Path to Creativity

January 9, 2019

I started reading an interesting book that has inspired me. Conscious Creativity by Philippa Stanton. It has really got me thinking about the artist I am and the artist I want to be. First chapter asked questions that help you identify what type of artist you are and what started you down a path of creativity?  I thought back to when I was a child and I had a single mom who couldn’t afford to buy many toys. I remember I wanted a Fisher-Price Kids Kitchen Center. Of course we couldn’t afford it. I had this play area in our old attic. The attic was mostly finished. It had old wood plank floors, exposed sheet rock that was never painted. It had a sloped roof on both sides. There were windows in the front and back and one side dormer with half circle window. There was a brick chimney in the center of the attic. It was chilly in the winter but never too cold and it was very warm in the summer. I would run a  window fan in both front and back windows to keep air movement. I loved playing in the attic so nothing kept me from spending time in that old attic. Imaginations ran wild with ideas in that attic. Me, my sister and brother came up with all kinds of make pretend games. There were many imaginary places we would escape to up there. 

Anyway I took a detour on reminiscing. As I was saying I badly wanted a kitchen center with the little oven and refrigerator and little pans and utensils. But that wasn’t happening so I took a big cardboard box sitting in the corner and then I got to work. I opened the flap and placed opening toward the chimney. I got my crayons and drew 4 big circles on the top for the stove top. I drew dials on the flap that I placed against the brick. Then I got to work on the oven. I drew an oven window with a turkey in a pan. Why turkey? It was the easiest and most identifiable thing I could draw. I found an old card table. I placed a huge scarf over it. I asked mom for some paper plates and plastic forks. For awhile I had a little refrigerator that my uncle left to be stored in the attic. Anyway our attic was a place all our friends wanted to come and play, friends who could afford better toys and fancy dolls left them behind and joined us in a world of make believe. 

It’s nice to think back at what started you on the path creativity. What was your path to creativity like?