Not creative enough

I seem to have pigeon-holed my creativity into one output and placed it onto a pedestal. During this unfortunate event, all my tiny creative activities are easily diminished as ‘not creative enough’ and, even worse, ‘not creative.’ I have stints of no creativity, and I can lament over this period of wasted time. (It isn’t wasted? Well, that’s a topic for another day.)

The biggest problem with this mindset, is it makes it all too easy to label certain periods of time as times with no creativity; it annihilates and undervalues all the little creative things I do day to day.

In order to contest this, I have made a point of writing a mental note of creative pursuits. The more I add to my list, the better. The smallest, tiniest thing that is creative, I jot it down. Because humans are creative beings and I do think that reiterating that can only help harness more creativity.

'Collecting' patterned tiles

I’ve spoken before about collecting, being a collector. On the move and with minimal space, it’s easiest to collect photos. (That’s an excuse though, I think I’d always be collecting photos no matter the size of my abode.)

I am by no means a photographer, and most of my photos will not be seen by anyone except me. But the experience of photographing nooks and patterns, capturing fragments of memories, is what interests me. I set themes, (consciously or unconsciously) and snap away, delighting in similarities and differences.

Naturally, being in Portugal, the tiles were shouting at me from almost every building. (I challenge anyone to visit Portugal and not take a photo of some tiles.) Days when i’m feeling uninspired to draw, when I have low energy, I’m still creating in my own way, readying for that creation to turn to paper one day. Therefore, collecting, has been added to my list of creative pursuits.

Handwritten signs - another thing I'm always collecting photos of

Wild swimming has become a type of collection too, I collect places to swim in. Research them avidly, maps full of pinpoints, and swim there. There’s categories I could put them into; fresh water, salt water, loch or river. I could add seasons or weathers. I’ve decided to think of wild swimming as creativity. And it feels like a natural decision. To me, wild swimming feels brave and freeing. (Or maybe, the colder it is, the braver it feels.) It’s a combination of collecting, collaborating with nature, and letting go. And that’s how creativity feels.

In addition, I always feel so good after a wild swim; rejuvenated, confident, powerful.

Wild swims

I often search for colours and create colour palettes when I’m out. Naturally occurring or human-made, it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s admiring peeling paint on a drain or admiring flowers. My favourite place to do this is at the beach. I find so much joy in arranging seagrass, shells, pottery or stones, in a way that pleases me. Sometime it’s about the shapes, sometimes it’s finding colour pallets, sometimes it’s how I arrange them, leaving beach art behind. There’s no doubt this is a creative pursuit. So, beach combing is added to my list.

Seaglass beach art left behind, and a collection of found pottery

The more I add to this list, the easier it feels to add to it. And the longer it gets, I realise that most things in life are creative. Creativity is a mindset, I think. So, below I’ve shared my list of non creative, creative pursuits. Is there anything you’d add? Or maybe something you’d take off?!

My list of creative pursues (is list writing a form of collecting ergo a creative pursuit?)

1. Collecting photos

2. Wild swimming

3. Beach combing

4. Cooking and baking

5. Outfits

6. Decorating space; laying the table or a picnic arrangement

7. Walking

8. Tending to plants

9. Painting my nails

10. List writing