I was talking about the idea of this with a friend lately. She asked for me to elaborate and I was forced to put into words what exactly I mean when I say I wish to “live a creative life.”
When I say I want to live a creative life, it means to me that I want the willingness to try new things. Trying new things is living creatively: For example – To wear hats, have fun parties, go to the art museum, dye your hair, bake friendship bread, try a new drink, etc. Living creatively is allowing yourself to do some of the fun things in life you want to do. Not only allowing yourself, but purposefully following through to see to it that it happens.
It also encompasses doing the normal everyday things you have to do and thinking of them in a new light…for example: how can I get some creative fulfillment out of chores, out of work hours, out of exercise or eating healthy, out of living on a budget. Changing your mindset to start seeing your whole life as an art form and to pull inspiration from everything.
My desire to make my life an art stems from my deep drive to always be creating. I’ve found that if I’m going to quench this artistic thirst as well as be a mom and a wife and a friend and a educator (and maintain the responsibilities that come with those things) I need to be able to enjoy myself. To enjoy myself, I need to make life creative. If I can live my life creatively, differently, outside of the box, then I can feel fulfilled as an artist and as a mom/wife/friend/Christ follower, etc.
This is to me the art of living creatively. Something I find myself striving for on a daily basis. My blog is the documentation of how I am doing with this pursuit.
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Sounds familiar to my journey. Excited to see you grow in this. We have to all help each other stay fresh!
I realized I was doing this the other day. Seeking creativity in the mundane. And I am taking lessons in imperfection from you. I have tons of sewing projects. Tons of them. I finally let my big girls have some to do. It was very freeing and they are having so much fun. I get to sew and they get to sew and we all are having a blast. The three younger ones create masterpieces while we do that and everything is good. Thanks for being an example.
I think creativity is also about letting the spirit flow through you to manifest beauty! Hard to define really but I believe it it usually compelling, something you don’t want to deny but often we do because we are afraid since like you say, it is often not the usual. Not necessarily about enjoyment, but enjoyable when happening. About living in the present moment itself. You are able to do that with your Monday night videos for sure, and it’s the essence of creativity.
What a great post…and now I’m thinking of how to be more creative in the mundane day-to-day things. hmmmmm….
Love this. Thanks again for elaborating.
It is so wonderful to find a website that talks about this. I have been thinking about daring to be in a creative place for months on end, but find myself stuck in the same old mundane routines..get up/go to work/come home/veg on the sofa and watch tv/go to bed/do it all over again; the proverbial rat on the wheel who is running very fast and not getting anywhere!
I have a degree in music, but haven’t seriously studied voice in years. I used to take dance class and danced on an adult competition team that won championships-but I don’t do that anymore either. Years ago, I used to be involved in musical theater-yes, that also went by the way side. I also have a passion for clothes and used to dream about being a fashion designer but can’t draw a straight line.
I just feel stuck and don’t know how to get myself out of the mire. I also feel that at age 51, life is passing me by. What I can’t figure out is this-what am I so afraid of? What would it matter if my first efforts at doing a fashion drawing were elementary at best; it’s not like the walls are going to cave in?
My husband and I have joked about temporarily discontinuing our TV service so that we will be forced to do something else, but this idea is looking better and better to me all the time…
I was intrigued by your posting about finding creativity in the mundane routines of life