I love to bake.
I’m not a pro, but it has been enough of an interest in my life over the past decade or so that I’ve tried and failed and succeeded more often than not at pies, cakes, tarts and crumbles. My family usually asks me to bring the desert to family dinners because they assume my 3 layer carrot cake will be good and won’t have fallen on the way over. And it usually is good.
Baking requires known ingredients (ones I didn’t create myself): flour, sugar, vanilla, eggs. And also a little of my own flair and creativity: maybe a little extra cinnamon, pecans not walnuts, dried cranberries instead of raisins.
I basically use what I have and then add a little of myself to it to make it better.
This is how I write.
I don’t create events in my life, and I certainly don’t create words (I hope; let me know if you see a new one). I use these things: experiences, emotions, thoughts that I have and of course, the beautiful words in the English language, and I add a bit of myself to it all.
This is creativity — using known ingredients in a new and different way. I think this is true with all artists. There is no new chord on a guitar that hasn’t been played or no new color painted on a canvas. All the ingredients are there; we just have to use our energy and ourselves to create something new and flavorful.
So maybe next time, I’ll add less carrots and more sugar in the cream cheese frosting to come up with a taste that is all my own, both in writing and in baking.
and you are a delicious writer!
if their were a restaurant filled with your words i would dine there everyday (guess i do here in blogville).
as for your carrot cake i’ll never know, because i do not eat cakes or breads with vegetables in it (and i don’t eat casserole
you definitely take words and make them better. you have a way. and i love carrot cake. xo
This is a beautiful analogy Sarah.
Reminds me that God has already created everything…we just take what is His and mix it up a bit, hopefully glorifying Him in the process (same Message, new method).
denise – thanks. but sorry you wouldn’t eat my carrot cake. its really good.
thanks, lis. xo to you too.
david – thanks for your kind words!
Now I’m hungry.
Truthfully, I have no idea how I create. Every once in awhile I write something good and think, “Wow. Where did that come from?” And at the end of every week I wipe my hand across my brow and feel like I got away with another week without people realizing I have no idea what I’m doing.
It’s funny… I was the same way when I wrote for the magazine. Every time my name was in print I was just giddy because I was amazed every single time.
Sarah you certainly do have a lovely way with words. David (my wonderful brother) has referred me to your blog and I know I have popped in before from Our Creative Community. I’d like to visit more to see your wonderful creativity blossom and inspire.
You have written a lovely piece here on exactly what creativity is all about. It is often a new perspective taken on the things we are doing in everyday life isn’t it. Then taking that new perspective to new heights with making that idea come to fruition.