Facing lockdown with creativity
What is certain is that last year it wasn't easy to "fly with imagination". Even for someone like me, being able to "escape" from bad thoughts was not so immediate. But the pencils, paper, brushes, glue and scissors, any "useful tool" served their purpose to relax the mind and heart.
I once read an article explaining how relaxing it is to use your hands for creative work. This can include a wide variety of "arts": making cookies, embroidering, painting or sketching, sewing, crafting or gardening. If I remember correctly, it was explained how to use concentration to carry out manual work (but not too tiring) allows a part of the brain to remain occupied in the work itself and at the same time let the mind "float" in a very light way, by reviewing everyday life, problems, thoughts without worry, without compulsion. In short, it is as if our "hard-disk" did a good cleaning of all useless and obsolete files. Nice is not it?
"Anything will do!"
“But what can I do to distract myself? I'm not used to doing creative work. What do you suggest?"
In English (a language I love very much) they say "Anything will do!" which means "whatever you choose will be ok". We don't have to crochet, as our grandmother did, or decoupage, like the neighbor or dabble in oil painting, as my uncle Roberto does. for example.
May the creativity be with you.
Whatever "art" you decide to undertake, remember that the most important thing is to have fun, to relax. It is not necessary to create masterpieces. Sometimes we will be satisfied with what we produce, while other times our expression will betray a certain bewilderment ("what is this?"). It matters little, as long as we do it for ourselves and for ourselves alone. We have said that this exercise will take us far, even if our body will remain in our living room (or wherever you decide to create something). So roll up your sleeves, mix your ideas, bake the result and relax. May creativity be with you!
In the photo: an attempt to reconstruct with felt the cover of an Ikea lamp, destroyed by the dog.
