Creativity allows us to view and solve
problems. It opens our minds. Especially in difficult and lonely time’s
creativity is the best self-therapy and healing solution for our heart, mind,
and soul. Creativity is the ability to generate, create, or discover new ideas,
solutions, and possibilities. During this horrible global pandemic crisis,
everyone was challenged in one or another way, which gave me the idea to
feature a few creative guests in my summer blog series Corona & Creativity.
My next guest in my blog series 2021 is British singer, piano player, and composer Elizabeth. She lives in Italy and has created
beautiful music pieces.
Elizabeth first of all thank you for being my blog guest. Tell me, what does creativity mean to you?
I would have to pay homage to the great Leonardo Da Vinci
who said that creativity is being constantly curious and cultivating a mind
that is eager to learn and observe.
Without a doubt the things that fuel my creativity
include traveling to new places, observing the world, and learning new things.
THE CLOCK BY E.O.S.CHUTE
What is your favorite creative activity?
Tough question this one as I have far too many. Music
comes top – composing for piano and voice, second is cooking for family and
friends, and then handiwork such as tapestry, dressmaking, and knitting.
Did you discover a creative activity or new passion during the corona Lockdown? What exactly?
The joys of study: I
spent March-November 2020 completing my part-time Master Degree in Business
Administration, which I had started in 2017. One of many many paybacks from studying
has been a more focused mind which has improved my composition skills. For example, from writing essays I had new
inspiration from thinking about how music can be a series of questions and
answers. I also thought long and deep about authenticity and how to create a
sound that is unique - as a result of using plagiarism checkers on essays to
demonstrate correct citing and referencing of research.
Rediscovering old cooking recipes: I
love food anyway, so the lockdown was a great excuse to pull out those recipes
I had not cooked in a while – with lots of twists - as not all the ingredients
were easy to find.
For example: I tried out a 10 min fruit crumble made by simmering
fruit for a few minutes, and toasting the shortcake mixture in a frying pan
rather than baking in the oven. I recommend peach, apple, and plum versions! All passed the husband test!
THE DREAM BY E.O.S.CHUTE
Do you think creative people are happier in general?
Wow. I can’t speak for other people. However, I
personally find the creative process in composing music to be a lot of highs
and lows – like a roller coaster. However, when that creativity brings joy and
happiness to others – that magnifies my own happiness.
Elizabeth, would you say creativity is kind of a self-therapy?
For me, the means to creativity is a self-therapy as I so love the feeling of being free to visit new places, to observe and lose myself in thoughts. However, the actual creative process (say in music) is an exhausting blend of exhilaration and self-doubt which leads to sleepless nights when creative ideas hijack any chance of switching off to get a good night’s rest!
A WALTZ FOR RITA BY E.O.S.CHUTE
Personally, I see drive and discipline being important
elements in my journey to building technical mastery and completing a work of
creativity. At the same time when it comes to music or writing lyrics, so many
of my creative ideas come when I am least expecting them - for the most part
when in a relaxed, de-focused, and happy state of mind.
The meaning of “Creativity” is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness! Creativity is going beyond the usual, stepping outside of the box. It can be defined in many ways, such as how a person explores ideas or uses different ways to solve issues and how one experiences life. So, what was your original idea, or what did you create during lockdown? You can list more than one.
In 2020, unprecedented levels of fear, uncertainty, and grief - from Covid, Brexit and a family bereavement inspired me to write a piece of music for piano called ‘Winds of Change’ as a way of accepting events and letting them go to move forward in a positive way.
While you may have
natural creativity skills, there are also skills that can be learned
and developed over time. Would you say your creative skills are natural or
trained?
Both. An innate talent or aptitude can but only flourish
through training or observing others.
THE FOUNTAIN BY E.O.S.CHUTE
A new study from researchers has found that women are engaged in creative fields like art, music, and literature at higher rates than men and are generally more creative than men. What are your thoughts on that?
That sounds like a highly valuable study and I Googled
the study to
find out more. I found the researcher's conclusion that women are “divergent
thinkers, their work benefits from social interaction, they thrive in
collaborative settings, and they’re forced to work harder than men are” to be very compelling.
Do you think being creative and productive is also related to
season? For example, are you more creative in the summer or in winter?
I have never thought about creativity as related to
season. You have got me thinking now!
Find creative words to describe yourself to
my blog visitors.
Caffeinated, compassionate, and curious
Thank you, Elizabeth for being my blog guest in 2021 and best of luck with all your creative activities and projects. If you like to know more about Elizabeth's music, follow her on SoundCloud visit her website and her music store!
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