Create

There are a lot of things that have been uncomfortable and hard about 2020 so far; people make jokes about it and have funny memes about what a terrible year 2020 has been. In this space today, I'm not going to go into everything that is going on around us in a deep way.  I'm not avoiding what is going on around us, but trying to find silver linings in it wherever I can.  It's part of my nature with seeking small joys in the midst of the ordinary and the not so ordinary.

One thing that I've learned about myself during the past few months is the importance of creating as a release for me.  I used to create a lot-- writing was a form of creating for me, making things for my home or apartment was a way to create.  But then I got "busy" and didn't leave space for creating anymore. I stopped writing, I put down other hobbies that I had wanted to learn-- handlettering, calligraphy, watercolor.  And instead, I just saturated myself with a life that was busy, but not very enjoyable.

I think that one thing that we've all taken from the pandemic and having to stay home a lot more is that life can be enjoyable when it isn't busy.  I feel like the word "busy" has just fallen out of my vocabulary during this time.  I imagine for those who have had to help their children with e-learning or those with small children at home have a different view on this season; maybe life is busier than ever for you with your littles at home.  We are not in that season of our lives, and so for us, this time has been a pause on all of the things that I used to fill my life with.  Ironically, sometimes I know feel "busy" with virtual things-- Zoom happy hour with friends, Zoom small group, etc. But it's different. It's not the rushing around type of busy that I felt before.

So one thing that I'm giving back to myself with the spare time that I have is the gift of creating.  I think our desire to create is part of us being image bearers of God; God is the ultimate Creator-- he created everything around us, all of the beauty and wonder of our natural world, the oceans, the land, and even us.  I think it's natural, then, that we have the desire to create as we were made in His image.

I've started spending Saturday mornings creating something with my hands, whether it's trialing my hand at calligraphy again, practicing hand lettering (here are actually two very different things, I have learned-- calligraphy is more about nib and ink, whereas hand lettering can be done with other types of writing utensils and involves a different technique), or my new venture into water color. It is such a release for me to be able to make something on these weekend mornings.  I am not good at any of these things yet, and I don't know if I ever will be, just simply the practice of creating is something that I am really enjoying.  Nothing I create will likely ever sell for profit or end up in an art museum, but it's something that I do to feed a part of my soul that needs to make something, to create.

My friend has inspired me to get back into writing again after a really long hiatus, so today's post is part of my morning pages practice that I am starting again.  I am still figuring out what I want this space to be after taking such a long break from writing, but you can expect a mixture of musings on life and things related to my career and passions in that sense on here. Some days I might write a longer post and others might be short thoughts like today.

I hope you find time this week to create something that makes you proud.

Love,
C