Take Time to Get Creative!

Summer is coming to an end, the houseguests are gone and soon the kids will be back at school. It’s fitting then that the focus for so much of August in Simple Abundance has been on creativity. What better time than September to take on new projects?

I read “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin over the summer (highly recommend it, by the way) and came to the conclusion that I definitely need to spend time in creative pursuits if I’m to be really happy. “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron has also been recommended to me. And the idea of creative living is discussed throughout August – a sense of creativity that runs through various parts of our lives. I like the sound of that … but how to make it happen?

As much as I wish I was, I’m not a painter or drawer. Everything comes out looking like stick-people. And I think I’d die of fright if I ever tried to act on a stage. I like to read and I especially like to read fiction, and I think that would qualify as creative living, even if it’s just me benefiting from someone else’s creativity. The same goes for movies, I suppose. In fact, Sarah recommends reading poetry to help lead you to your more creative self – worth a try.

And music can do the trick – I’ve recently enjoyed learning a bit about Italian opera! Cooking and baking can definitely scratch the creativity itch, but only when you have lots of time and no specific deadline. But I think I enjoy paper crafts the most – scrapbooking and card making. I also like sewing and think I’d enjoy needlework or knitting or something like that. So my goal for September is to try and make more time for these things and perhaps learn something new.

And I’m pleased to report that I restored a sense of order over the summer (actually from the January entries, but heck … it took me a bit longer). Lots of puttering and ordering and de-cluttering took place during July and August. I’m still lousy at meditation, but have purchased clothes that are “really me”. So, as you can see, the Simple Abundance thing is a process more than an exact science. I’d love to hear how you kept your summer simply abundant.

Until next time.