I was a very creative child. I love to dance, I kind of dance on the subway and people look at me and smile. Whenever I listen to music, images of dancers fill my mind and I cannot help but move. I used to love to write poetry and write.
Those are the ones that have stood out to me.
And oh, singing has been a part of my life. Which is essential.
So where did I go wrong? I think I grew up and thought that being grounded, reasonable, rational, and practical was important. Time was important and studying, moving towards having a good portfolio and resume was important. And those activities went on the wayside.
But I have been making a constant effort to go against this tide pushing the creativity away. I have written about coloring and I’ve delved back into watercolor (my favorite medium of art – and the use of salt still fills me with wonder and joy). I want to open up this part of my mind that people told me wasn’t practical and let it forth.
Because when I was being creative the whole attitude was different. Making mistakes was not only important but essential. Mistakes were what helped you learn. They weren’t the be all end all, they weren’t looked down upon. They were part of the process.
You’d make something that wasn’t great, definitely not perfect, and that was okay. It was part of a growing fluid evolution. And that’s what it was seen as, not a blemish.
So it’s more than the actual production of art via coloring, watercolor, clay, dance, and song. It’s more than the actual goal of work, it’s about the journey to get there, the learning process.
It’s the appreciation of the process of production.
And I could use some more appreciation.