Filling the Creative Well

 

I once read about a woman who cared for her mother, who suffered with dementia. The mother had been a quilter and very artistic. As her confusion increased she could no longer create in a way that was meaningful to others. For awhile, she sewed simple squares together on the sewing machine, day after day. Each night her daughter washed the squares to release the water soluble thread with which she had threaded the sewing machine. The mother stitched the same squares day after day, unknowing of the subterfuge, but happy to be creating. 

The daughter also noticed odd placements of objects throughout the house. Disparate objects were gathered together and placed on a table, or the mantel, or the piano. When outdoors in the garden, her mother gathered odd botanical bits and rocks and sticks to arrange and organize, taking time to make them just so. The daughter realized after awhile that her mother was creating. She began to photograph the arrangements as a way to remember her mother's creativity even in dementia. 

The desire to be creative is a deep human need that can be expressed in myriad ways. Writing, fine arts, and music are often the first things that come to mind when one thinks about being creative. For those of us who are not great artists, expressing our creative nature comes in so many ways - the carefully thought out preparation of a meal to nourish people, the beauty of a bed of flowers in a garden, a table set with care and attention to detail, listening with love and care - there is no end to creative opportunities. 

Creativity and beauty seem to go hand in hand. Appreciating the beauty of the natural world and taking the time to look at its intricacies is, as Vincent Van Gogh says, "the true way to understand art more and more." 

When I have not taken the time to nurture my own creativity, I find myself restless and tend towards irritability. It usually happens when I'm busy and have too much on my plate. I've felt that restlessness creeping up on me these last few weeks. 

With Easter approaching I wanted to dye eggs, but as the days marched by, I wondered just when I'd find time. Last night, after dinner my inner creative urge said, "do it now." I boiled up a dozen eggs, and collected my materials. A bit of chopped red cabbage, a few yellow onion skins, some powdered turmeric, and a jar of homemade grape juice from the pantry. I simmered the cabbage and onion skins in a couple of pots of water and drained them. A couple of tablespoons of vinegar went into four quart jars, followed by the dyes. For patterns on some of the eggs, I collected a few snippets from the garden and pressed them onto the eggs, then tied them into squares o muslin. Into the jars they went, some wrapped, some loose. It all took less than an hour, including the clean up. And I felt wonderful!

This morning, I emptied the jars and carefully untied the muslin-wrapped eggs. What rich, yet subtle colours nature provides. I arranged them on a platter with a few bits from the garden before taking a photo. How pretty they look on the kitchen counter. They are there to be admired, and I do. The restlessness is eased for a bit. Making the time to be creative is important. It fills a need within me. 

Are you filled and eased by arranging a pretty vignette, creating a beautiful meal, or puttering in the garden? I'd love to know what fills your creative urge. 

As we celebrate Easter and the hope of Christ's resurrection, I wish all of my readers a blessed Easter, if you celebrate this day, and to all of you, a most glorious spring weekend.