Creativity and Playing

366 Days of Creativity Week 19 in Review: May 6th-12th & Days 127-133

​Okay, how to make re-writing this blog post that I accidentally deleted when trying to change the font size fun? Please leave comments and let me know :)

But I will go with the flow, and here we go!

I have been inspired by a woman who works at a local yarn store.

I like to knit.
I do not like to choose yarn for my knitting patterns because there are way too many options.
I get decision fatigue.
That's a real thing. 
So after the inspiring woman showed me some yarn options that would work with my patterns, she added that she likes helping pick out colors that go together and would be happy to help.
Day made.
Yes please.
And watching her pick out five colors for this one pattern changed my whole attitude about picking out yarn. 
Why? 
Because she made it fun.
She pulled some colors down and started placing them next to each other.
She told me this wasn't her final selection, she was just seeing how they went together.
​Then she switched and replaced and experimented and PLAYED!
She didn't stand paralyzed in front of all the choices like I do. 
She got in there and went for it and had a good time and a smile on her face.
And it was contagious. 
I started experimenting and wanted to try out a certain color.
We played together and put some yarn back and tried out different combos.
And finally we landed on one I didn't expect as had originally put that color back.
But it worked, and it was fun.

​And that's what I learned about creativity this week.
You have to get in there and have fun and go with the flow. 
And if the waves are crashing hard on you, or if there are no waves, then go lie on the beach for a while in the sun. The Vitamin D will help you feel better.
But stay nearby, be ready, don't throw in the towel and give up and go home, no matter how much you want to, and I have wanted to this week.
You never know when things can change.
​And all you can do is try and make what you have fun and go with the flow. 

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Day 127:
"Her best advice for aspiring artists is to simply paint often and not fear mistakes. Mistakes in painting, especially in oils and acrylics, can often be cultivated into something beautiful in the end. Discipline and perseverance are key!"
​-From Erin Fitzhugh Gregory's bio on her website

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Day 128:
"Painting is a metaphor for life- that's why we love it, it really shows us so much. And it's a meditative practice, it quiets our mind."
​-Alena Hennessy

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Day 129:
"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
​-Pablo Picasso

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Day 130:
"Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose."
​-Paul Gardner

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Day 131: 
"1. Move with the flow of life, not against it. 2. Be honest about your strengths and expand on them. 3. Dreams don't have to die, but they do sometimes have to change. Embrace it. 4. Success is a process, not an event or a state of being."
​-Emma Hudson

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Day 132:
"Creativity presupposes a community of people who share ways of thinking and acting, who learn from each other and imitate each other's actions."
​-Mihaly Csikszentminhalyi

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Day 133:
“We can learn to surf from a good teacher, we can choose when to go to the beach, we can pay attention to the wind and the weather and find out the best surfboards to use and the right clothing to wear - but in the end, we must ride the waves as they come.
We can't control the waves.
Our creative process is similar. We can learn many new things, experiment with techiniques, study beautiful art, and purchase incredible materials. Then we must relax and let the ideas come. Allow our creative energy to flow. It is there. It was there when you were born, when you were a child, and it is still there. You just need to give it room to come rushing in.”
​–Stephanie Levy

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