creativity

Last night, Sarah and John hosted a really fun dinner. We feasted on tasty vegetarian dishes and stuffed ourselves with fall desserts. Rather uncharacteristically of me, I brought a crafty activity. Of course, this crafty activity was actually Dave's inspiration: balloon animals! He had learned to make one with his niece at a fair and was bitten by the balloon bug. He got us a pump, a beginner's book, and some balloons, and we all got into it:

Sarah with her brontosaurus

 John's creation: the "NAI"

Dave's toothy T-Rex

 A new headdress for Matt

 Fruit of the night's labor

We all enjoyed it more than I had anticipated. I was struck by everyone's intense concentration as they attempted something new, and the satisfaction that resulted from trying a new project, improving one's skills, and coming out with a fun final product! It made me think that I don't pursue enough "creative" projects in my life. Katie's blog, with its recent reflections on self-expression and photography, has also been stimulating my thinking. I'm too overwhelmed at the moment to take on new goals or hobbies, but I'd like to reframe some of the things I already do (like cooking or writing) as expressions of creativity to remind myself of the importance of making things.