creativity

(Photo credit)

I've been thinking a lot about creativity lately. And when I say lately, I mean in the last few years. And not just because I have a creative (most of the time) profession (acting). I came out of the womb wanting to make things. I have the clearest memory of being a kid and wanting--desperately--construction paper, scissors, tape, markers, crayons, glue--and everybody to leave me alone-- and I would lose myself for hours and hours and hours making something--anything--a thousand of them! As I got older, I stumbled rather randomly into acting but I always kept the other things up: I got my minor in oil painting, I learned to sew, I took a metals class, ceramics classes, etc, etc.

I've talked a little bit about my struggling emotions about the actual "business" part of what I do, my profound distaste for "proving myself", the political nature of what opportunities do and do not come one's way, the utterly appalling nature of judging and critiquing what was an artistic adventure causing us all to fret about people "liking" what we do--no one likes any of that stuff, I know I'm not original here. But despite all that universally yucky stuff, I do have a deep, profound respect for the act of making something. In any form. There are amazing actors in this play and every night (and twice on Wednesdays and Saturdays!) I get to watch human beings in the act of creating. That is a dramatic statement about what is a silly play, granted, but there is beautiful, real-time artistry going on up there. And I was telling my husband the other day that even though I do have career ambitions, with acting, writing, and my art, there is a deeply imbedded engine in me that is apparently unstoppable and propels me into my various creative processes over and over. Whether I like it or not, and whether I particularly want to or not, here I am doing it again. I'm terribly grateful for it. Terribly. Another dramatic statement: I think it's why I'm alive.

I got to thinking about it a lot because I did an interview in which we touched on this topic briefly (it's here and you'll forgive my unnecessary honesty in parts, I'm relatively new to this stuff and I also can't help myself) but then I remembered a talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (who wrote Eat, Pray, Love) on TED (one of my new favorite things) sent to me by a friend a while back. I remembered that it was on creativity and that I had been meaning to watch it and kept forgetting. I watched it today and if this is a topic that interests you, I highly recommend it (it's here). I found it very moving and it re-oriented my focus to a much more helpful perspective. It's 20 minutes or so and very worth the time if you are someone who is in any way engaged in the creative process. 

OK! Enough of all this serious talky stuff! I need to go pick out a cute outfit and then I'm off to the theater to make some more stuff! 

Comments

[Patty]

That's a very interesting post, I think we'd all be a bit crazy if we didn't have creativity ;) thanks for posting!

[Louisa]

Oh, oh, oh! I feel compelled to write again. I stumbled across TED and that very talk last week. It's been buzzing around my head. I too cannot rest until I have several projects on the go at once, which means I cannot rest because I'm always busy trying to finish things. (I like the idea of having a guide who you can blame/thank for colluding with in the process) I realise that you do not need praise for what you do but you have an admirer over in the UK. I love, love, love your illustrative work (sigh if only I could draw) your sense of style and general cleverness.
Thanks for your insights.

[mary catherine garrison]

thats so very kind of you louisa--thank you for the love (never enough of it!!) and i love knowing i have a kindred soul a continent away who is terminally inspired, busy and creative :)

[mary catherine garrison]

i'm so thrilled you enjoyed it patty! thanks for commenting... :)