Sometimes you just have to step away from the keyboard and do something a bit different.
After all the turbulence in my mind the last couple of days it was nice to turn it to something else.
Today I did some salvaging and repurposing of tired furniture using chalk paint.
If you’ve never used it before welcome to the club – I hadn’t either.
It’s amazing for impatient time poor people like me who want instant results for minimal effort.
A desk – which used to be a cheap old knocked about dark chocolate veneer finish has been given a vintage vibe and freshen up with green.
An old white cane cabinet was painted navy with a distressed finish and is now a welcome addition to the guest room which needed a bedside table.
And an old timber hatrack now brightens a dull corner near my back door.
The best part – you just slap the paint straight on and two coats you’re done – there is also a wax finish to apply or sealant – google, Pinterest You’ll find what I’m talking about.
Creativity is a source of great enjoyment to me. It makes my heart sing to do these sorts of things and it always produces fresh insights in my writing as well.
Everyone is capable of creativity whether it is cooking, sewing, gardening,pottery or weaving – or one of a plethora of other beautiful ways to use some spare time.
I think it makes for well rounded and balanced individuals.
I have a lovely fellow writer who also paints folk art, does pottery, doll making and patchwork quilting amongst other things as well as her writing (and she is a wonderful writer). Last night we had a fairly intense discussion on the marches happening all over the world at the moment.
Her view was different to mine and it didn’t matter a bit – we both respect each other enough not to get put out over such things.
I always enjoy her point of view because she is interested in life – reads, lives in a larger world.
Creative people are busy.
They’re not interested in gossip or other negative behaviours.
As a bunch, creatives are happy positive people – good to be around – all that productive energy – thriving.
Artists and creatives are also some of the most depressed people on the planet at times.
Why?
Self doubt plays a big role.
I remember when I was locked up – not creating, doubting and a very wise aunt of mine asked me “how’s the photography Kate?”
“Oh not doing much Aunty Mary – busy with work – you know”
Hmmm
Now my Aunt Mary is a very creative person herself (and a very talented one) so next she asked “doing any painting? I love your art”
I came clean – “no, I just get so – I don’t know – I just don’t think I’m very good”
Mary laughed, “ha! You take yourself too seriously – just do it for fun, enjoy it, you’re great but just do it for fun.”
I love older women.
They are so wise.
They get it.
Life.
We all take ourselves too seriously, I hope I have stopped.
I take my writing seriously but that is because I love it – I thrive on it and it creates an energy that sustains me.
But I don’t take much else seriously anymore, Injust enjoy creating, riding away and having adventures on my motorbike, enjoying my family, my home, the company of beautiful people with broad minds and large souls, happy hearts.
And working hard in our business.
All of this creativity feeds me enough to work hard at what I don’t particularly enjoy but know feeds me (in reality) and supports my husband – happily.
And I enjoy giving back to creative people, being around them.
This blog is the smartest and best thing I have ever done for my happiness.
Life is so good and I wake up excited
Every
Single
Day
Let’s be creative.
Don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy your art whatever that may be.
Have a lovely evening, from my house to yours.
Much love
Xx
I can imagine how you feel about your blog. I do not have children, but I think I feel a bit of the joy of creation through my blog; it gives me so much happiness 🙂
Such a wonderful outlet for so many things! And I love communicating with people from all over the world and reading their thoughts and seeing their creativity, hearing of their travel – their hopes and dreams – just lovely – thanks for stopping by 💜
You are so right.
Thanks Yassy – hope your day was a good one will be over to read your poetry tomorrow, it’s lovely and you need to put some photos up on Insta my friend – I like seeing the world through your eyes 🙂
Beautifully written and good points too! I definitely agree with not taking yourself too seriously. I noticed when I do creative work for “fun” I produce a much better outcome and I feel happier as well 🙂
I get so happy when I’m creating that I have way too much energy and can’t sleep for thinking what I’m going to do or write the next day – creators high! Much better than any alternative medication or drug – I think we were born to be creative beings, nature is creative, must be so frustrating for our creator when we don’t join the fun and instead kill all his/her other creations. It would be like our works of art turning on each other and self destructing.
Much better to create! 😊 and thanks for commenting, lovely to talk to you I enjoy your blog too 👌
Yes I love the creative high! I agree with you, just like how our Creator has beautifully created us & this magnificent universe, we should extend that and create beautiful things in this world ^_^ Thank you so much for your kind words, and for following my blog as well!
Love your blog 😊
Creativity is wonderful and self doubt does hit creatives the hardest. Thanks for the tidbits of advice 🙂 beautiful photo by the way
Thanks – you can’t smell a photograph but they were beautiful and heavy with scent – your writing is wonderful, I’m glad I found your blog and a window into an interesting other world 🌎 Scientists discuss alternative universes – we are the alternative universes.
That’s so deep.
Oh is introverts are deep thinkers 😉
Inspiring thoughts!
Great! Glad you thought so Kathy, the more people creating, the less people troubled and sad or destructing, self or otherwise. I think he inverse of creativity is destruction and it’s sad for the world that some people think they are creating when really they are just destroying.
I’m up late (or rather early, planning my next project – Pinterest is a void I collapse happily into for ages sometimes, I have to impose self bans 🙈😉
Hi Kathy I’m a Kathryn (?) too or rather Kate – I thought I had replied to this comment earlier but I think I was supposed to “approve” yours first – if you get two now I’m sorry for that 😳 I just want to say hat I enjoy your blog – Val (Quiet Season) put me on to it
I never thought of it that way, but you are exactly right. Being creative can take us out of ourselves while at the same time we are exercising a part of ourselves. I’m trying to think how dusting today can be creative…for real.
Art groups are wonderful places to start Barb, Pinterest is great too or just cleaning and tidying and sorting which is what I have been doing – I agree with Feng Shui 💯 as a fresh wind of creativity blew into my home once I got sorting – if you have clutter and don’t know where to start take a look at a few of my posts on Marie Kondos book – Joy Spark is her latest book and my post was a couple of days back with a link to the other one in it as well. Bit of Inspro and that is all it takes – the spark of inspiration then he rest just turns into a mega snowball of fun 😊💜
I’ll check it out!
Oh good – comments are working and back on track – right well now I’ll have a coffee before the sun comes up hehe lots to do bring this day on 🌟😊
Mindfulness and love for your home and things – that is what I have found – read those two posts on Spark Joy and Marie Kondo Barb – sorry my wifi is playing up so not sure if I’m double replying – I went back to bed so there has been a gap 😴😳😉☺️
Great read. The ups and downs of a creative person are tough to handle. We just push through the self-doubt and keep making stuff the best we can.
Hey thanks for stopping by and thanks also for your comments 😊
I have spent a lot of time away from the keyboard (as you can see by all the catching up I’ve got to do!).
Lovely to have you back online again – hope all your family is well 😊
Slowly but surely, I will be caught up and in a groove again! I kind of lost my bearings a bit!!
It happens