A wild mind and a disciplined eye

The title of this post is the definition that poet Dorothy Parker appointed to the phenomenon of ‘creativity’. I think that she managed to wonderfully underpin something that manifests itself in so many extraordinarily diverse ways. Creativity truly knows no bounds, it isn’t exclusive to any particular field, age, IQ, gender or race. Anyone and everyone can be creative, it’s just up to you to find your medium. This could be anything from a guitar and plectrum, to a canvas and paints, or perhaps even the want and means to solve some of life’s unresolved conundrums. Regardless of your chosen creative outlet, I think it’s essential that you enjoy whatever you pursue!

I’ve always found myself to be quite a creative soul, continually searching for new ways to satisfy my desire to use my imagination and think outside the box. At school in particular, I remember viewing every new assignment as a challenge to outperform myself creatively, and produce something more innovative than I had done before. And despite things not always going to plan (aka the expectation vs reality scenario), it made my favourite subjects more enjoyable and those I was less fond of, a little more palatable! Also, being creative at both school and university, made the process of learning and retaining information far easier for me. You see, it turns out my brain is particularly receptive to key pieces of information in song form, rather than directly from a textbook. And although my songs, filled with researchers names and findings from important studies, are yet to be chart toppers, they’ve really made me appreciate how helpful creativity can be in life.

In light of the value that I place on creativity, it was inevitable that during a global pandemic I would find myself turning to it once again. However this time I, like many others, have been getting creative to incite a sense of escapism. And let’s be honest we could all do with a bit of that right now. When I was searching for something to do, I thought back to things I enjoyed when I was younger, and for me, moulding things from clay stood out. So I got myself a block of the air dry variety, and have been making trinket dishes and various other decorations since. It’s something that has brought me much joy, especially as I’ve been able to gift my creations to friends and hopefully lift their spirits too! Getting creative can really boost your mental wellbeing, so if you have some time on your hands, what are you waiting for? Go and rekindle your love for an old hobby or try something completely new, and whatever you do, make sure to put your wild mind and disciplined eye to good use!

I hope you enjoyed this post and feel a little bit inspired to get creative.

Bel xx