Just What I Needed

     I have a friend who will never know how good he is for me. Whenever Revel shows up I get a little perk. He encourages my off brand sense of humor and creativity. In fact, not only does he encourage it, he usually has something interesting to contribute. He’s the reason I have a red kayak mailbox that stops traffic.  I’m getting ready to add a piece of art, something metal and circular that will go on the my fence behind a Japanese maple.  I’m leaning towards gears because I like their shapes but am keeping my eyes open. Revel suggested a line of Tibetan Prayer wheels below whatever ‘art’ I come up with.  See what I mean about a having something interesting to contribute?

    I hadn’t realized that I needed a little burst of creativity until he came by.   Now, I have a skeleton coming out of my kayak mailbox with a broken paddle labeled property of River Styx Outdoor Center,  a skeleton sitting on a lawn chair with a glass of wine and a “Help, I’m melting” witch’s hat in a puddle of green with an overturned bucket of ‘water’ in my rose bushes.  I think it’s funny and just different enough to amuse me every time I come home.  I have a feeling that my neighbors think I’m a little odd, as if having a kayak for a mailbox doesn’t hint at that already. Today my neighbor came out, smiling and shaking her head, muttering, “Debra, Debra, Debra.”  What can I say, I like expressing my creativity in a humorous way sometimes and I’m visual.

     I get a kick out of things that are made by every day people like you and me.  It shows their individuality. That’s one of the reasons that I like local music and I like making my own music sometimes. I’m never going to be Patsy Cline and I don’t have to be.  I get to make music simply because it feels good and that’s a great thing to be able to do. It’s the reason my favorite jewelry has been made by me or a friend and why I like using anything I’ve knitted, especially socks. 

  I don’t think of myself as an artist, not even a musician for that matter, but the truth is I’m happier when I am being creative in one way or another.  When someone comes into my home for the first time they always comment on how creative it is.  I don’t see that. I think it’s just me. 

    We all need a creative outlet and it can take many forms. There are as many ways to be creative as there are people.  I think that we need to exercise our creativity on a regular basis. I know I do. When you are being creative you are solving problems and looking at the world in new ways.  We all benefit from each other’s creativity.   Creativity is one way your spirit gets to come out and play.  Think of it as recess for the soul.  We need it. We need it from ourselves and we need it from each other.

Creativity, have you used yours today?