day 52_blogging ~ creative writing

I can remember a time when I was still in school (middle school or high school, I can't remember...) and I was trying to explain to my Dad about my creative mind. We were talking about a math score or something like that, and I told him that even when I am doing math, even when I am calculating formulas, my brain is usually designing a piece of furniture out of a discarded piece of metal that I saw on the way to school that morning or imagining the way that a flower might translate into an item of clothing, and so on [the list of possibilities is endless]. When I was younger I often drew on my hands with pens and markers, creating designs that looked similar to henna tattoos, and -even though I know it drove my parents crazy- it was just an outlet for my creativity. :)

Now that I am an adult, I no longer draw on my hands ;)
I haven't kept a sketchbook since it was required of me, maybe sophomore year (?) in college.
I no longer sing in the church choir. I don't play piano or practice with a band.

And my creative mind gets bored. One of my friends during college was describing me to another acquaintance of ours, and said that I basically live in my daydreams, and I only remember things and pay serious attention when it's worth abandoning the daydream. Ha! This is not entirely true - I can focus when needed, and I can be a very hard worker - but I thought it was funny that she pegged me this way, because maybe my mind is most often in my own little world. My creative energy changes from one day to the next, but lately it has been through creative writing and keeping up with my blog. There are days that I can't wait to get home and type up a new post... and there are days that I don't feel like writing at all.

But as a whole, I like the challenge. I like having something to push me to create. To express new ideas in a serious or playful way. To convey a message or just play on words with sarcasm. My blog encourages me to stay creative. My Mom pointed out that maybe I should start sketching again - start a sketchbook... and I totally agree! If creativity is what gets my blood flowing [clearly, old news], I'm looking forward to getting back into sketching.

What do you do on a daily basis to keep your mind alive with new ideas? I imagine it's different for everyone. Maybe you like to sew? Maybe you like to dance? Maybe you enjoy creating art in the kitchen by cooking? Just some food for thought. :)