Being a writer consists of being creative.. constantly. Sometimes I even forget that I’m also a creative outside of writing.
Lately, I’ve been trying to honor creation without tying it to productivity. I picked up sculpting again, simply to make. In true type B fashion, I rarely put my materials away right after I’m done. They linger on the table, half-finished, slightly messy. But because they remain there, I naturally come back to them. After a week of this strong pull back to sculpting, I found that the desire to create wasn’t necessarily intrinsic, but because it was in my line of vision. Access. My type B behavior gave my creativity accessibility. And with that access, came creation.
Like a bowl of fruit on the counter or a piece of chocolate in a jar- we choose convenience. A simple, but forgotten way to enrich life- add more of what you wish to see. With our phones being the closest to us at all times, it’s important to make real life as reachable as we can.
I’ve found this ideology (especially in regard to phone usage), to be true since I’m a proud Kindle mom. In moments where I would normally grab my phone, I now find myself reading instead. Not through discipline, but because it’s within arm’s reach. So maybe it’s less about dedication and more about ease.
What we see, we return to time and time again. And what we return to, we become. And for that reason, maybe we need to make life messy again so that we come back to what is real. So here’s to leaning into the unaesthetic life where drawings aren’t hidden in folders, but on display to see. Handmade paintings hung up proudly on the walls. Books placed next to the bed rather than on an unacknowledged shelf. Yoga mat in sight, asking to be used.
I don’t want a life that looks untouched and off-white. I want one that feels lived in- enriched with color and sensation. One full of finger paintings and flour dusted on aprons. Life that’s tangible and experienced. One that keeps me craving creation.
I hope your life is full & rich & painted all the colors you wish to be,
Gab
Beautifully written