If y'all think this doesn't belong here, by the way, I'll move it to Grist for the Mill. But I thought I'd at least start it here.

And I'll offer some of the creative things I've either dabbled in or done fairly well (though not necessarily at a professional level):

I knit (and have won a couple of ribbons at the state fair), crochet, embroider, tat, and sew.

I've also done toll painting and other kinds of painting with acrylics (such as painted small birds that my father carved). I've tried doing a little water color, but not a lot.

I have done some jewelry making, and am gearing up to try doing more of that.

I like to mess with recipes and come up with my own variations (and I consider cooking a creative art).

So, what ways do you exercise your creativity, besides in writing?
 

Currently, writing is the only art I practice. In the past, I used to draw, as well as play the guitar. Writing, however, is the thing I've always had more of a talent for.

I do also like to cook, and mess around with recipes by smelling different spices and seeing what would work well together. I absolutely love cumin and paprika
 

When I practice, which I haven't in a while, I play folk harp. (Right now, I could maybe manage a scale. That's if I tuned the poor thing, first.)

I cook, sometimes creatively. Often just by rote. Rarely with any kind of recipe in front of me, though.

And I do dog agility. If you think it doesn't take creativity to figure out how to get the running dog (wearing only a collar, no leash) to go where you want and do what you want on the fly, you haven't tried dog agility.
 

Obviously I write. I think that is my best dabble. I used to write a poem a week (finished up with over a hundred, but I wrote those to illustrate points when I taught Sunday School.

But I've sketched, painted and done etchings. I've even created some ceramic work enough to know my way around a kiln.

I've done quite a bit of graphical design including website design. I've developed maps for my stories using Adobe Illustrator and cover art in Photoshop. I wrote, scored and directed a church musical a couple of times.

If I ever had developed a creative bucket list, I've probably hit most of it. But nothing outstanding, award winning or marketable.

One year I created a calander out of electron microscope images that I had taken - not those incredible insects that one sometimes sees, but polished metal. Some of the shapes looked really bizarre and beautiful, others almost comical.

I sing regularly in a chior. I believe that is a participation in a creative act, even if the amount of creativity I contribute is small.

At work I develop mathematical models, which is a different form of creativity. I also conduct "creative thinking" sessions with the software developers there.

As for cooking, my wife believes it is the scientist in me, for the outcome is always creative. She says that it couldn't be the artist, because the outcome is rarely beautiful.

[This message has been edited by Brendan (edited October 16, 2010).]
 

I also build and fly radio controlled model aircraft. While the flying isn't particularly creative per-se, there is some creativity in designing and building a new model or even in finding ways to paint or modify and improve an off-the-shelf one.

And lastly, I have kids, and other than the usual craft stuff, I will occasionally just make up a story for storytime and see how long I can keep their attention
 

I used to dance as a child but was never very good at it but I still like doing it. I still dream of having the money and time to take dance lessons.

I've always wanted to paint but there's only so much time in the day.
 

I did two paintings while in high school (25 years ago) - my teacher entered one of them in some contest, and I believe it won either second prize or honorable mention. I was never very happy with anything I ever painted - couldn't achieve the level of detail I preferred when drawing.
 

I sew, mostly making old things into new. Ex. Husband's old Halfpints beer shirt (stained)--> new Halfpints baby dress.

I played flute in highschool until I came to my senses and switched to euphonium.

I do some art peices that generally start with found materials. This year I did some kiri-e (cut art) and something that involved x-rays and broken glass.

I do photobooks, not the kind where you stick photos in templates, but freeform ones where you are free to obsess endlessly about layout.

I consider home renovation a creative persuit. I imagine the changes, draw the floor plans and room design and then we slowly do the projects as finances allow.

[This message has been edited by Ethereon (edited October 16, 2010).]
 

I use a lot of what I learned in acting for characterization in writing.
 

Lis
 

I'm in most of these. I star in The Nightmare if you want to get a clear picture of my mug for the other vids.

It's been a while since I've done any of these because my policy is not to make a new one until the current one is finished... My partner has been editing our latest four minute short for over three years now... He's kinda slow.

Axe
 

Here is a clip of me on Hulu for the upcoming movie Conviction.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/182501/movie-trailers-conviction---exclusive-clip---we-got-you-now

Ive also been in WHIP IT, THE ISLAND, CEDAR RAPIDS, YOU DONT KNOW JACK, HUNG, and am currently a recurring police officer in Detroit 187 on ABC.
 

Along with writing I take pictures. We used to do more of that, we have even taken pics at a few weddings but at the moment we are busy with other things. Writing for me and ceramics for my wife, she has her own web site and makes more money at it than I do at writing.

I also cook, usually simple meals but I make up my own dishes.

Sometimes when I unstack things at work I do it in a way that makes designs with what's left. I have drawn at times but usually things that go along with my stories. And I don't have the time or desire to take lessons so that my drawings would be anything people would want to look at.

Although it might not be what most people think of as a creative pursuit, my training in fencing, stick fighting, and "open hand" martial arts does require creativity, as well as an ability to understand one's unique abilities and emotional drivers.

Throughout my childhood and for a few years beyond, I danced, sang, and acted on-stage for community groups. Now, I dance and sing for my own entertainment, and my interest in stage acting shifted to acting for video. In the past year, I've played a lead in two independent, short films and played smaller roles for two other films. (Below is a trailer for one of my upcoming films.)

In addition to the above, I've created Websites, tinkered with food recipes (winning the first prize for brittle at a county fair many years ago); sown together garments without using a pattern; and studied the basics in making chain-mail, decorative wood-working, basket-weaving, calligraphy, etc. I'll do just about anything if it allows me to express some aspect of myself.

"Via Dreams" Teaser Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8zCOwxtF44
We were still filming when the teaser was created, so the final look might change by release, which I expect will be Spring 2011.

[This message has been edited by aspirit (edited October 17, 2010).]
 

I always lament my lack of artistic skill, but I think that's me just defining "artistic skill" very narrowly as painting/drawing/sculpting. I get enjoyment out of those activities but not a ton because I can recognize how little I know and how little ability I have to represent my vision on the page or in the lump of clay.

I play piano, though, and was just telling a friend how when I play I go non-verbal, I can't talk at all. My artistic/right brain/visual side takes over completely and there's no language over there. I can hear what people say while I play, but I can't really reply to them and don't process more than just the basics from what they say. Funny, eh?

I think I'm a good cook, I always serve as family chef when my extended family gets together. I think it's because I do a good job of keeping a lot of pots going/processes working (multi-tasker.) My mom ends up getting overwhelmed.

I love speaking in front of groups, which is a funny thing because I've done a little theater/singing before but not a lot because I tend toward shy and found it hard to balance that with stage presence. I think I found my niche in speaking (within boundaries - I have to *really* know what I'm talking about or I'm a nervous wreck.) I've given talks to rooms of several hundred people on numerous occasions. Just recently I did a video conference presentation because I couldn't be there in person.

I also design certain kinds of software for a living (educational software for corporate clients) - which is a highly creative task some of the time (and incredibly laborious, time-consuming, and painful the rest.) I use a lot of storytelling skills in the software work.

I accidentally discovered that I can lead a 4th & 5th grade choir with measured but fun success.

I doodle a lot. I've drawn out entire fantasy world maps, complete with very detailed cities, towns and villages. Lots'o fun! This is connected to my RPG interests, which is a tremendous source of creative expression. I enjoy putting the games together and the crew enjoys having a story attached to the game, rather than just kicking in the door and wrecking the castle...

I also volunteer for theater stage design/building. Our school is doing 'Young Frankenstein' in a couple of weeks.

Does mowing and weedeating qualify as creative? I wash a mean sink full'o dishes... Maybe generating creative ways to NOT wash?
 

I love to speak in front of large groups, too. And I love to make people laugh, if I can. (I do moderating on panels at science fiction conventions every chance I get, and I enjoy that as well.)

As for the cooking, my results are sometimes a little too creative for my family (especially extended family), but sometimes they tell me that I have surprised them and what I've made is actually pretty good.
 

I've dabbled in music, too---I've found that, in a relatively short time, I can learn to play any musical instrument---play it badly, that is.

*****

I said, above, "I might have been able to do something with it if I'd'a stuck with it." But I "stuck with it" where writing is concerned...without any luck.
 

Professional Astist/designer
All aspects, most mediums, including several multimedia design programs including several 3d softwares.

Musician- amateur guitarist/vocalist. I was in a couple garage type bands that use to play local gigs.

Drama- acted on stage for several years and was on a fast track to go pro but my love for dancing got in the way. Taught acting for a couple of years. Use to choreograph fight scenes - it was a lot of fun. I actually like Shakespeare.

Dance- Started to compete in western and salsa dance but got frustrated with the politics and travel required - so I demoted myself to just enjoying it.

Landscape- I worked for a landscaper for several years and got into landscaping gardens, but the same as everything I soon found it limiting, and just plain hard work - which was both good and bad. The problem to much time for me to think while working and nothing to do with all those thoughts bouncing around.

cooking- I love to mess with recipes. I get lazy sometimes but for the most part I was raised to cook.

Degrees in multimedia design, electrical and mechanical drafting and CAD.

Tried poetry but it never got of the ground, neither did lyric writing when I was a musician. When I look through my old papers they make me smile now.

I have interests in theoretical physics, codes and ciphers, ancient myths and history which transfers into my art- and now my writing.

I've been writing small things for a long time but never had the time nor freedom till now to pursue it. Most of my time is still learning all the necessary basics, but I push at it because I have a deep drive to want to find the right words to explain a story.

As others have said above, I use to love to tell bedtime stories to my daughter when she was young and she always wanted me to write them down but I never did, and I kind of regret that I didn't because now I can't really remember most of the detail I use to go into and she doesn't ether - she just remembers loving them. I feel I have something to finally say in life so I like the idea of writing it down before it all fades away.

I feel I have lead a very creative and fun life so far and I'm only in my forties, and yet other of my associates who have fast tracked up the business world still consider me unfocused, and yet I wouldn't trade a minute of my creative life for a moment in their business life just so I could brag about how big my bank account was. I do get envious sometimes of all there great toys and travel they have, but when I see something I created from pure imagination become reality and leave my hands and go into someone elses hands or the whole populous, it gives me that giddy feeling of being at my daughters high school graduation or when she first walked - maybe not quite that good, but close.

Thanks KDW, I enjoyed reading what all everyone else can do here, upward and onward,

W.
 

Anyway, my good tuner isn't working (presumably a dead battery). My older tuner is, fortunately.

But, one of the strings (#4, one of the high, fine ones, in my case a G) promptly broke just as soon as I had it tuned. I have a replacement, fortunately. Now I have to remember how to tie that stinking little knot. Oh, and feed the sucker through the sound board when the nearest hole on the back is almost as far from it's spot as the string is long. And then it'll take days for the string to stretch and hold it's tuning for any length of time.

Fun! (Lucky it's one of the high plinkers that don't get used that often.)

I played a couple of simple pieces--Brian Boru's March and Scarborough Fair--just to see how rusty I really am. Bad, but not hopeless. Quite.
 

I may come across as if I have a problem with people who dedicate themselves solely to business minded ventures, but I really do admire there ability to create a solid stable environment for which people like me (more artistic) can get paid. There ability to not get side tracked from the single purpose of go to work, raise a family, and do it over and over everyday twenty four/seven for their whole life is kind of remarkable to me, because if I can't spend time day dreaming I start to feel empty inside, and this next phrase would turn most of there stomachs, but I only need enough money that my family gets by and I get to do what I love and create. I'm usually happy with that, except when someone comes along and tells me I don't have enough stuff yet to be happy.

I think that artistic prejudice has gone back since man began - I can easily imagine while all the hard working caveman hunters were out getting important food to feed there family and tribe, and ladies cooking hard and raising children - I would have still been in a cave somewhere drawing pictures of everything everyone else was doing, and thought of as lazy, unfocused, and unimportant. At least art supplies were cheap back then.

Another thing I have found out - most creative writers - within there fiber is the soul of a philosopher always dreaming about how things can be better or worse and writing it down or speaking it aloud, and often ether awakening minds or rubbing them the wrong way.

So I think most creative people will always be kind of viewed as not going with the flow, questioning everything, and bored easily.

but that's just an opinion.

W.
 

As for what Gan said:

quote:

---

I tend to become almost obsessive over something and then after a while become bored with it.

---

While there are those who see that as related to bipolar conditions, I submit that while they may be, towards one end of a spectrum, such obsession then boredom towards the other end of a spectrum is still necessary for creativity.

I remember reading an article by Lawrence Block, when he had a column in WRITER'S DIGEST, in which he pointed out that if writers are to write what they know (however they may know it), they run the risk of running out of what they know unless they are continually adding to what they know. Therefore, writers tend to be rather fickle in their interests, becoming fascinated by something and studying it in depth, and then, once they know what they need to know, they become bored with it and move on to the next fascination. (Please remember I am paraphrasing here.)

Anyway, this was a great comfort to me, because I have gone through my life being fascinated by some thing or another, doing indepth exploration of that thing, and then getting bored and moving on to something else. (Some of them I come back to every so often, but other things I have never been interested in again.)

A few examples: history of England, geology, houseplants, Jack the Ripper, dinosaurs, FBI profiling, heraldry, and so on.

So, Gan, it may be your bipolar-ness, but it may also be just part of having a writerly and/or creative mind. Enjoy your fickle interests while you have them.