It happens all the time. I’m pacing the apartment, sitting down with a book, then getting up to wander again. I’m looking for something. My brain won’t stop racing; it won’t slow down and tell me what I need. Then I suddenly know: I need to make something.

I sit down with a pen, a blank page in front of me. I fire up the laptop. I sit at the bench and pull out pliers and wire. I grab the camera and go for a walk or simply stalk the cats as they go about their business.

Creating is such a basic part of my life that if I go a few days without it, I’m hollow, like I’ve forgotten to eat. And I don’t want just one dish, I want a feast of opportunities to stretch my mind. Many forms of writing, web design, making jewelry, photography, and a leftover desire from my childhood to be “an artist” (which as a child meant drawing). I worry sometimes that I’m stretching myself too thin, trying to learn everything and retaining nothing.

With this blog I hope to capture the things I’m learning about my ever-changing fascinations and share a few things that will help others discover new paths to explore. I want to take the time to slow down, digest and reflect, before moving on to the next thing. The process of writing it out will help me remember, next time I circle around to this interest or that, what was I doing, and why?

I also want to explore creativity itself. What does is mean to be a creative person? How does creativity apply to “real” life - the life where I have to pay bills and get to work on time? Which matters more, the product of the creative act, or the act itself?

By saying that I am “here to create,” I’m claiming creativity as my higher purpose, the reason I exist. Sometimes my creativity is a gift to others, sometimes it just gets me through the day. It’s what I do. I hope you’ll join me and be inspired along the way.

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