Among the Essentials for any true Diva is some form of creative activity that brings her great joy. Note that I did not say that it needs to be something she is “good at” doing, nor does it need to be a money-making venture. (I maintain that we lost something Good and True when hobbies became side hustles, but that’s a post for another time.) No, here I’m talking about something creative that you do because you enjoy doing it. Period. Full stop.
Now, the form this creative activity takes is strictly up to you. The important elements here are that (a) you do it for your own pleasure and (b) it sparks a sense of creative joy in you. It could be sculpture or pottery. Or woodworking. Or photography. Or baking. Or knitting, needlework or decoupage. I trust you get the idea.
I had allowed these parts of my brain to lie dormant for a very long time. Like most Divas, I’m very busy with work, family, and community obligations – besides, I’m one of those people who has trouble cutting a straight line with a pair of scissors! (I blame being left-handed.) But in February, a local arts group held a free Saturday-morning session to teach all comers a simple watercolor technique, and I was intrigued. So I went, despite never having worked with watercolors aside from those dollar store sets you get to play with in elementary school.
While my paintings were not successful (my rock looked far more like a “bodacious porcupine” according to one Facebook friend!), I had a really good time, so I stopped by a craft store and spent a few dollars buying paper, a simple brush set, and a basic set of paints. I then began looking at videos and trying a few things. Many of my paintings were messes, but I still felt pleased with them. This is key. I believe that having this willingness to learn – which includes an admission that not everything will look the way I want it to – is the reason that I’ve made quite a bit of progress in the last few months. I joined #the100dayproject (we’re on Day 19 today) and committed to making art for the next hundred days and posting it. (You can follow #the100dayproject on Instagram and follow me there as well!)
What I truly wasn’t expecting was how supportive and encouraging my family and friends have been as I started exploring this avenue. I’ve even had several people buy some of my first efforts to fund my next round of brushes, paper, and paint and – let me tell you – there’s nothing like that feeling in the world! I have friends who are far more talented than I am and they’ve worked at their art for years, so their techniques are far more polished than mine, but they’ve all been so kind and supportive as opposed to viewing me as some sort of dilettante upstart – honestly, their generosity has completely amazed me.
I believe that being creative – in whatever area takes your fancy – is an absolute must! For a few minutes a day, it’s incredibly beneficial for it to just be you and the Blank. What are you going to create that wasn’t there before?
To remind you of the importance of regular creative expression in your everyday life, I’ve added a new tab to the top of the page – click on “Artwork” and you can see some samples of what I’ve been doing in the last few months. I look forward to seeing what YOU choose to do as well – include pictures of your creative endeavors in the comments!
And remember – it’s not “fluff” – it’s an Essential!
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