Hi, it’s Aliza here this
week to talk a little bit about creativity; that spark, that drive, that mojo
that gets us writing and clicking and scrapbooking. Sometimes, the ideas and the
creations are just pouring out, and projects get accomplished like lighting;
Zam! Boom! Pow! Done and done. And sometimes it’s like running a marathon... actually I have no idea what that’s like. So let’s say it’s like folding laundry; it can be tedious, but it gets done by folding one piece of clothing at a time, slowly but surely.
There is creativity around us all the time in many different forms; Children playing, books we are reading, music in the background, and even in the technological products that we use every day.
Look Around
I love capturing those bits of creativity around me in my photos and scrapbook pages, and I guess I have for a while, since some of these pages are quite old.
There are artists all around you. Some people create things that become part of our collective conscience, which is what I found so moving about visiting the home where a kid grew up, and had an idea for a comic book character that he called Superman.
Some artists make creations that bring people joy for just a short while. This guy didn't create anything that changed the world, but he worked hard, he had a vision, and he brought some smiles to people around him on the streets of New York City. The power to move people in that way...well, I call that art.
You Don't Have to Look Far
If you have kids, then you don't have to look far for people who spend their time creating. Some will do it with paint and glue, some with legos or blocks, and some with dolls, action figures, or just nothing but their own body pretending to be someone else. But no matter how they do it, so much of a young child's life is spent in creative endeavors.
Here's my own little super hero creator:
Though mostly he told stories with action figures.
Francine has several layouts that capture her son involved in some beautiful, messy, artwork:
Amy also has a layout about her daughter's love of art, and it tells the story behind this particular creation.
Capture the Aftermath
Sometimes it can be difficult to catch your child in the act of creating. Some of them move fast, and, can you believe it? Some of them don't want to be followed around by a camera?! Luckily, they often leave the remains of their play all over the place, long after they are done.
So, look around. What art, big and small, moves you? Take a moment to capture it in a picture, a layout, or in your Project Life pages. Take a look through your scrapbooks, and maybe you'll see that you've been capturing it all along.
