Monday, December 6, 2010

Out of Love or Necessity?

Okay, now I'm finally caught up on my prompts and am running on real time!  This brings us to prompt number six on the #Reverb10 writing challenge.

December 6 - Make.  What was the last thing you made?  What materials did you use?  Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?  (Author:  Gretchen Rubin).:

At first this threw me off because I immediately thought, crafts.  And I'm really not a 'crafty' person so I was like, 'Hmm...let me think'.  And then I was like oh yeah, I make things every day.  For instance, I just made a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  Do you really want to know how I made this?  Okay, short version.  Two pieces of bread, butter one side on each.  Place one piece of bread, butter side down, on a medium high heated frying pan.  Place the yellow American cheese then one slice of ham then another slice of cheese.  Place the other piece of bread, butter side up on top.  Then flip when nice and golden brown.  Cook until both sides are golden brown.  Then mange, Luigi!

But, then I realized there may be a qualifier that should be attached to this prompt.  When you do something out of love versus necessity it makes a big difference on how memorable the process is and sometimes how much the end product is valued or revered.

So, yes, I cooked yesterday.  I made pot roast.  It was easy and smelled great.  It was the perfect dish for a cold, Sunday afternoon.  The difference for me was who was involved in the process and the joy of teamwork.  Yes, I said 'joy of teamwork' (this was not your corporate setting, by the way).  My son Nicolas has been a wonderful sous chef for the last two years.  I realized that once I involved him in the process of cooking he took ownership of his contribution and was more willing to try the end product.  Cooking has improved his math skills and self-confidence.  I even think Nicolas enjoys being a part of the whole creation.  We even got David, my husband, involved and while we usually end up arguing (playfully) it was fun to have him do his part.  For this cooking venture, yes, it was a necessity (because we had to have dinner) but there was love involved in the process.

Something totally unrelated to cooking that is not a necessity but I do out of love is painting.  The last painting I did was in the summer.  It was of a stylized flower that I have been drawing since I was a little girl.  Yes, it sounds childish and immature but it is something that comes from within.  This is the difference between when you do something from inspiration (within you) versus doing something because you HAVE to.  I wish I painted more often.  While I know I'm not a great artist, it makes me feel good.  The element of concentration and thought that I put into it is like a shot of adrenaline.  I get excited about the color choices and yes, I do pay attention to coloring within the lines, most times.  It is not so much about the end product (because there is always room for improvement) but it is more about the creative process as it happens.  The momentum that makes the brush, guided by the hand, move with the strokes created by the mind.

I would love to make more paintings and should designate a day and/or time where I devote myself to indulging in this guilty pleasure.  I always liked Sundays and feel very creative after I watch an episode of my favorite show, "CBS Sunday Morning".  They have such a variety of topics and always highlight a story in the world of art or music.  I must make a commitment to listening to that spark of inspiration and translating it into a painting of my own creation and interpretation.

1 comment:

  1. Well didn't you just kick some #reverb10 ass today? As Tex in the City would say, "Woo to the effin blogging hoo!"

    I didn't know you painted. Cool.

    ReplyDelete