diversions

My creative ventures of the past several days haven't been quite as straightforward as drawing or painting or working in Illustrator. Creating has pushed ever so slightly over the border from conventional to at least somewhat unconventional.

Yesterday, as well as many of the days leading up to yesterday, found me hunched rather dutifully over a stack of photo albums. You see, organization has become my obsession of choice these days, and the latest victim of my organizational rampage has been our photographs. The details of such rampage are interesting, I'm sure, to no one other than myself. But, suffice it to say that all my creative energies have been poured into making these albums both strategically organized as well as artistic and charming. Hopefully the mission is being accomplished.

Today, we strapped on the sandals, packed a picnic lunch, and ventured outside, embracing the beautiful weather that we'd almost come to believe would never return. A week of rain and overhanging clouds has a dreadful way of dashing one's hopes of any future sunshine. In any case, our outdoor adventure led us to a bit of beach-combing, which led (of course) to much excitement on my part. Bits of sea glass, smooth-edged "beach pottery," and flat, circular skipping stones are amongst my favorite finds. And, with each piece that I claim as my own, I feel that I am collecting bits of creative fuel. Many pieces, however, I leave behind. Some stay exactly where I found them, while others are placed in impromptu sculptures or piles on nearby rocks for the next adventurer to find and (hopefully) marvel over.

So, have I come to end of these past few days with artwork to show for myself? Not exactly. But, I think that the journey and the creative pursuits are just as worthwhile. For a result-driven one such as myself, this is an important lesson indeed.