Day 11 for Creativity Bootcamp

The creative word prompt for Day 11 was: HUSH
An opportunity to stop.
Think.
Pray.
Reflect.
Ponder.
Evaluate.
Renew.
Refresh.
Take Stock.
To Take A step Back.
Look.
To really look.
Rest.
Wait.
Relax.
These thoughts all seemed to flow with the journal prompt:
"We need creativity in order to break free from the temporary structures that have been set up by a particular sequence of experiences." Edward de Bono
The challenge for us to look back at key times of our lives and how they led to creativity. The springboards of new birth, growth, freedom when we break out of the mould. How have some of the directions I have taken led to this point.
The answer is that it has all happened in the unexpected twists and turns. Often key times of growth have been after significant changes, failings, hurts, times of silence. New directions born out of dead ends.
The opportunity that silence brings.
Space.
Breathing time.
The be still and know that I am God stuff.
The refiners fire where I come out as gold.
The no pain no gain experience.
The after when God seems to be on mute.
These are the times when creativity flows.

The suggestion was to write a timeline. Here are a few of my twists and turns of the last year or so:

1.The growth in myself, I have realised, of just this last week in seeing my ex husband after so many years, in being able to and realising that sometimes it is still OK to say NO, with the beauty of family, their kindness and the joy and satisfaction in designing and making the wedding cake for my (ex)niece.
2.Last year, when I was poorly with post viral fatigue, a few months off work caused me to listen to my heart cry for some outflow of my perhaps dormant and stifled creativity. I started blogging and joined in with Make Some Art Monday and now Creative Bootcamp.
3.With help and encouragement from the same friend, Rachel over at My Slightly Crazy World, who helped me start blogging, I also began scrapbooking.
4.My friend Rachel is part of our housegroup, where we love to laugh, share creative ideas and eat cake. I did a cake decorating course last year, as an evening course, with my friend Abbie from the same housegroup. It was such fun and gave me skills and confidence to do the cake. And we got to eat lots of cake!
5. We started the housegroup, shortly after I moved churches. Not an easy decision, but the church I had been going to since I moved here, had gone through some changes as people left. I needed friends as well as Spiritual input, so I followed my friends. We had all become friends through church and later a cafe we set up, ran, and sadly closed together. It was a painful time but our coffee and waffles were amazing.
6. One of the first big creative projects we have done as a housegroup has been the banners we did for church. It was amazingly powerful to reflect on all that had happened to us in that year and a half as we cut, sewed, stitched, meshed together all the colours and textures.

Such a rich tapestry of life.