographs and read interesting stories. My grandson, Nathaniel, creates beautiful wood projects. His sister, Arianna, is an artist. My son-in-law Bruce works magic with a camera and his girls Kathryn and Victoria, as well as my daughter explore various forms of creative projects from photography to drawing and painting or creating with cloth or yarn. I marvel at some of the pieces that have been produced from these family members.
I do not think of myself as an artist, although I have always loved to doodle as I listen. It helps me focus. I have tried crocheting but not making up my own patterns. I write as an outlet for the creativity puzzle piece in my life. I play with paper and embellishments when I scrapbook family stories. Yet this workshop urged me to explore outside my comfort zone. It intrigued me and I signed up for her Creative Adventure Group.
Following what others are doing, commenting on their posts and pictures and learning in a workshop does not mean I am stepping out of the familiar avoidance of trying something new. I pushed myself to attempt some lettering last week and got brave enough to post it on the group for others to see and comment on. Then I took another step and used it as a facebook post and now on this blog.
I think I will try other prompts she provides or more lettering that matches up with my writing, my blogs or as a way of adding a different dimension to my journal. I might even add some bookmarks to give when people buy a book or use a personally done postcards to send a note of encouragement to someone.
Life does seem like a bunch of random puzzle pieces. Some might fit together easily but others do not appear to have a place. Yet together they make up our lives. Creativity is one of those pieces. How does it manifest itself in your life? Are you ready to try something new, either for the sake of attempting it or because it might just fit with other things you are doing?
Posted: October 11th, 2017 under puzzle pieces of life, Storytelling.