Take Time for Things You Enjoy
Hello friends,
Yesterday I watched this video by the artist Danny Gregory: How to do what you love — advice for creatives. And it echoes something I have been thinking about a lot lately. That what we love doing as adults is often something we could spend hours and hours doing when we were 6-8-10 years old.
I have been thinking about this because of the sketchbook course I am taking part in at the moment. Little Carina spent countless hours drawing. Or making things from Fimo. Or making figures from plasticine. They were not tiny figures, they needed an armature to keep them from collapsing!
In my twenties I didn’t do much creative stuff, although I still thought of myself as someone who was creative. A creative person who didn’t do much creating. I think I had this idea that I had to do Proper Paintings with acrylic or oil paint on canvas to be a Proper Creative Person.
That’s not true of course. I just wish I’d realised that much sooner. I spent so much time not doing creative things because I thought creativity looked a particular way.
Thank goodness I discovered sketching as an art form, as something worth doing for itself, not as a poor cousin of Proper Art.
And embroidery of course. I think drawing/sketching and embroidery have a lot in common. They are quiet acts of creativity and they are very personal. Both in the expression of the person doing them but also since the physical act of doing them is holding a sketchbook or a hoop close to you. It is in your personal space. You can share what you are making or you can keep close and private.
I don’t know if that makes sense..?
I never did any embroidery as a little one, but lots of drawing. Lots and lots. I am really happy that I am giving it some proper attention and focus. It is making me very happy.
I hope you have a hobby or activity that connects to the little version of you. If you don’t, maybe have a go at finding it? I can almost guarantee that it will bring more happy to your life. :-)
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
x Carina
Some Things I Enjoyed This Week
A little while ago I was feeling so very homesick for Denmark (19 months and counting since I was last there) so I asked one of my dearest friends if she would send me some pictures of Random Danish Things. And she came through big time! Pictures of street signs, shop windows, bus stops and bicycle parking. It made me nostalgic and happy at the same time. :-)
This week we started watching the Ted Lasso series. It is so good! Feel good telly. Watch it if you can.
And Ghosts is back on BBC for series 3, also very good.