Centering with a Celtic Heart Knot

Today is a state holiday in Hawaii, celebrating Prince Kuhio, the more famous of the two heirs to the throne, had Hawaii not been overthrown. Histories of native Hawaiian figures seem to have this conflicting tragic aspect to them, caught between two worlds, two eras. 

Today, I felt like I had to make something, so I made a Celtic heart following directions that a friend had posted on Facebook. you may ask, what is creative about following directions to make something, when your intent is to replicate it, and not try to add your your take on it.

My definition of creativity is very broad. It wasn't there, and now it's there. I didn't know how to do something, and now I do. It is a thing of beauty and charm. It makes me proud. I somehow need to make something on a regular basis. Yes, it'd be great to be an artist, and define your identity as well as your profession as that. But, I am exploring creativity on more of an everyday level, following an impulse to make something, to create something, as a way to flourish, to be centered. 

What Inspires Creativity? - A Short List

Yesterday, while driving around, I started to get ideas for things "someone" should do when "they" retire or have more time on "their" hands. Today, I saw a post on Edutopia, "Creativity on the Run:18 Apps to Inspire Creativity." The apps, truth be told, were not inspiring. So it made me wonder, just what was going on yesterday that got me inspired. 

I started the day by going to the post office.  I had ordered a new book from Amazon by creativity guru, Austin Kleon, titled Show Your Work, about being a working artist or writer. I hadn't read it yet when I started having these ideas. Maybe it was the vibe of the book that was emanating to my brain. I had ordered this book for obvious reasons, but also as a way to support art and creative writing in others. So, while I do have some money (not being retired yet),  I spend it on books. I have no more shelf space, but that's okay, I'll figure it out. I'm putting my money where my mouth, and heart is. 

The second thing I did was go to the public library. Since I rediscovered this amazing community resource, I have been motivated to choose my reading well, and read a whole novel in the three weeks I have with it. The trip to the library becomes a trip to your "self", your identity, an affirmation and recognition of who you are and what is important to you. After making my selections to check out, I sat with a magazine called Flux, a lifestyle magazine based in Hawaii. This one had a War and Peace theme, which was very interesting. 

Then I went to the Keauhou Farmers Market, where I got an avocado and some honey. Why is this creative? It connects you to people doing creative, life-affirming things with their lives. Entrepreneurship is creative, I believe. 

Decided to have lunch at Habeneros, and wanted to tweet: Why do I love Mexican food? I may start tweeting, as I have these tweetable thoughts (and Austin Kleon says to). On my way out, I saw a woman looking out to the ocean with a camera. I looked to see what she was looking at, and I saw a big splash which we know as whale action. I parked my car to whale-watch, and though I saw some spouting, I did not see more breaching. Was this inspiring me? The life force from these magnificent creatures, which I only saw glimpses of? 

This is not my meal, found it on Trip Advisor, but I had 2 soft tacos, fish and carne asada. 

Finally, I went to the beach.  It was one of those shore-crashing Kona days. There's something exhilarating about those days. I read my new book, which was like sitting with a good friend telling you to "Just Do It!" Perhaps, at some point, my creative ideas will come to fruition, as they were sure flowing. Now is not the time. 

This is not the beach I went to, because I didn't take my camera/phone with me. But this was one of those shore-crashing days as well. 

But I will share this. Based on my day, here are 4 things you can do to inspire creativity.

1) Support writers whose work includes inspiring creativity. 

2) Support your local library, spend time there reconnecting to your self.

3) Support  local businesses, especially farmers and restaurants.

4) Go to the beach. Look for whales or dolphins. I don't think this works on its own, because most times, beach days are for chilling, and not doing much of anything, which is still a good thing. I think the important thing was breaking out of my routine and getting out to get fresh air and be one on one with nature. I'm sure it was the combination of these elements in the context of other things going on in my life now that got the juices flowing. 

Food Love: Red Salad and Flourless Chocolate Cake with Grapefruit

        Yes, cooking is creative, even if you are following a recipe.

I had saved some recipes that were recently seen either on sites I subscribe to or on Facebook that seemed to have a Valentines Day focus. Yesterday, I went to the farmers market by the Sheraton, and got beets, cilantro, and red cabbage, all locally and organically grown. The recipe I was going to use was Fergus Henderson's Red Salad found on website Food 52. All I needed was the red onion. I also thought black sesame seeds would put a little twist to the taste. I decided that cilantro would have to substitute for chervil, which I had to look up to find that it was in the parsley family. The dressing in the recipe was a balsamic vinegar and olive oil one. I used an espresso balsamic vinegar that I had brought home from Seattle. I also added pomegranates, which I had splurged on from Costco. So, yes, cooking is creative. My "creation" was delicious and healthy-feeling.

The other thing I made today was a version of Grapefruit Raspberry Flourless Chocolate cake seen on the Anthology magazine website. I had brought chocolate home from my trip to Oaxaca and the grapefruit in our yard is plentiful. No raspberries, but there were strawberries in the refrigerator.  So, it was a perfect recipe for me to try. I didn't follow it exactly, but I do think it came out so nicely. I always wondered  how to make flourless chocolate cake. Oh my Grapefruit! This is so good. I am feeling high from all these serotonin inducing foods. 

The Story of the 2013 Christmas Wreath

Making our Christmas wreath a few weeks ago was one of the reasons I flowed into starting this blog. We did not get a tree this year. Our immediate family is spread from Guam to Colorado and no one was coming home. Putting up a tree, as well as putting it away, takes a lot of energy that we were not motivated to expend. I was feeling guilty, like it was something I was supposed to do. All good people decorate for Christmas right? 

I have a cousin in Hilo who makes beautiful Hawaiian wreaths every year. She and her husband get their permit to pick from the ohi'a forests and it is their tradition to make these wreaths for their family and friends. We went to visit my aunties in Hilo the weekend before Christmas and I was inspired by the wreath that my cousin had made for her mom. So I came home determined to make one this year. I was lucky to have spent a weekend with my cousin one year when they were making wreaths and learned how to do it back then, must have been five years ago or more. I haven't made one in a long time.

The plan was to use materials from our yard, get a wreath ring and pins and just do it. I looked online for directions to refresh my memory, and went to Ace to look for the wreath ring and pins. They had stacks of the rings and no pins. The worker there said they ran out and did not think there were any in Kona anywhere. She suggested I use bobby pins. I did go around looking at other stores. My last stop was Home Depot, and the sales person there told me that she had made a wreath a different way. "I wen haku em." I knew how to make a haku lei, though I also had not made one in a long time. But I did decide that was what I was going to do.

From my yard, I picked eucalyptus branches, bay laurel leaves, white bougainvillea, and a bush that had red berries and reddish leaves. I set up my work area on our cool, open, back patio. And I just wen haku em. 

         For those who do not know what I mean, you make little bundles on top of each other and use raffia to hold the bundle together and to wind the bundles to each other. Next time I make one, I'll take pictures of the process.

It took me a while to figure out how to make it work and I wanted to give up about a quarter of a way through. But I talked myself through it, telling myself that it was holding together, it was growing. I just needed to keep adding to it and persevere. So I listened to myself giving myself encouragement, and I completed it. My mom gave me a nice compliment, but I thought she was just being my mom. When I posted it on Facebook, I got many likes and comments, which validated my efforts and made me proud to have done it.

What does this say about creativity? Sometimes Christmas can be depressing when there are no kids around. Is Christmas really just for kids? For adults, Christmas can be more focused on the reason for the season, which is, of course, the birth of Christ. Creative acts are like giving birth, which is cause to celebrate. Celebrations of Births, especially of the Christ child, is extremely rejuvenating and a wonderful state of mind to have occupying your thoughts at the end of one year and the beginning of another.