Random Acts of Creativity

I like to work with my hands. I sew, paint, draw, and cook. I like to make things. I get antsy if I go too long without finding time to do it. I can feel some people nodding as this read this and thinking: “Aha! Stress management!” And yes, there is an element of stress relief to some of my activities; I cook and clean when under stress. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the joy of creativity, the fun and pleasure of working with your hands -- of making something beautiful or useful, or both. As a writer, a lot of my work is creative. But I find that being creative outside of work is important, too. When I was in school, we were taught the fundamentals of drawing, painting, and sculpting, as well as art history. The question of talent didn’t arise. Talent would emerge, and if it didn’t, at least technique would be acquired. I am still profoundly grateful for that education, even though I didn’t become a painter or sculptor. It’s distressing that these days so few people seem comfortable expressing themselves creatively. I find few people who paint, sew, sculpt, or even cook on a regular basis. More disturbing is that many young people are not taught how to work with their hands anymore. They receive no instruction in the arts at school, nor are they taught the simplest household arts – never mind the more elaborate and artistic ones that can transform domestic chores into a somewhat creative and pleasurable endeavor. It’s a shame. Creative people add pleasure to their lives and those of others on a daily basis. The most common excuse is that no one has any time any more. I find that strange. Some of the busiest people I know are also the most creative. They find that working with their hands – cooking, painting, or gardening -- refreshes and inspires them. I have a friend who is art director for a British decorating magazine. She re-covers her metal lampshade frames with beautiful paper every few months. She just cuts and folds it to fit so she can change it easily when she tires of it. I know another woman, a well-know financial reporter, who lines walls of her beautiful house her with own dramatic oil paintings. Her house is stunning and it is wonderful to see her surrounded by her own work. Another one of my friends, a former fashion editor, makes the most beautiful and original cushions for her home out of bits of needlepoint – which she designs and executes – and bits of rescued antique textiles. Yet another friend has a knack for arranging bookshelves. She groups quirky objects together in attractive ways and stacks the books off kilter. The end result is so charming that others beg her to come and “do” their shelves. What they all have in common is they have found ways to practice what I like to call “random acts of creativity”. I loved the concept of random acts of kindness – so why not extend it to creativity? Just go for it. Paint something, make a cushion or a collage, string some beads. If you are uninspired consider a class – learn to paint, make a lampshade -- or bind a book. There’s an article in this week’s New York Times Magazine about new director Sophia Coppola’s creative network. In it, her friend, Zoe Cassavetes, remembers her father, the great director and actor John Cassavetes, telling her to “Try to do one creative thing every day. Whatever it is.” Good advice.

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