The 9 Greek Muses

When I'm not writing, I'm usually in a reading mode, but since I really don't like nor can I sit for extended periods of time, I augment my creative juices by dancing, baking from scratch or changing the color of my nails, on a daily basis. I may also on a whim make alterations on my clothes such as running out and buying vintage glass buttons at Joann's and replacing them in all of my sweaters. I've also been known to repaint a room in my home again or refinish a piece of furniture. 

Creativity has been a dominant force in my life. Before I started school, make-believe, dress-up and staging shows such as putting on a mock wedding with my father was my playtime. Later, it was painting and puzzles. As an adolescent bursting with angst, I wrote poetry and etched charcoals. By the time I was a teen, it was dance and I would change the furniture around in my parents home every few weeks. Normally I would do this when alone and surprise my family when they got home. My mother being a creative woman and possessing more talents than I, sanctioned my need for change with a smile. My father, somewhat indifferent would not be pleased that his chair was not in easy reach to the phone. My brother who was a year older than me, seemed to bark at everything I did, demanded to know why the sofa was not in front of the television set.

I love painting and creating unique things based on my love of color, design, interiors and mundane objects. This urge to express myself gives me a sense of arriving at the end of my artistic process with a work that engenders a great vibe or visual experience, so much so that the method, materials, or explanation of how I got there seem unimportant. One reason that I can't pin point it (nor do I want to) is this reckless creative drive is inspired by everything around me; my love of the Creator, nature, books, travel, different cultures, interior magazines, fashion design, and especially color!

What does this all mean? It means when you're brewing about to write something and you don't know what it is, you need to break away from monotony. I urge my students when they get stuck in their writing to dodge their computers, it's not likely to lead to much debauchery. By singing a song or taking a walk, they can get back to their feeling natures. By exploring new and different, worries drop which allows to start trusting the ideas that come to them. Creativity is not something that already exists, we need to find out how to bring it into being... and that requires a child's spirit, and at the same time allowing yourself to be a playmate with God.

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?”

–Benjamin Franklin