Creativity Block

Wow! I really do not feel like being creative this week!  Sad isn’t it?  I start a blog that is supposed to be about a creative Indie Girl and I really honestly cannot think of anything creative.  I mean I’ve got nothin’, zilch, notta.  I haven’t touched my knitting since last week, haven’t even begun the research needed for two of my stories, and I have only been listening to New Age River sounds music.  All of this is the combination of a bad week, writer’s block and a touch of my own specialty: laziness.  So what is an Indie Girl to do when this happens?

I know that things take work.  Nothing is easy.  You simply do not pick up a pen and a large wonderful novel appears.  It requires work - like everything.  Imagination takes work and practice.  Yes, that’s right imagination takes work. 

We all have imaginations.  As children we imagine our Barbies enjoying their large mansion married happily to giant GiJoe and having little GiJoe children.  Okay that particular one was me but you know what I’m saying.  As we grow older our imagination changes.  We imagine our wedding, our job, our college, etc….  Then when reality hits us, we start imagining credit card bills being paid off, new carpet and retirement. 

It’s around this time that our imagination suffers a bit.  For some of us we simply can’t imagine things that are physically impossible.  For instance I use to imagine I was Xena Warrior Princess now well I eat too many doughnuts to be able to do those flips.  So imagining myself as Xena isn’t going to make it happen.

I use to lay awake in bed at night and imagine all sorts of stories.  I’m serious.  I had one story going for months and months.   In fact that same story I am now trying to write out on paper.  Now though I am so tired from work that I fall asleep before the end of a song on my ipod.  I’ve got so much to think about; work, bills, family, and church.  It is difficult to squeeze anything else in there.

Yet, I still feel a burning passion to create.  It is not as easy as it used to be, but the desire is still there.  I want to be that little girl again who imagined all sorts of stories.  So what do I do?

Well first for me personally I pray.  I also realized that I need to take a few deep breaths, step back and realize that when you stress too much, you lose the love you had for the project.  I’m not on a time crunch, and I’m not trying to make ends meet with my projects.  These are hobbies that I enjoy and I cannot let myself stress so much that I do not enjoy them.

Also, it would help if I wasn’t so lazy; it’s nice to think about doing something, but even better to actually do it.  Is there anyone out there that is going through this or feels the same way I do?  Anybody suffering from Creativity Block?  Please let me know how you deal!

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse and it takes work!
     

Now this Indie Girl most go and create something!  Or at least try! J

Indie Girl Side Notes

I just recently purchased The King is Dead by The Decemberist.  It is amazing!  I thought they could not possiably top The Hazards of Love but they did.  I'll leave a link to their website check it out this is a great Indie Band!  I also threw in one of their older music videos 16 Military Wives just for fun. :)

http://decemberists.com/

Yes I Would Wear A Chipmunk Costume

Moms are very supportive.  You could decide to dress up in a chipmunk costume and go gather nuts outside.  That same mom would hand you your nut gathering basket look you straight in the eye and say; “You look cute in your chipmunk costume but you’re crazy!”

Of course my Mom doesn’t think I’m crazy for starting a blog, but I’m sure after reading this blog she will be a little worried about me really dressing up in a chipmunk costume.  No worries Mom, I can’t find one in Lamar anyway!  Although, my mom did ask me straight up what does Indie mean?  Have to admit it would have been easier to explain a chipmunk costume.

I mean I do know what Indie means at least for me but how do I explain that in words?  So, in this my second blog, I will try to explain what Indie means. 

After doing some research I’ve come across some definitions to the term Indie.  There appears to be three categories of Indie:  1. Music 2. Movies or Art  3. Clothing.

The first category is music.  Often times you’ll hear it called Independent Music.  There are a few distinctions between Indie music and more mainstream music. In, independent music the bands often have funky creative band and song names think She & Him, The Decembrists, or They Might be Giants.  Another major factor is that they do not belong to any major music label companies such as Warner Bros., Sony, etc…  In my own personal experience with Indie music, I find that they tend to be more creative with ways to express their music, such as using instruments often not heard in mainstream music, what they sing about, and even leaving out computer technology all together.

We have all had experience with Indie Films wither we have heard about the Indie Film Festival or maybe we have seen one at the theater.  These movies tend to be low budget films, sometimes with off the wall scripts.  Have you ever watched “500 Days of Summer” or “Little Miss Sunshine”?  They do not always have famous movie star acting in them.

Indie clothing varies.  There does not seem to be one set style choice.  I have seen everything for 50’s style clothing to skinny jeans and loose fitting t-shirts.  Converse seems to be a popular choice in shoes.  Makeup leans towards the more natural side and hair varies from long and shaggy to short a spiky.  Men often have thick beards.  Thank goodies I have yet to see tube tops.

After all this here is what I see Indie as for me.  I need to get something straight here; Indie did not change my life.  It did not shape me into the person I am today, nor does it define me.  My relationship with God is what changed my life.  He gave me the gift for creativity, I only labeled the burst of creativity within me as Indie and I happen to enjoy the lifestyle.

About a year ago God changed my life and after some intense rough spots I started to feel like my old self again.  I literally felt like I needed to start creating something.  So I took up writing again, knitting and now I feel like trying some mix media.  Who knows what else I will learn to do.

To sum this all up this is what Indie means: Whatever you want it to mean.  Just be creative, learn new things, bring back a little of the past, and don’t be afraid to be different.

I found this wonderful quote which I would like to end with.

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse
     

Now this Indie Girl must needs go and create something! J

Just a little note.  My really awesome Mom drew the little Indie Girl  for my blog.  Thanks Mom!!!!  She is creative too!

Another little note.  My Best Friend/Sister checks each one of my blogs to make sure the grammer and spelling is okay.  Thats a lot of work thanks Deborah you rock!!!!

My First Post

I am by no means a professional blogger, nor do I plan on making this some sort of career.  I wanted to try something new because that is who I am. I try new things.   I enjoy writing, and felt this would be a great way to at least have one person view my writings.

What to blog about what to blog about?  That was the question.  Should I blog about cooking?  Hmmm well I make a pretty snazzy Spongebob Mac and Cheese (always add a hotdog to your mac and cheese its so good!).  No can’t do that I’m no cook.  How about music?   I love music, well I have a mighty collection of random music, but I never have the money to go to concerts, so no.  Fashion?  I mostly wear pjs.   That’s not really impressive or sexy, My Life? Well let’s see I wake up about 6:30 go to work, work all day and then I come home, watch TV go to bed, and do it all over again.  So no.

After much thought I came to a conclusion; I’m an Indie girl I love the unusual, the past, and I love to be slightly different from those around me.  The Indie Wave as I shall call it, has peaked my interest.  I love the Indie Fashion, music, philosophy, and art.  So hence forth my blog will contain varies tid bits, facts and my own personal thoughts on this new exciting culture.

Lamar is a tiny tiny town in the middle of the Prairie I love it here but let’s face it I’m the only Indie out here, and this is my story.