The creative life
July 18, 2006 at 6:31 When we moved to Belgium I effectively wiped my personal slate clean. Under my visa conditions, I’m not permitted to work here, and of course, leaving friends, family, and community behind cleared my calendar of all social and volunteer commitments.
In the beginning, it was both a disconcerting and liberating experience to confront week after week of nothing. My husband slipped into a work routine, my kids returned to a school schedule right after we arrived, and I considered my options, resisting the impulse to jump blindly into volunteer commitments and activities just to fill the gaps in my life. Part of the reason I’d been open to moving abroad was a desire to break out of routine and challenge myself with something completely new.
In the process, I received an unexpected gift—the opportunity to live a more creative life. Cut free from everyone’s expectations, including my own, I could do something completely different.
In the U.S., I was a freelance “writer for hire,” working through an agency. Our clients worked mostly in IT and finance, and so I wrote Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters, customer success stories, articles, advertising sections, and slogans for a very conservative and corporate market place. The most satisfying part of my work was listening to a client and editor describe in general terms what they wanted and then executing the details and getting it right the first time. In my mind, that was one of my strengths as a communications professional—not only getting the facts of complex businesses correct but being able to capture the client’s voice, vision, and corporate personality in the process.
As for my own personality, voice, and vision—well that was secondary to the clients’ and to my target audience. My job was to be invisible.
One of the reasons I began this blog was a desire to explore creative writing and become visible again after years of being a ghostwriter. I was ready to give myself a voice and a presence. Initially, I envisioned a funny, wise-cracking, smart-mouthed persona dominating my entries, but it became clear early on that limiting myself that way would defeat my goal of breaking free from the constraints I’d faced as a professional writer. It wasn’t easy for me, after years of obsessing over writing for a particular audience, to let go and just write for myself. Here I am, almost a year later, still rising to the challenge.
Because my daughter E-Grrrl loves art, I thought she’d enjoy giving rubber stamping a try. When I requested a catalog of rubber stamping supplies from my friend Shirl Grrrl, a veteran stamper and workshop leader, my own interest was sparked. I have never, ever been a crafts person. I might admire someone else’s work but the process of mastering a craft always seemed too tedious. Plus, I didn’t feel “qualified” for crafts—precision measuring, spatial concepts, and fine motor skills have never been among my strengths. But with Shirl Grrrl’s encouragement and books full of examples and ideas, I took the plunge into papercrafts.
This involved not just investing financially in supplies, but mentally giving myself permission to try it and see if I really liked it. I also had to allow myself to devote time to something I might just be “OK” at and not especially skilled with. This may seem a no-brainer to some of you, but as a former overachiever, I’m still struggling with my sometimes unrealistically high expectations for myself. Perfectionism is the ultimate enemy of the creative process. It empowers all your inner censors who will bully you into paralysis if you let them.
This is where my daughter had taught me so much. While I tend to spend a lot of time mulling over the possibilities at the start of a stamping project and debating color schemes and materials and mood, she just jumps in. She throws herself into it and follows her muse as she goes along and the results are amazing. They’re not perfect, but they’re artistic and interesting, bright and lively--they're HER. I love the way she combines colors and elements and just enjoys the process.
When we stamp together, I give advice only when asked. Mostly I just stay out of her way because this is one area where she has far more to teach me than I do her. She’s an expert on how to let go, loosen up, be yourself, and accept the results. Good lessons for me in every aspect of my life, not just the creative pursuits.
© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.
July 18, 2006
Reader Comments (7)
It would be so wonderful to create like a child does with little or no care for the critics...
Am I insane to apply to a furniture design program where my work will actually be subjected to the criticism of a highly skilled artisan?
Constructive criticism will help you do what you do better--and may give you insight into how far you want to go with your woodcraft and artistry.
I've only seen photos but your work blows me away.
I thought I'd have more time to get creative here before going back to work, but it looks like I'll be starting a job the first of August, so creativity will be relagated to free time again. I envy you.
To have a hobby and share it with someone you love is wonderful. I guess you could count that my husband and I have always worked out together, played tennis and biked.
Good advice for all my projects.