CREATIVITY

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS
As Christmas is nearly upon us I imagine most of us at some point have considered making our own personalised cards to send family and friends. What puts us off doing this? I know I used to do it every year trying to come up with original ideas to make the recipient laugh. The timing is important when being creative though and taking on artistic craft work at Christmas is probably the last thing you would consider doing in between shopping, baking and putting up the decorations. These are all artistic pursuits though and wrapping presents and decorating the tree can be very rewarding tasks in themselves. I use Christmas as an example but there are loads of other artistic things that we could be doing in the winter months to fill the time creatively. One of the hardest things to do is to start. Taking the time and space to be creative and accepting the fact that along the way you will probably create some utter rubbish (I speak for myself here!) is the place to start. Enjoying the process is as much part of the fun as the having an end result. I think we can learn a lot from children here. The schools have been doing knitting and my lad has been making all sorts of coasters, neck-warmers and finger warmers (?) complete with dropped stitches, knots and wonky lines and is very proud of himself. We learn as we go along and after all who is judging?

PERFECTION
Many of us are inhibited by the fear of doing something that isn't perfect. An art teacher I had at school wouldn't allow rubbers into the classroom. He said that if you do something you are not happy with then draw over it or paint it out. The essence of the creative process is creating problems and then trying to find solutions. In this way art imitates life. The teacher used to have a wall where we could use up all of our spare paint to create a picture that changed daily. His views were a bit radical for the time (he made learning fun) and he ended up being forced out of the education system. He became a very successful and well renowned abstract artist. The education system seems to place reading, writing and arithmetic ahead of creative skills, which is a pity. As a result, when children reach the ages of about ten, their artistic skills may not have developed or matured. They perceive their drawings as childish and then adopt an attitude of "I can't draw". At home, like at school, it can be difficult to promote artistic aptitude, especially when you do not have a spare room dedicated to throwing paint around.

FLOW ACTIVITIES
Flow activities are very important for a healthy state of mind. A flow activity is defined by author, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, as being an activity in where we lose ourselves in time. We experience pleasure when we do things. Dancing, singing, playing, gardening, cooking (and eating!), religious ritual, being engrossed in a book or watching an interesting film. These are all on par with art when it comes to immersing ourselves, and losing ourselves in time. Many flow activities can be done as a group, singing dancing, acting or sport for example. Other pursuits such as writing, painting or reading are prime examples of pursuits that require a bit of solitude and this is where a room set aside for these pastimes is very important. Be it at home or at school.

Most of us think that we are too busy to be creative. You may, like me, think that your day is chock a block with stuff that’s really important and urgent! It is possible for everyone to get involved in a creative activity for at least a few hours a week. One of the enemies of creativity is passive leisure, such as watching television. I know myself that after a really busy day doing my very important work(?!) I like to sit down and watch the box. The TV is the most time-consuming leisure activity in the modern world, providing little stimulation, enjoyment or effort. That is why we drift off when watching the telly. It doesn't stimulate the grey matter. What will stimulate the brain is going to classes around the peninsula with like-minded people to indulge yourself in artistic pursuits. If that doesn't appeal to you then simply set yourself some time to energise yourself with some inspiring music, meditation or play activities with the kids. The challenge, as I mentioned earlier is to get started!

It's quite common to have a resistance to trying new things and as a member of a family unit this resistance could be an underlying feeling of guilt. The feeling that you are neglecting other family members is a regular excuse for not pursuing our own interests. I'm sure you will agree though it would be better for you to get out and indulge yourself in something engrossing and rewarding because ultimately you will be a more contented person and more responsive to the family.

There is a deep need within everyone to create and experience the process of putting things together, be it food, words, pictures flowers or music.

THE BENEFITS OF CREATIVITY

You get the satisfaction of making something that has lasting value.

You may feel a high similar to the ones that athletes feel when they achieve their personal best.

Your stress levels may decrease. It has been found that people who participate in creative activities feel happier, stronger, more in control and less tense.

You may feel more motivated in other areas of your life.

You may discover the therapeutic value of creativity

AND REMEMBER

Don't worry about being good at what you do; rather be aware of your level of enjoyment and allow yourself to make mistakes!