Creativity!

(as an aside, I think there are probably far greater atrocities going on in this world we live in, but the sentiment is worth thinking about!)

The purple hair and the camel, not to mention the title of my blog, might have given you a bit of a hint that I’m not into fitting into a box… I love creativity and uniqueness, and I believe every child deserves the opportunity to find out who they are and what they are passionate about in a safe and loving environment!

Creativity and uniqueness if big at our place!

I have always been passionate about artistic pursuits and quirkiness is a highly valued personal characteristic in my book! Our whole family is probably a bit unique and “out there” to some but we generally have a lot of fun with it!

At the moment my eldest (12) is into jewellery making, wearing mis-matching clothes, experimenting with lino cutting, and other things…

My son (10… he’s the homeschooling one!)… is really having a great time learning to draw with pencils and charcoal, especially landscapes  and people (from the Hobbit and LOTR generally!)… he’s always lacked personal confidence in his abilities (art hasn’t always been a subject that has felt “safe” (but that’s a whole other story that makes me mad and you probably shouldn’t ask!) despite endless praise from his family… it’s been great to see him in this last month really enjoy his drawing and show me his work with pride… I cannot tell you how much this makes my maternal heart burst! It’s amazing what a kid can do when they feel they can!

And Miss 5… well, she loves to draw… and glue… and cut… and paint… and generally get in on anything artistic that’s going around!

Personally, I will try anything creative at least once! I love to sew, and knit, and patchwork, and cross-stitch and a million other things… If I start to feel really stressed a good session behind the sewing machine is more relaxing than sleep!

Here’s what I’ve been doing this month between 11pm and 1am… to stay sane!!!

Ah, yes, a good dose of colour and I feel relaxed! When I start to feel anxiety rising I head to Pinterest for colour therapy! You can find me at http://www.pinterest.com/thecraftycamel/ 

If neutrals are your thing, trust me, don’t even go there!!!

So, today I took another brave step into the unknown… I offered to run a fortnightly art class for upper primary school kids at my place once a fortnight! Gasp! I’m the one who isn’t the teacher, remember?!!! But I do feel passionate about art… and I’d love to see himself meeting some other kids without big crowds, in the safety of his own home! So, put the word out there, and already 3 boys his own age and a girl… wow! This could actually work!

Meanwhile, my mother also shared with me about some art exhibitions in Melbourne so will check those out… http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=29cfce0a132fc61c781a5c682&id=35c39f312e

Well, another day is over… I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!