Honeysuckle. Divine. But this is not a post about flowers today.
It's another rainy Sunday and some time to think.
Ken Robinson is an inspiring writer and speaker who promotes the need for creativity in schools and for each of us to find how to be "in our element" in what we do. It's about that thing that we do where we become our most abandoned, focussed and oblivious. It's about when we are working on something that is not like work, so much so that we would do it for nothing. It's doing and being "me" at some deep level, so it's not an effort or a pretense or a trial. If you have never listened to Ken Robinson then you have a treat in store and here is the link. Ken Robinson TED
Achieving in this zone is rewarding and life enhancing. It doesn't mean that you don't have to learn skills or work hard because if you are in your element you will already have a talent and a desire to pursue the work. You will know you are on to it if you are blogging when you should be doing other things!
There just aren't enough hours in the day for creativity. When I am working on my own stuff the house falls down around me, my job fades into the background, my family and friends are forgotten!
I know that one of my own earliest projects was a little copybook full of poems with illustrations, I had just started school. Another was my ballet class but this passion ended when I pulled the barre from the wall with my other 12 year old pal. Yet another was collecting snails, giving them lectures about a variety of subjects and lining them up on the garden path as my audience. My poor sisters had to endure my fantasies about being a teacher sitting in the garage for hours reading aloud the letters off a big For Sale sign. Hints for my future? I think so.
Rainy days like this can provide precious hours of guilt free enjoyment when I am in my element producing and creating. How about you. When are you in your element?
When am I in my element? Hmm, let me see. In the garden, having a lazy day if the weather's bad, walking in the countryside, reading a good book, talking with friends or just being quiet and still and Zen for a while.
ReplyDeleteI am in my element when I am writing my blog or gardening. Everything else goes by the board. Also I make cards and when I am deep in creativity the house could fall down and I wouldn't notice! I even have to remind myself to eat.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing in the morning with tea, senses stimulated by birdsong enjoying the sunrise while watching natures theatre. A time for myself......
ReplyDeleteIt swings between making willow baskets whilst listening to some favourite music, planting out some vegetables grown from seed or finally watching my bees busy themselves with their world - totally fascinating and consuming all of it.
ReplyDeleteAll so true! I'm in that zone when blogging, gardening, taking photographs, drawing, pottering around the house, cooking...... It's a wonder any of the boring stuff gets done.
ReplyDeleteWhen I swim in the river Seine ! :)
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