Crafty Tuesday Creative Black Hole

I have had the good fortune over the years to take several doll making classes from Wendy Froud along with Toby and Brian on occasion. It is usually a three day course in which you create a doll under their tutelage. My first doll was a bit of a disaster but I learned. By the last time I took the course, I had both Wendy and Toby pushing me to do better because they knew I was coasting. I created one of my favorite dolls ever who I call Goat Boy.

It is three days of nothing but being creative with a group of creative people. You can get a lot done in those days because, other than meals, you have no worries but building your doll.

DragonCon is another place were I find my creative brain going into overtime. Talking to my friends and learning new things from various people at the convention gives me so many ideas for things I would like to do both building and writing.

There are a number of conventions that this happens at especially those that we consider our family conventions.

Then there is the return home and back to the day to day things that must be done and things that need to be done.

All that energy from the convention seems to fade away into the mundane of the world.

I sit down to be creative and my mind goes to all the other things I could be doing rather than this that seems self-indulgent.

I have to remind myself that my creative endeavors are as important as the rest of the things around the house. I cannot feel guilty about carving out some time for me. Creative time like Gym time is me time and that is something I need for my mental health.

The biggest obstacle is carving out the time, sitting down, and nothing happens.

Nothing. Big ol’ crickets.

And that feels horrible. I know at my core I am a very creative person.

I cannot use pressure to get me moving because I never like the results.

Nor can I give myself all the time in the world or I would get nothing done.

So I have to discover the balance that works for me.

Not that it always does. I have stared at materials knowing what I want to create and just can’t. I have to walk away before I make mistakes.

But out of the mistakes sometimes comes my best work or my worst.

Eventually the cloth has to be cut, the clay sculpted, the words written.

I just start so that I will move forward on the project.

The energy that I feel from being with other creative people fades over time and some of the ideas get shelved.

And it can be very frustrating.

But that’s creativity.

I am grateful for the support system I have that allows me to be creative.