i love all things beautiful. and creative. i love going into those one of a kind little boutiques and finding lovely treasures. items you know you won't find anywhere else. something that someone made without trying to copy anyone else. just something that they felt inspired to make as they went along. you always get a sense of someone's style and innovative thinking when you stumble across a unique find. i am always a sucker for all things unique. i just have an appreciation for the time, talent, gifts, effort, and pure creativity.
for me creativity is passion. it's also total therapy. it's a way to express yourself and what you love in a way you can't otherwise. i could get lost in creating little things. anything from paper, to paint, to fabric, to food, to furniture, to gardening. o.k. ~ so i guess i also like to create friendships. i don't really categorize that as creativity but there is an art to relationships ~ and it's hard! sometimes we work with our hands and imagination, sometimes with our words/feelings and heart. the former is much easier for me!
when i think of the word "create" there's always something that pops into my head ~ a talk given by pres. uchtdorf that hit the nail on the head for me. not all of his talk was on being creative. in fact it was about happiness, creativity, and compassion. it has stuck with me for years and really made me realize that creativity plays a role in my happiness. it is a WONDERFUL message, at least to me:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/happiness-your-heritage?lang=eng
i have this little purple book i bought last year that i keep as my "create" ideas book. any idea that pops into my head for a gift, party, project, gesture...i jot it down in this book so i'll remember it and make it sometime. i use it as a visual inspiration board of my thoughts. i have to say that "pinterest" is pretty amazing and has some lovely inspirational ideas too!
last night was enrichment. my sweet friend put on the best night. it was simple. she asked us all to tell her, beforehand, the one thing we're really good at. then she told us to bring, in a lunch bag, something that really makes us happy - it would be like a gift exchange. a couple of women got up and shared their one thing that they're good at - it was so inspiring for me. they were "hey, i can try that" kind of things. the fun part was sharing our favorite happy thing. of course i gave dark chocolate and a cd of my fav music.
month's ago i was hiking alongside ian who was riding his mountain bike. he went ahead so i had time to let my head take off. usually when i hike or run is when i ALWAYS get inspiration and ideas that pop into my head. i like hard hikes because they help me get thru my struggles. doing something physically hard challenges me to push myself and for some crazy reason, along the way all these creative ideas come to me; but i also seem to be able to get clarity and answers and inspiration for my personal life and any challenges i seem to be facing. i don't really like to hike alone but i make myself do it cuz that's when i leave the world behind and conquer the mountain ~ so to speak. we all have things we need to work on and overcome.
anway...back to when i was hiking with ian...i realized then that getting out alone, doing a physical activity, being still, removing myself from chaos and chores and cleaning and noise (oh the noise!) is what really helps me to have that clarity that i need and to then get ideas of things that i can do and find those wins of personal happiness and clarity and satisfaction and wellness, i guess. that whole rush of ideas and inspiration and clarity keeps me getting out. i also find many answers to prayers as i sort out my own thoughts and problems.
i wish i was better about helping my kids to understand this too. o.k. ~ i'm just gonna stop here cause there's a lot of things i wish i was better at.
