Play - Day Twelve

February 19, 2013

We have a five-year-old daughter.  It's fun to observe how she processes the world around her.  We love to watch her play.

Just this week, she came up with a "knitting" dance and a "crochet" dance.  Each dance was unique, and in each, she choreographed parts for the needles and for the yarn.

That's creativity. 

Have you played recently? 

Today's Creativity - February 19, 2013

1.  If you have a child, spend 20 minutes playing with him or her.  If you don't have a child, play with a spouse or on your own.

2.  Reflect on how playing helped you see the world differently or create something new.

~The Nassau Nerd

Other languages - Day Eleven

February 18. 2013

My husband and I hiked this morning.  The fresh pine-scented air and the golden sunlight combined to make our time delightful.

As I hiked I thought about pine trees and how within one tree, an entire system works.  To me, it's similar to the way a sentence works.  Pine trees have bark, needles, cones, sap, branches and more.  Sentences have subjects, verbs, prepositions, adjectives and more.

If pine sap is the verb moving through the tree (sentence), then each tree is a unique sentence with an original arrangement of branches, bark and needles.  I'd like to think more about this.

Today's Creativity - Feburary 18, 2013

1.  Spend some time outdoors observing your surroundings.

2.  What unusual connections can you make between the natural and intellectual worlds?

~The Nassau Nerd

Gift-giving - Day Ten

Increasingly, I dislike gift registries.  It's not because I feel stingy.  It's because registries seem to remove creativity from gift-giving.

An engaged couple, for example, selects gifts from a specific store and then lets friends and family know where they can shop for them.  Just doesn't seem right to me.

So, I'm applying creativity to my gift-giving this week.  I'm heading to a baby shower today, and I'm taking a hand-knitted baby blanket (my first!) and an original poem I composed for the baby.  Now, I don't know if the mother-to-be will like the blanket and the poem as much as say, a diaper genie, but I hope she will.

Today's Creativity - February 16, 2013

Consider ways you can be creative in your gift-giving.  Can you make something?

Until next time...

~The Nassau Nerd

Valentine's Day - Day Nine

I have always loved Valentine's Day.  I think it's because of the red and pink hearts trimmed in lace we made as kids.  Something about the feel and smell of the construction paper comforts me.

Our Valentine's Day was busy this year.  In addition to preparing for a Valentine's Day party, I had a scheduled tutoring appointment in the afternoon.  The tutoring went very well, but the session lasted longer than any of us expected.

My husband and I discussed our options-go out to eat or cook steaks we already had prepared for the grill.  We decided to eat at home and then go show our love in a different way.

My father has been in the hospital this week for a bladder condition, so he received a "love day" visit from us complete with homemade brownies and a huge red heart-shaped balloon.

Our family chose to be a little more creative this Valentine's Day and take our love to the hospital for a little holiday cheer.

Today's Creativity - February 14, 2013

1.  Reflect on Valentine's Day.  Is it one of your favorite holidays?  Why or why not?

2.  Think of three ways you can show your love to others in creative ways.

I'd love to hear what you come up with!

~The Nassau Nerd

Perspective - Day Eight

To me, another aspect of creativity is the ability to think from different perspectives. 

Last night at our writing group, one of our warm-up prompts was to write about a battle among forks, knives and spoons.  I did not choose the prompt, but if I had, I would have enjoyed writing from the perspective of cutlery.  I remember telling my small daughter a story about a war between forks and spoons when she was two.

In any case, thinking from new perspectives can be challenging and fun.  Here are some "ponderings" to get you started: 

1.  What do mailboxes think about living outside protecting people's mail all day?
2.  Do houses get tired of sheltering their inhabitants?
3.  Do pens sometimes think "the grass is greener" for pencils and vice versa?

Today's Creativity - February 13, 2013

1.  Look around your home or office and list 3-5 objects.

2.  Try to imagine life from their perspective.

3.  Write a poem or a story or a memory piece from the perspective of the object you choose.

I'd love to read your responses. 

Flow - Day Seven

From what I've learned about creativity, flow is what creativity is all about.  "Flow" refers to the state in which a person is so involved in a creative pursuit that they lose the normal thinking-inside-your-head voice narrating every moment of your life. 

I most often enter flow while I'm writing.  Others I've read about find flow running, painting, cooking, etc. 

Flow is a relaxing mental state, but it's also highly productive.  Reaching flow in today's noisy, tech-saturated world is hard, and yet, it leaves one both relaxed and rejuvenated.

So, I'm going to try to reach flow today.  I have some writing to do.  Hopefully, I'll leave myself (figuratively speaking, of course) and enter creative flow for a while. 

Today's Creativity - February 12, 2013

1.  Choose a creative activity you love.

2.  Try to carve out time to perform activity with minimal distractions.

3.  Strive to reach creative flow.

I'll share my "flow" experience tomorrow.  I'd love to hear about yours.

~The Nassau Nerd

Knitting - Day Six

In January, 2012, I taught myself to knit. It took me a while to learn how to knit and purl using the illustrations in my knitting book.  The first piece I knitted ended up looking like the blade of a saw.  It was supposed to be rectangular!

I continued my new hobby and soon I had  scarves and hats for my loved ones.  I even knitted gold and black stripes into the matching set I did for my nephew attending college in Tennessee.

Then, last spring I tried a sweater on circular needles.  I haven't finished that project yet, but I have finished several ruffle scarves.

Today, I started my first baby blanket.  I'm going to a baby shower on Saturday, and I hope to have the blanket finished by then.  I want to give it to the mommy-to-be for her baby boy.

I think knitting is fun because it's both art and craft.  In knitting, I enjoy the process and the product.  I can use a pattern or strike out on my own to create something new.  Creativity is the same way.  

Today's creativity is simple.

February 11, 2013 - Creativity

1.  Find an activity you've been wanting to learn.

2.  Take the first three steps toward learning it.

I'll let you know how the blanket turns out.  I'd love to hear what you're learning. 

~The Nassau Nerd

Grocery store creativity - Day Five

I admit, I don't enjoy grocery shopping.  With scanning sales flyers, clipping coupons and analyzing nutritional values, I find the whole process time-consuming.  That said, I love having fresh food in the house and knowing we have meals for a week or so.

Today, I challenged myself to be creative at Winn-Dixie.  Along with my list, my coupons and my purse, I carried a small writing tablet and pen.  My creative challenge?  To use my writer's sense of observation and come up with three ideas for stories set in a grocery store.

I must say, having a creative goal made my time walking the tile floor under the fluorescent lights much more fun.

I came up with more than three ideas, but I'll share the first three I had...

1.  A conflict arises between two senior citizen shoppers who crash while maneuvering the aisles in their mechanical wheelchairs.

2.  A cashier keeps notes on all the shoppers who come through her line.  She knows who attempts to use expired coupons, who snacks on cookies while they shop and who hangs out in the produce section looking for a date (among other things).

3.  A musician (and grocery shopper) decides to perform live music inside the store instead of having to listen to the selections on the store speakers.

I had several more ideas too!

Next time you have to do something you're not looking forward to, try a little creativity!

Today's Creativity - February 8, 2013

1.  Think of a chore you don't love doing, but one that has to be done.

2.  The next time you complete the chore, consider observing your surroundings and writing down story ideas. 

Enjoy your creativity!

~The Nassau Nerd

P.S.  See you Monday.

Risky Business - Day Four

Creativity is about risk.  Maybe that's what is so exciting about it.

Just a few days ago, I submitted some poetry to a literary magazine.  Of course, I don't know if my poems will be published.  What's more important to me, though, is that I submitted them.  Even though a voice in my head told me they'd never get published, I sent them on anyway.

To submit, I had to complete three simple (yet risky) steps.  First, I had to research the submission guidelines for the literary journal I selected.  Second, I had to format my poetry correctly, according to their guidelines.  Finally, I had to prepare the e-mail submission and send it.   No, it didn't take long to do these things because I had already written the poems, but the process involved risk.

Being creative involves pushing through fear and taking risks.

February 7, 2013 - Taking a Risk

Today's creative activity involves taking a risk.  What risk are you willing to take today?

1.  Choose something 'risky' to do.  (It could be as simple as learning to crochet or as complicated as going back to school).

2.  Take three steps toward completing your 'risk'.  

I'll let you know when I find out about my poetry.

Please let me know about your risky business.

~The Nassau Nerd

Rectangle, clock or amusement park for fleas? - Day Three

February 6, 2013

I found some old computer parts in a drawer.  They used to be housed inside my husband's machines.  I remember laying them aside some time ago thinking I could make something out of them.  But what?

As I gaze at them again today, I focus on new possibilities.  My goal is to use my creativity to think of these parts in new ways even if my ideas are considered 'dumb' or 'impractical' by some.

I challenged myself to see if I could come up with 15 uses for them.  It was hard.  Here's my list: 

  -Clocks
  -Rectangles in a shape collection for kids
  -Circles in a shape collection for kids
  -Mirrors
  -Tracing tool (for stairs, circles, rectangles)
  -Blocks
  -Rough surface (to teach sense of touch)
  -Smooth surface (to teach sense of touch)
  -Practice equipment for using screwdrivers and screws
  -An amusement park for fleas (if they crawled around on the rough side)
  -A 1" X 6" measuring tool
  -An aerial view of a techno-city
  -A study of how metal and plastic can work together in one product (maybe Democrats and Republicans need to study this)
  -A device for creating a spinning sound effect
  -A performing arts stage for Barbie dolls, stick people or rocks

Here's a picture of the three computer parts.

February 6, 2013  - New Possibilities

1.  Find something around your house you're tempted to throw away.

2.  How could you re-purpose the product using your creativity?  Go for 10 ideas, even 15!

I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

~The Nassau Nerd

Creativi-tree - Day Two

February 5, 2013

My thoughts on creativity this morning started with fear.  What is it we're so afraid of when we unleash creativity?  Why does creativity threaten the status quo?  So much of our education these days revolves around setting a fixed goal and meeting it or working toward a particular product.  Certainly, following through on tasks is important and productive, but sometimes a fixed goal limits us.

Facing an unknown result is also productive.  Sometimes, the process is just as important as the product.  Maybe it's the veering away from what's comfortable that is so disconcerting to people.

February 5, 2013 - The Creativi-tree

Here's a photo my husband took recently.  The tree is located in Callahan, Florida.

1.  Examine the photograph of the tree

2.  Think about what it represents to you.
_____________________________________________

The tree represents the unknown to me.  It's similar to creativity.  When we allow ourselves to use our God-given creativity, we stand back and let the Creator work through us (maybe through art or writing or music).  I never realized it before, but I think trusting in God each day shows how exercising our faith is a creative act.

When I write a story, I often don't know the outcome.  I love the uncertainty.  I enjoy giving up my thoughts on where the story should go and just letting it meander here and there.  Honestly, I think God made humans creative beings so we can live fully and experience the vibrant colors of life.

What does the tree represent to you?

~The Nassau Nerd

The Challenge of Creativity - Day One

Hi,

It's Monday, February 4, 2013, and today, I'm starting a challenging venture. 

I'm going to do something creative every weekday for a year and chronicle it here.  It might be something as simple as collecting rocks with my daughter for her rock collection.  It could be sharing a song I write about feet or clouds or sorrow.  I may choose to share a picture I sketch to music. 

To me, creativity is the way we connect to our Creator, and I want to add more creativity into my life.

I hope you'll join me on this journey.

Here's today's creativity:

February 4, 2013
-Look up a random word in the dictionary.

-Write something using the word.
________________________________________

The word I looked up is:  mutable (adj.)

The definition is:  prone to change: inconstant

I chose to write a short poem based on the word.  Here it is:
 
Change is a given
If you're livin'.
Creativity is mutable
And usually inscrutable.

See you tomorrow.

~The Nassau Nerd