musings on creativity

Yesterday I took a little time to simply be creative, without a particular plan or finished design in mind. This pendant was the result.

Much like the idea Elizabeth Gilbert explores in her book Big Magic, I decided to set the stage for creativity and see what showed up.

I recently listened to her talk about the importance of welcoming creativity into our lives. One of my favorite ideas is that creativity is almost like a little house elf, bopping around looking for somewhere it will be welcomed and honored.

Creativity has always been part of our family life. We’re a family of makers, creatives, and people who enjoy exploring ideas and trying new things. People often say, “It must be in your genes,” but I think that isn’t all there is to it . Practise is everything of course and I also love the idea that creativity thrives in our family because we’ve always made room for it. It’s something we’ve welcomed, encouraged, and shared with one another.

I believe everyone has creative potential. Sometimes all it needs is the time, space, and freedom to flourish.

I tend to have quite a collection of unfinished projects around my bench. Little experiments, components, and ideas waiting for their moment. A few weeks ago, I hand engraved this landscape of the sun rising over ferns and a butterfly, without any particular plan for what it would become.

Yesterday, I gathered a few of those unfinished pieces and started putting things together. The moonstone has a fantastic glow, and the little engraved scene found its place in a design I hadn’t anticipated.

One of the more difficult things to explain about being an artist is that I prefer to allow myself to channel the creative universe , only remaining looselyin charge of what I’m creating. Years of learning techniques and developing skills give me the ability to embrace making, but the creative process itself is different. One decision leads to another, and sometimes the finished piece surprises even me.

Skill develops through practice, but creativity needs room to explore.

Perhaps instead of asking whether someone was born creative, we should be asking whether they’ve been given the opportunity to discover what they can create.

Enjoy exploring and thanks for joining in reading this and have an inspired day _ Kat

#BeDistinctivewithModernHeirloom