Other Types of Creativity -- Between the Lines

Whenever I need a writing break...

(or, rather, whenever I foolishly volunteer to help with something involving crafts and am forced to TAKE a writing break because I procrastinated like a procrastination demon)

I have become fond of committing...

(volunteering like a foolish procrastination demon)

to other types of projects that involve the arts. I find that it stimulates my writer brain...

(in that I often come up with genius ideas about my book while crafting but I can't go write them down because I foolishly procrastinated a project and I'm pulling a midnighter, as opposed to an all-nighter, which I'm too old to do anymore)

to exercise other types of creativity...

(for which I'm often ill-suited, as it turns out)

in addition to creativity with the written word.

For example, this season I volunteered...

(a long time ago, like in 2013, but funnily enough I'm not DOING the bulk of the work until just now)

to help with the costumes for my children's musical theater performance of The Little Mermaid. Normally my help extends to picking through my vintage collection in the attic...

(I also have a shopping demon who's friends with the procrastination demon, and the shopping demon loooooooves to find great deals in thrift stores on vintage or other funky clothes)

for the shows that have early 20th century settings, like last year's Bugsy Malone. This year, however, in addition to thrifting for cheap raw materials and crocheting fish hats, the theater director and costume mistress assigned me some actual sewing projects.

(And here comes the 'I'm ill suited for this' part!)

The fish hats, I have to say, were a rousing success. Like my puffer fish. Magnifique!

The sewing projects are still ongoing. But the important thing is not the costumes.

(Although the costumes are pretty darn important to the theater director, costume mistress, and kids who have to wear them, so I'd better not eff this up!)

The important thing is I will finish up this weekend and return to writing next week refreshed...

(bloody fingered)

energized in the brain...

(exhausted in the body)

and ready to take my hero and heroine on rousing adventures...

(that do not involve sewing sequins, because that might be one version of Hell on Earth.)

Do you ever find that other creative arts stimulate your writer brain?

Jody Wallace
Author, Cat Person, Amigurumist of the Apocalypse
http://www.jodywallace.com  * http://www.meankitty.com