28 January 2012

Starting is the first step

Last night I met an interesting girl... She told me that her new year's resolution was to learn to do something new every month. This month was to make a souffle, as I recall. I've never been one for New Year's resolutions, because I always thought that if something is worth resolving, it is worth resolving right then. A friend of mine suggested that perhaps New Year's is a good time for resolutions because it causes people to think about things. To me, that would seem to make a birthday a more logically time, since it is a much more personal time to reflect on a new year.

For my part, I showed her how to make a seahorse out of a dollar bill. Well, more I made the seahorse while she watched. She said perhaps she would learn that for one of her months of learning. I helpfully provided my blog address so that she could find the directions. Of course, that's my way of being clumsy and clueless around women.

Anyway, the encounter inspired me to write again. Writing in a blog is none too exciting I suppose, but it's a start. I actually like writing, and being creative, but I've really struggled with it. I think the struggle is because I've so identified with being an engineer, with being good at math and science, that a part of me doesn't think there is room for being creative as well. Or maybe it's because I've always lacked inspiration for what to make or write. Once something comes to me, the rest seems easy.

There is more, but it is hard to describe. For instance, I used to think it odd that Flower Arranging was an art form practiced by samurai. First that arranging flowers is an art form, but also that it was done by warriors. At a certain point in my life, I grew to appreciate that there is an art to it. I remember once going to a florist to get a bouquet and selecting which flowers to use... I realized there was more to it than picking the right colors of flowers, or the type. The size, and form and even the positions mattered. When I was done, the florist said that I could have been a florist... Of course, a lot of people have told me I should be in their job.

I just like things to make sense. For a long time I didn't think creativity made sense. But, I think in a way, creativity is making sense. Start with a block of marble and remove everything that isn't an elephant. Creating form.

Alright, this was a bit more stream of consciousness than I had planned. But I suppose there is nothing wrong with that. It's a start. Hopefully the next step, won't be another start, but a continuation.