Joy of creating

Dearest,

How are your hands (or whatever part of your body you use as hands)? Did you look at them and fret or admire the state of your nails or how they may be beginning to age? Now take a look at them and think of all the things that enable us to do.

What did you last create with these special and overlooked parts of ourselves? Was it a craft like pottery, knitting, woodwork, painting or music? Was it something you didn't even think of as creating - baking, a dinner for yourself and others, gardening, a hug with someone specials.

There are a few things I think of as the essence of being human. I think we ARE nature so when we aren't treating our world and those in it with kindness and care we are ultimately harming ourselves.

I also believe that we are creative creatures. That creating feeds our soul in a way that nothing else can. This is getting harder in a system that is constantly sending us the message to consume, and if we aren't careful that's all we do. (yes - I do understand the irony of sending this letter to you to consume.......I just know you won't spend all day staring at it!!)

In conversations with others, it breaks me when they say "Oh I'm not creative" because they've been tricked into believing that a "creative" is able to sell their work or win awards with it. We are all creatives and we have no obligation to show or share or sell our creations with others if we don't want to. But we all should be practicing creating.

Is there anything that you'd choose to do if there was no critiquing at the end? This last week I've created a sour dough starter (my daughters insisted I name it because apparently that's what you have to do). So, with "Frankies" help I've been creating sourdough loaves, cinnamon scrolls and pizza bases. Somes have worked and some not so much (though all tasted yum) but all left me with a contentment that stayed with me through the day.

These letters are another creation activity for me - putting pen to paper and allowing thoughts to fall onto the page.

I hope this week, Dearest, you use your talents (and you have them!) and practice creating. It's a habit so you've got to practice it. Create without judgement, creative with curiosity, create with others or alone - it doesn't matter which - just create whatever will bring you joy.

Take care Dearest - of yourself, of others, of your thoughts, of your actions and of our beautiful world.

Ngā manaakitanga xx

PS - for those that have been receiving these letters a while - it's only when I was writing this letter, I realised that calling my sourdough starter Frankie is very close to what I call my anxiety Frank - clearly I don't have a deep well of imaginary friend names! I also realised that while I'm creating Frank is never anywhere to be seen - hmmm ponder on that.