Doing Things You Don't Have To Do
“In my book, there’s a long list of things that I consider could come under the headline of art. It includes, of course, obvious things like symphonies and photographs and paintings, but it also includes cardigans and jewelry and makeup and tattoos and all the things that humans do that they don’t have to do.”
Brian Eno
Sometimes creativity is something you sort of have to do - when you have a problem you need to solve. That is one manifestation of being creative, when you must be resilient and reactive. Brian Eno speaks above about creativity for its own sake. This may be to express one’s self with making things that put your thoughts and emotions into a physical form. It may be to craft an object both useful and pleasant to gaze upon, or that becomes a more essential and powerful representation than words. It may be musical - if you are so gifted - to express a feeling or to create a soundscape of non verbal communication.
As an accountant type without a lot of “creative skills”, I’ve been looking for an outlet. Also, being retired, I have a lot of time! I want things to do that don’t involve screen time on my suite of Apple devices. Scrolling online is a time suck, a mental drain and a pain to my dry eyes.
I considered woodworking, and may yet find a way to engage with wood in a simple enough manner. I spent 3 to 4 years learning some guitar skills, but my fingers aren’t really up to the task. This is not to mention my complete lack of natural rhythm!
What I will try to do more of now is to draw. My wife is a professional artist, so it is a bit intimidating to draw poorly. That is a silly thought, but I am not a good beginner in general.
The other appeal of drawing is that I love pens, inks, pencils, paper and all things stationery. Drawing is right next door to a stationery hobby and writing, and many pen hobby people I see also sketch and do watercolors or similar crafts.
I also take photos, and will step up the photography. How else can I justify new cameras and phones? To draw is potentially more meditative. I like the idea of studying detail and understanding the world better. I have dabbled at drawing since childhood, so it’s time to do more that I don’t have to do!