Writing, obviously, is a creative outlet. Sometimes it’s the kind of outlet we plug into for more energy, and sometimes it’s the place we release all of our creative energy.
But for me, writing isn’t my only creative outlet. It’s probably my favorite, but I have a lot of other creative pursuits that sometimes vie for my time. After I finished the last major round of revisions, for example, I’ve been catching up on my knitting (two years of UFO—unfinished objects) and practicing the piano again. (Oh, yeah, and I’m a mom, so that’s pretty create-ive, right?)
Sometimes I need these other outlets—they can help me work past a block in my writing or search for new ideas. They can help reenergize me when I’ve poured all my energy into writing and feel burned out or just a little drained. (And some of them I can’t leave alone or something bad would happen.)
On the other hand, sometimes they’re just more demands on my time. And frankly, most of the time, I’d rather be writing. So they get neglected again.
What other creative outlets do you have? How do you use them? How do you balance them all?
Photo by Mark Sebastian
1) I’m a part-time assassin
2) I write sermons
3) I’m a master cook
4) I breed championship squirrels
5) I’m a Xmas tree designer
oh crap…I’m Creative Writing again…damn
I paint, portraiture mostly.
I build hotrods, nothing like welding and hammering metal.
And one day I would like to do sculpture.
I’m a volunteer with a wildlife rescue charity. We rescue and care for injured and orphaned native animals. I love it and it inspires many stories. I’ve also adopted guinea pigs and have an abundance of wildlife in our garden. I love photographing and filming animals of all kinds.
Recently, I filmed a family of Antechinus that somehow got into our house and terrified my guinea pigs.
I’ll be posting them on my blog when I get the time.
I also collect weird dolls and toys in op shops. They also give me inspiration. Recently I bought an odd-looking fairy doll. That gave me great idea for a junior fiction, and I’ve just finished it.
Once I hand-mad a dozen rag dolls and hung them in trees in the woods, then photographed them. I also photographed them, stealing cookies, doing aerobics, having a bath and reading a bedtime story. I know, I know. I’m very odd.
I also build rock walls, but my grandchildren are the best inspiration of all.