Week 5 Creative Process 3

I believe the process of exploring creativity is best perceived by using all five senses. For this post I have taken the day off and will be focusing on my eyes, ears, smell, touch and taste as I advance on this creative experience outside of my studio. A new art museum has opened in Daytona Beach, it is called the CiCi and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art.Thinking this would be a great field trip, others were invited to come along with me but declined. So I made the 45 minute drive alone allowing reflective time and thinking about some photo opportunities I might encounter.

This is a photo of the exterior of the building, a bit disappointed in the curb appeal at first, then later learned the structural design was to resemble a Florida Cracker House. The outside did not prepare me for what was waiting on the inside.

The Browns Collection started in the late 1990’s covering a 200 year span dating back to 1700 ‘s. The majority of the pieces are representations of Old Florida. 

 Preparing myself to be open to how
my senses where engaging me, I enter the museum. Hearing the muffled tones of chatter as I perched in the center of a large room on a bench with Palm Trees all around me. Some of them look quiet primitive while others are quiet majestic showing great skill in the master of artisanship. The time period does not seem to be an indicator of talent, however, the richness of color varies from artist to artist as the landscapes remain Old Florida. The smell in the room is like a very clean old library, it makes me feel like I'm in academia as I straighten my glasses. I can still taste the coffee purchased from the little Cafe’ at the entrance of the museum. Charged with extra caffeinated alertness I was ready for my visit.

Here are some of my favorites .

The flatness and hardness of the bench I’m sitting on is giving me cause to explore another room. My experience in being present in the moment has been swayed by feeling low back pain.The newness of experiencing something so very old gives me pause in understanding plein aire artist then and now. I have been on several plein aire artist excursions and witnessed other artist painting perhaps in some of the same places that are represented today. Looking at these colors and textures inspires me to learn more. Glancing  at my watch realizing I have been here 3 hours. Maybe I experienced transcendence or the "flow state" as described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyil. Feels as though I have been here only 30 minutes. At the beginning of my visit I felt the eyes of security following me around to the point of annoyance, then soon became completely unaware of him. Yes, that sounds like transcendence to me. 

Saving  BIG AL  for my friends at Gator Nation. 

Leaving the Art Museum feeling like I had drank form the well of creativity and was inspired also by the beautiful natural grounds around the building.  On my way home thinking about the visit and self care I realized there was just one more thing I needed to do, so I pulled in Valusia Mall for a manicure and pedicure.

Creative Practice 2

  Tissue Collage

                                                                                     

Top photo: White tissue paper stained with a tea bag in a bowl of water.

Middle Photo: Instead of the tea bag watercolor ink was integrated into the process along with metallic paint and liquid glue . 

Bottom photo: Tea bag processing again used along with colored strips of tissue paper and liquid glue .

This is another project ideal for any skill level, involving elements of transparency, color blends and desire to create. It's a project that I will pass on to the Age Well Institute. The elders should love doing this activity.

This afternoon  I had a friend call me with a quote and wanted to process it with me "Unused Creativity is not benign." Berene' Brown. So we both exchanged what we thought it might mean. She said she often got restless and bored even when she had plenty to do and did I think this was a sign that she needed to tap into her creativity?  I shared with her that when feeling that way picking up my paint brush and painting always made a new person out of me. It seems to center my thoughts and improves my problem solving skills.

The very next day I viewed a video on you tube about Vulnerability posted by a cohort and referencing  again Berene' Brown. After such a coincidence I decided to explore the search engine to further check out this person Berene' Brown, so I entered the quote "Creativity isn't Benign" and this blog popped up which gave me even more things to consider as I look back in my own life as a young Mother, thinking creativity is the best tool a Mother has. Mutually satisfactory results to both Mother and Child . Read below and see if you agree?

APR 3, 2013

“Unused creativity isn’t benign. It metastasizes.”So said Brené Brown in her amazing interview on Oprah as she explained that wholehearted people cultivate creativity.

Brené went on to say that wholehearted people also cultivate meaningful work. This work doesn’t have to pay the bills (though if yours does, that’s awesome). It’s the work that’s satisfying, not the money it brings in. To illustrate her point, Brené referenced a CPA-by-day who makes jewelry at night, and sells it on Etsy.

When I heard these words, I couldn’t help but think about the women I’ve sat down with or chatted with or exchanged emails with–just in the past two weeks! They’ve thrown around big words like Calling. Mission. Purpose. Giftedness.

Many of these women have been stay-at-home moms, and they’ve shared different versions of the same story: I love my kids but I need something else, too. I don’t know how to make that happen. Help me figure it out.

And so many of them feel guilty for wanting this.

Listening to Brené, I wonder if some women are gifted in such a way that they use their creativity–I mean really use it–as stay-at-home moms. Those big words–calling, mission, purpose, giftedness–find expression in that role.

And I wonder if some women just aren’t.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. If wholehearted living requires cultivating creativity, then are you finding an outlet for yours? Are you using your gifts? Do you need to find a way to use them?

Thanks for making this a safe place for me to think out loud. I’m looking forward to a great discussion in comments. 

Books mentioned in this post:

 Brené dives deeper into the subject of creativity in her book The Gifts of Imperfection.

Reference:   http://modernmrsdarcy.com/unused-creativity-isnt-benign-it-metastasizes/

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Origami Flowers for IV poles in the Oncology Unit

CREATIVE PRACTICE :The Journey of My Journey P3 cont.

Preliminary workup for Creative Project (P3)