Examining Our LIVES... as a Creative Statement

We talk a lot about "Creativity," as a "thing," as a something that stands apart from the rest of our world and what we do.

Maybe that could be held up as some kind of truth if we simply work at something — say, architecture or graphic design — and then head home from work and garden and watch TV.

Red clover in our garden

But That's Generally NOT How Things Work!

As I have aged and become more comfortable with my own creativity, I have also become more aware that a lot of artists and creatives don't treat their creative expressions as "things."

Their entire lives are the creative statement, and whatever activities they are engaged in are merely expressions of those lives. My friend Lawrence, for example, is a painter, a sculptor, a musician, a photographer, a writer and a filmmaker. All these things are merely an expression of how he lives his life.

As far as I know, Lawrence hasn't had a "job" in at least a couple of decades. He simply "gives expression" to the various creative ideas that come to him... and they are his life; his job.

For the past 10-12 years, I have been aspiring to gradually become more and more like Lawrence.

Same red clover, except "artified"

Part Of... not Separate From

Now I'm not suggesting we can simply turn our backs on the functional realities of life.

I'm just suggesting that we can use those same creative juices we use to make music, paint, sculpt or other things... to create our lives as we wish for them to be.

I think it's a relatively rare thing... perhaps because a lot of us are taught — from childhood — to put difference aspects of our lives into "neat little boxes" and then put labels on them. In doing so, we actually put barriers and limitations up in front of ourselves. Which is a shame, because it tends to stifle creativity.

With age comes wisdom? I don't know... I'm still trying to figure a lot of this stuff out, and I'll be 59 in a few weeks!

But I do know this: These days I am paying a lot more attention to using creativity to express my whole life, not just as a nifty label to put on the creative "things" I am interested in.

A bit cryptic? Maybe so... but it bears exploring, and since I didn't find the time to post a "Sunday Ramble" earlier, this will by my late night explorations, in its place!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week ahead!

(Another #creativecoin creative non-fiction post)

Is YOUR life creative? Or is creativity something you "do" or "engage in?" Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 190818 23:05 PDT
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