Creativity
The other day I was wondering around The Hague and I came upon a little craft store. I happily went inside and explored the store to see what they had. I didn't plan on buying anything, and I didn't buy anything, but just to be able to walk around and see what materials I had the potential to be able to get, and think about what I could make with those materials was all I needed for contentment in that moment.
I tend to be a fairly creative person, but as art, whether visual or performance, isn't one of my main defining characteristics, I sometimes forget how much I love creating. When I was young, I went to Waldorf/Steiner schools, and so I had all kinds of creating and performing built into my daily schedule. When I got to middle school, I went to a performing arts school, and had from 2-4 hours of art every day. I always had band and choir, for two years I had acting, and I also had piano 3-4 times a week throughout that whole time. In high school I focused myself and only had band, but that included marching band, concert band, indoor drumline.... I spent many many hours on band, especially when marching season consisted of 11-14 hours of practice each week not including games and competitions and the occasional extra outside practice.
And then, I graduated high school. I spent a year in panama, I played no instruments during this time, nor was I doing much of any type of art. And then, NCF. Since I started at New College, I have also not played my trumpet nor anything else. I did perform in Antigone this past semester as one of the chorus members (we didn't sing), but that's the only performing I've done since high school. What I have gotten really into is musicology. I love learning about the history and cultural influences and societal ideas that revolve around music. Because when it comes down to it, music is my main art. That's the one I love the most. And I guess I've also really gotten into learning about the industry surrounding music, particularly when it comes to festivals. I've worked Bonnaroo 3 times, Okeechobee 2 times, and the Bradenton Blues Festival for the afternoon. Of course, I also love going and experiencing the festival, but being behind the scenes can be almost just as fun to do sometimes.
Where does this leave me? I have become more a part of the educational and technical parts about art, at least when it comes to music, and so sometimes I just don't spend much time thinking about making it. Even designing and creating earrings is another form of art that I really enjoy (especially the design!) but often just don't have the time to be able to do. And I miss that. But I think I've been realizing it when I'm missing it, because I end up being in a situation where I'm drawing, or making a video, or being around people creating music, and I really enjoy helping their process or doing small things of my own.
And so, that's why I enjoying meandering around the craft store, thinking about all the things that can be created, or why I so enjoyed spending time with musicians at festivals this summer, and why I've been looking at writing as another source of creating art. Even though what I do isn't creative writing, I still enjoy it a lot, spinning out my thoughts in a way that seems to make sense (at least to me) and that comes together as a little piece of something that has some kind of meaning to it, or in some way describes something that I wanted to tell.
When it comes to the future, I feel like I've found a career that includes the perfect amount of creativity. I've always thought that a creative career as an artist of some type would have too much pressure (auditions are literally the worst thing ever) and as much as I enjoy it, I never wanted to make performing my entire life. But when it comes to being a librarian in a public library, there are bulletin boards and flyers and fun events with crafts or workshops or really anything you could potentially think of. But also there's community interaction and service and some research but also a consistent rhythm to when you're sorting books or checking things in... librarians and libraries have so much potential and so many things you can be doing, and I really like that a lot. Especially when you can do fun things that also help the people in your community.
Here's what I think. If you're a creative person, don't stop being creative. Find a way to be creative even if your career isn't a specifically creative career, or find a hobby that fulfills that creative itch. There's something magical about bringing something into existence, whatever it may be, and I think that occasionally making some magic is a good way of taking care of yourself.
-S
I tend to be a fairly creative person, but as art, whether visual or performance, isn't one of my main defining characteristics, I sometimes forget how much I love creating. When I was young, I went to Waldorf/Steiner schools, and so I had all kinds of creating and performing built into my daily schedule. When I got to middle school, I went to a performing arts school, and had from 2-4 hours of art every day. I always had band and choir, for two years I had acting, and I also had piano 3-4 times a week throughout that whole time. In high school I focused myself and only had band, but that included marching band, concert band, indoor drumline.... I spent many many hours on band, especially when marching season consisted of 11-14 hours of practice each week not including games and competitions and the occasional extra outside practice.
And then, I graduated high school. I spent a year in panama, I played no instruments during this time, nor was I doing much of any type of art. And then, NCF. Since I started at New College, I have also not played my trumpet nor anything else. I did perform in Antigone this past semester as one of the chorus members (we didn't sing), but that's the only performing I've done since high school. What I have gotten really into is musicology. I love learning about the history and cultural influences and societal ideas that revolve around music. Because when it comes down to it, music is my main art. That's the one I love the most. And I guess I've also really gotten into learning about the industry surrounding music, particularly when it comes to festivals. I've worked Bonnaroo 3 times, Okeechobee 2 times, and the Bradenton Blues Festival for the afternoon. Of course, I also love going and experiencing the festival, but being behind the scenes can be almost just as fun to do sometimes.
Where does this leave me? I have become more a part of the educational and technical parts about art, at least when it comes to music, and so sometimes I just don't spend much time thinking about making it. Even designing and creating earrings is another form of art that I really enjoy (especially the design!) but often just don't have the time to be able to do. And I miss that. But I think I've been realizing it when I'm missing it, because I end up being in a situation where I'm drawing, or making a video, or being around people creating music, and I really enjoy helping their process or doing small things of my own.
And so, that's why I enjoying meandering around the craft store, thinking about all the things that can be created, or why I so enjoyed spending time with musicians at festivals this summer, and why I've been looking at writing as another source of creating art. Even though what I do isn't creative writing, I still enjoy it a lot, spinning out my thoughts in a way that seems to make sense (at least to me) and that comes together as a little piece of something that has some kind of meaning to it, or in some way describes something that I wanted to tell.
When it comes to the future, I feel like I've found a career that includes the perfect amount of creativity. I've always thought that a creative career as an artist of some type would have too much pressure (auditions are literally the worst thing ever) and as much as I enjoy it, I never wanted to make performing my entire life. But when it comes to being a librarian in a public library, there are bulletin boards and flyers and fun events with crafts or workshops or really anything you could potentially think of. But also there's community interaction and service and some research but also a consistent rhythm to when you're sorting books or checking things in... librarians and libraries have so much potential and so many things you can be doing, and I really like that a lot. Especially when you can do fun things that also help the people in your community.
Here's what I think. If you're a creative person, don't stop being creative. Find a way to be creative even if your career isn't a specifically creative career, or find a hobby that fulfills that creative itch. There's something magical about bringing something into existence, whatever it may be, and I think that occasionally making some magic is a good way of taking care of yourself.
-S
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