As part of my grade for a critical thinking class I took a couple of semesters ago, I had to keep a journal and write about various assigned topics. It was nothing special, just a writing exercise. But they are snippets of me and rather than letting them get shuffled around and lost, I thought I would post some of them on here...
What does creativity mean to you, or what does it mean to be creative?
When I think back to my childhood, I realize that I must have been one of the luckiest girls in the world. It began when I was six years old and my family moved to a suburb just north of Atlanta, Georgia. Life as the only girl in a house full of brothers was oftentimes oppressive. While they would play and roughhouse together, I was oftentimes only the comic relief as the victim of their teasing. I yearned for a sister of my very own. Someone who would understand me and my shy but silly ways. Someone who would play with me. Someone to be my very best friend.
One Spring morning when the dogwoods were in bloom, not long after we had moved into our new home, a moving truck pulled up to the house right next to my new home. It didn’t take long for me to investigate and discover that the new family that belonged to all those belongings was a nice Greek couple and their three children. The one who was of the most interest to me though was their friendly-faced middle daughter. A seven-year-old, dark-haired and olive-skinned girl named Tina.
I was amazed that this little girl who looked the opposite of my fair skin and blonde hair could so instantly feel like my twin. The sister I had always wanted and had been six years removed from. We shared shy but silly ways and found ourselves completely inseparable. We would play for hours on end. Dress up, dolls, roller-skating, exploring, making up pretend commercials with the big, bulky video camera. We would giggle over Mad-Libs and laugh while we made silly voices. We had nicknames, friendship earrings, friendship bracelets, friendship t-shirts, secret friendship notebooks, matching bedding…basically we were the very best of friends.
Tina and I are now two grown women living on opposite sides of the world. I find myself calling small-town Oregon my new home, while Tina is adjusting to a brand new life living in Copenhagen, Denmark. We keep up through blogs and still feel like kindred spirits. Both of us enjoy (although she is far better at) writing, photography, cooking and enjoying the simple things that make life so special.
When I think of creativity I think of Tina and our childhood together. I think of those balmy summer days, where we would run free until the sun went down, being anything we wanted to be. I think of the endless hours spent in front of her big, pink dollhouse creating a whole new world, all within the borders of her lavender-colored walls. I think of someone my own size who loved me for me. Grown-up life can sometimes feel as oppressive as an older, teasing brother. Creativity allows me to recapture those happy moments that Tina and I shared so abundantly as girls. It transports me to another time. It allows me to clear my mind and feel the freedom to dream, to think, to be silly and to use the imagination that fueled our childhood.
