✹ Playing with things

2020 just went by and the new year has just begun. Even if it’s such a challenging time at the moment - we are still under lockdown, the workshop has closed and the restrictions are tighter than ever.Yet, I still feel the breeze of excitement in this new fresh year.

Same as the most of us, I sometimes have to deal with my mental health alone once in awhile. Sometimes the motivation, the inspiration and the urge to make something has dried out. I moved to a new place and it is much bigger, brighter and more quiet than the previous one. I now have my own moment to concentrate on my projects which I am so grateful for.

To wake my creativity up, I recall one of the principle from the book ⇲‘ The artist’s way’ by Julia Cameron, one of my favourite book to read and practice my spirituality and creativity. Julia suggests in the book - our artistic self is like a child, they need to play in order to create something. We need to treat our inner self as a kid. When the kids make a mistake, we know it’s just because they are kids, they are learning and it’s ok for them to try and failed sometime. Our creative self as well, we need to let them play and release them from fear of being wrong. Without fear, creativity will flow in much easier and more powerful than we think. I tried this principle before, combined with other methods such as the morning pages and the artist date - that I got from the same book and it works so well for me. 

This week I bought some toys - the ones I found interesting and may relate to my subject or my practice. I don’t know yet how it can relate to that I just follow my instinct and purchased them.

The first one I got is the colour modules that we can put together and create new shape and form from just one motif. To be honest, I just love the colour and the idea of building up big things from small bits. Also, this kind of toy - that is more abstract, no actual story behind (like the role play set, doll or car) can be helpful for exercising the creativity. We need to use our imagination to make them ‘fun’ And having something on hands do help with the creativity. Even I’ve got no further idea from this set of toy yet but I found it fun to play. Maybe in the near future I can come up with something. Or not, it’s fine too as the purpose of this purchase is to let my inner child to play, I didn’t expect her to produce anything - it’s completely pressure free :)

This one that is relaxing and cool to look at - stainless steel spring flower. For this piece, I found its mechanical system really fascinating! With only one stripe of stainless steel that coil together in such a simple yet effective shape. It can transform from flat shape in to spiral pattern in just one second. Also, with the space in between each coil, we can put our arm inside and it runs along really easily and relaxing. I love how simple it is and The choice of material also clever - because it is spring the flexibility allows the form to change according to the object inside when worn. I would like to use the idea of transformation of form from flat to spiral shape and when it’s worn, into somewhere in my project. The idea is coming to me, all I have to do is sit back, relax and let them in!

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From playing with toys like these, later, I have got so many ideas to think about. This method does help with my creativity and spirituality. Also, beside playing toys, I have put up some mood board on the wall so I can see them everyday and absorb the ideas. Meditate daily to coup my anxiety. And have some routine - like exercising and writing the morning pages everyday. These give me so much energy to came up with many ideas in which will be updated in the next blog soon.