I just looked up at the sky.
Great revelation, right?
I saw the ocean.
I saw the baby blanket for my nephew when he was five days old.
I saw the haunting eyes of my long-deceased father.
I saw Spanky and Our Gang . . . don’t ask!
I saw Sunday drives with my Mom and Dad.
It’s the same for you, right?
That’s how a writer’s mind works. We tend to see things and connect those things to real, or imagined, events, people, and places. Color becomes memories, or emotions, or whatever . . . they are not merely colors.
A SLIGHT SWITCH OF GEARS
I was watching a documentary the other day about teaching creativity in schools.
Can you really teach creativity? I guess so, but I have to tell you my heart isn’t fully behind that guess. I’m not completely convinced that creativity can be taught, at least not the type of creativity it takes to paint or write or sculpt or play something that is exquisitely beautiful.
But then maybe I’m just full of it, which is entirely possible.
This is a random blog this week. It’s going where my mind leads it.
“Pick up your damned tools, Bill, when you are done working with them.” Those words were spoken by my father after he had tripped over a hammer I left on the garage floor. Those words do not do justice to the emotion behind his comment. LOL My dad had a temper and he was not afraid or hesitant to unleash it if he tripped over a hammer.
Funny thing is, those words are still with me today. It’s one reason why I’m so anal when it comes to putting things away after I use them, which I do and have been doing since that day back in 1964, and those words are the reason why I’m so organized during my work day and in handling so many different tasks during the week.
Words like that are great fodder for writers, as are events, as are emotions spawned because of certain events or words spoken.
Randomness! I warned you earlier.
MORE RANDOMNESS
I cry every single time I watch an episode of “This Is Us,” and I cry while watching “The Voice.” I’m a sucker for human interest stories, and I’m a sucker for dramas which show the humanness we all share. I guess you could say I’m an Empath, although I hate labels like that. I do, however, feel deeply things that other people are feeling. I see a young girl on television telling me that singing means everything to her, that it is her way of remembering her mother, who died when the girl was eight, and man, that kind of stuff is a gold mine for a creative writer. I know what she feels. Losing my father when I was nineteen is still one of the defining moments in my life, so yes, when she cries I cry.
And eventually she will make it into one of my novels, or short stories, if not her then a character like her, or the spirit of what she said…the humanness of it all!
Time to end this randomness!
Thank you!
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Love this, because like you I have random thoughts like this every day of my life, too. So, most definitely can more than relate and probably why I am always busy writing down something that comes into my mind’s eye at any given time. Thanks for sharing and letting me know I am so very much not alone on this. Happy Tuesday now, Bill!! 🙂
Nah, Janine, you are not alone. There are quite a few of us out there…just keep quiet on it so they don’t think you are crazy! lol
I loved this Bill. I relate to the tears..THe Voice and the stories of hardships and desire. Teaching creativity is a great question. I think you can teach some of the shortcuts to take and lessons to improving art, writing etc. I failed art in grammar school..well not exactly but couldn’t draw or paint. But I had a great passion for art as I grew up and started finding my way. One thing you cannot do is create a great singer as you have to have the pipes. I took lessons and struggled and believe me if I sing one note people run away. I loved the jumble of thoughts throughout the article and the wonderment of life..of which NONE of us truly understand…So you can attach yourself to nature while working in your man made garden from GOd made seeds.
Perfect, Carol! Thanks for mentioning all that about creativity. I’ve often wondered if that is something you can teach….if there is passion there is a way, I suppose.
Shucks, that is random? That many thoughts go through my head in about 5 minutes. Man is my brain tired at the end of the day. My dad stumbled over a shoe in the middle of the room and yelled “don’t leave your stuff in the middle of the room, kick them in the corner”. You can imagine my home now with Vietnamese culture of never wearing shoes in the house. It is a minefield to walk in the front door. LoL
You should have a sign at the front door, Eric: Beware as you enter! LOL Great story my friend!
Funny you should publish this today. Yesterday I watched a bunch of videos on creativity and one of the things that they were all saying was that connecting random thoughts is what creativity is all about. Every individual has his/her own perspective on the world around them and there are an innumerable number of ways that those thoughts can be connected. We just have to have the courage to allow those thoughts to be exposed in creative expression.
Very true, Donna! Very true indeed…the courage to allow those thoughts to be exposed. I love that!
It was randomness but worth every penny, Bill.
Creativity sure can’t be taught. But given the aggressiveness in academics…I hope they slow down and allow the children breathe, smell, and allow them to analyse their thoughts thus sparking creativity!
With regards to getting emotional…I am with ya on this. Memories can moisten those eyelids and being a writer its a boom since it wants me to pen down some words 😉
Happy Tuesday!
All true, Ruchira! Thank you for that. And I, too, hope they slow down on education and allow kids to breathe and find creativity.
You mentioned two of my favorite shows, Bill. I’m a die-hard Voice and This is Us fan. I watch them religiously for the very reasons you mention and more. The talent on The Voice is amazing, especially with the 14 year-olds that can belt out a song like no one else. And the writers for This is Us are simply brilliant. There’s never a dull moment and what’s coming next can’t be predicted.
When I was a little girl one of my favorite things to do was lie on the grass and see how many images I could spot in the clouds. The imagination is a wonderful companion.
I really enjoyed your random thoughts, Bill. Even Spanky and Our Gang.
Have a wonderful week, Bill!
Sha, I’m so hooked on the Voice that I watch YouTube videos of The Voice from around the world…there are some incredibly talented people in some countries we rarely hear of here in the States. 🙂
Hoping you are well…hugs from afar!
In my eyes creativity is like food for the soul but when it comes to being neat or having a tidy mind my father was right up there. An enormous peg board covering a wall of his workshop where he pegged all his tools and drew around every one of them just so he could tell if one had gone missing! Woe betide the person who had taken it:)
Sally, that is classic. I’ve seen workshops like that..my dad would have loved it! Thanks for the fond memory.
Glad you shared your random thoughts, Bill. I think we all have so many thoughts constantly in our head. Sometimes when I write it ends up like this, or even worse, different thoughts in two different languages, sometimes mixed, seemingly random, but they are still all connected somewhere… Teaching creativity in school is an interesting concept. I think creativity can be encouraged by letting kids just be, slowing them down, taking the electronics away, giving them alone time, having them listen to music without words, making them read a book without seeing a movie based on it, letting them see the ocean in the sky, see a dragon in the clouds, listen to the music of nature. I believe we are all creative beings, and kids are the most creative of all, as long as we give them space and time to be.
As a former teacher, Emese, I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, education in the States is moving further away from creativity, and I think that is a disservice to the children.
“We might not have much money, but we do see life”. Dad usually said that whenever we saw strange, but funny things happen, usually at least once a day!
Memories are a goldmine for the writer.
I love that saying of your dad’s, Lawrence. Thank you for sharing that.
You have writer’s eyes.
That’s better than having Betty Davis eyes, right? LOL Thanks buddy!
Could easily have been a trip down memory lane.
Good to hear that it made you careful … so disciplined.
We need a lot of this today. Peace!
Yes we do, Manatita! We need a great deal of it for sure.
Morning Bill random thoughts . . . .? Yup, with you on that! I think creativity comes from within and I am always fascinated by people who say they have not got a creative bone in their body when actions and words say otherwise. Have a great week my friend xx
Thank you Irish! It’s always good having you stop by, my friend. Take care of yourself!
I completely agree with you about creativity. I don’t believe it’s something that can be taught. You either have the ability or you don’t. An instructor or mentor can help you refine your talent, but still, it must be innate. I think the best thing would be to provide the tools for children to discover where their creativity lies and help them nurture it.
There was an art teacher at my high school who demanded her students do exactly as they were told when working on paintings. If they dared to add their own personal flair or go where their creativity took them, she failed them. She had some of her own work exhibited in the classroom as examples of what she expected. Personally, I found them rather pedestrian and lacking in vitality. But this was what she expected from the students if they wanted a passing grade. She was a perfect example of those who can do, those who can’t, teach.
I love that, Zulma…provide the tools and allow children to discover where their creativity lies….and then nurture it…perfect!
As for that teacher, I would have led the way in getting her fired!
She was a nun. I don’t think you can fire them. We just kept hoping she would get transferred. As I recall, if you questioned her, she would get belligerent and talk to you as if you were an idiot. Her niece was a student at that high school (she didn’t take art classes) and she was a really sweet girl. How did they end up related?
Zulma, we could exchange some not-so-great nun stories. I still have an animal-response when I see a nun out in public. LOL Some scars never heal.
Hey, Bill. What’s black and white and black and white and black and white and red? Give up? A nun rolling down the stairs after I stabbed her.
LOL…that pretty much sums up my feelings towards nuns.
I love random posts like this perhaps because my mind works like this. Fleeting from one thought to another…it’s the natural state of things. Hehe.
Your parents and upbringing sure instilled some steadfast values in you. My mom is a clean freak and was so while I was growing up, and it made me sort of not be very anal. I *do* love a clean house, don’t get me wrong, but I can get a wee bit cluttered. Hehe.
In any case, I love your stories and nostalgic reveries – they always make me smile. I wanted to make it here yesterday; balancing my school job with my online job sometimes makes life a little too busy sometimes. But I hope your week is going well so far. 🙂
I know all about busy, Lil Sis!Thanks for finding the time to stop by. It seems these days that I am behind in my work five minutes after my day begins. Sigh!
Anyway, wishing you the best, and sending hugs from 3000 miles away.
I loved this bit of randomness, Bill 🙂
You know, I’ve never watched The Voice, which is a terrible thing to admit when I’m a singer myself. Now I’ve heard from everybody how wonderful it is, I think perhaps I’ll give it a go.
Re being tidy, I am fairly tidy but the rest of my family is not. This means that, in order to remain sane, I keep my own workspaces tidy but don’t insist that hubby and son do the same. However, the communal sitting-room is not a place for too much clutter, as I need room to relax.
I don’t think that creativity can be taught. It can be nurtured if it’s there, but I think you’re either born with it, or you’re not.
Sarah, I’ve actually seen quite a bit of The Voice from the UK, and it’s quite good. I like your celebrity judges; they keep me entertained and invested in it all, and the talent is often quite good. Give it a go, my friend!
Thank you and enjoy your weekend immensely.
I don’t believe you can be taught to be to be creative in depth, but surfacely so. Meaning you can be technically taught to handletter but you wont be good at it without that creative vision that is born within you. I’d love to pain but I am not good with such things; however, I can paint a story using only words to create stunning imagery. My creativity is with words and storytelling not paintbrushes and watercolors.
I too cry watching “The Voice”. I’ve still not seen an episode of “This Is Us.”
I probably needed your dad to yell at me as a child and maybe things would be out away in my home.
Thanks for weighing in on creativity, Shell! I tend to agree with your thoughts about it. After years of teaching I’m convinced that some people are just born artistic, and some have other talents.