A Treasury of Creativity

This week we are discussing how the ongoing pandemic has affected our creativity.

Right before the pandemic hit I wasn’t doing much of anything in terms of creativity in any form. I was still coming up with ideas for stories but I wasn’t able to write them more than a few chapters before I would find myself written into a hole with no clear way to climb out of it. I simply went to work then came home to do all the things that needed done at home. When the pandemic hit and I had to stay home that changed a lot of things for me and my family. All of a sudden I had the time and the energy to do things I had been putting off. I began to improve on things around the house. I redecorated my kids’ bedrooms. I purchased and built new bookshelves so that all of our books could finally be pulled out of the moving boxes that many of them had been in for years since we had no place to put them. I purchased more shelves and built them to turn a wall in my kitchen into a pantry. I began to make jewelry and t-shirts. I still wasn’t writing though.

Now that we are two years into this thing I have realized that I have changed drastically. Before the pandemic hit, many of my nights were filled with movies and television since I was wiped out from long active work days (through my entire shift at my old job I would be walking up and down stairs; it was great exercise but it did tire me out). Now, I work from home so I have more time for my family and myself. With that time and energy that I have I discovered a part of me that had gone dormant before.

I found myself sewing. I have made a few quilts. I have made some stuffed animals. I have started refashioning old clothes. Taking clothes that the family was “bored” with or hand-me-downs and giving it new life. I actually have a pair of jeans that are about to get some beautiful lace cuffs. I jean vest that is waiting on the table to be painted, as well as several other projects just waiting to be started. I used my cricut machine to design shirts for my family.

I started making jewelry. Typically, these get used as quiet seat prizes for our church’s Junior Church Class. The little girls love the bracelets. Earrings and necklaces are fun to make as well. I enjoy making a trip to the city to stop at the craft store to see what cute charms they might have.

This past summer I started painting. It was something that I had always wanted to do but never thought I would be able to do so. I would often watch Bob Ross paint because watching him paint was relaxing but I never thought I would be able to follow along. Then one day I came across a tutorial where the teacher, Nicole was so hilarious. She made it look so easy and all through her tutorials she’s saying things like “You do what makes your heart happy.” or “It’s your world” So I ran to the store and purchased some basic supplies. Next thing I know my kids wanted to paint with me. Family nights turned into paint nights. Our house began to fill up with art. There are canvases, paints, paint cups,and brushes throughout the house now. The kids don’t paint as often as I do but they still enjoy it. Sometimes we paint whatever pops into our heads, sometimes we’ll grab a picture and try to copy it, other times we follow along to a tutorial. There are a lot of techniques that are being learned but it is SO much fun!

Finally, I am writing again and ENJOYING it! I can’t write on my computer as that gives me a headache but I have notebooks that are slowly getting filled up with stories. It is taking me longer to write since I am writing in notebooks instead of typing it but I am writing. I can spend hours at the table with the words just flowing out of the pen. That hasn’t happened for me for a long time.

I think when this pandemic hit it forced me to change the way I was living. The way I was living had drained all my creativity from me. Now, that my lifestyle has changed it is as if I stumbled across an active filled with treasures to be discovered. I am loving it. Have you discovered a new creative outlet recently?

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