Day 278: How can we create for others?

This afternoon I have spent my time baking these:

They're nothing special, just little fairy cakes.

I find I enjoy creativity the most when I can do it for other people. When I knit, I like to make something for someone I love and care for. When I write, I think about all those teenagers who need stories. If I bake, I'll usually make them for someone else (but sometimes me too!)

These cakes have been made especially for Chris Stillman's friends and family. He died a few week ago and his funeral is this Monday. Lots of people will come to pay their respects and remember Chris. If I can use my creative skills to make that day a little bit easier, then there's not much more I can ask for.

How could you use your creativity for others this week?

Day 260: Get invovled in your town's creativity

Being at a creative uni like mine is such an amazing place to be. As you may know I have teamed up with film students and graphics students in various projects this year, but that's such a small representation of what's going on.

On my way to Sainbury's today I saw a friend who is running a film competition. She gave me a poster to put up at work and I thought I'd email the film student I'm working with to tell her about it too.

Last night was knitting group, which was loads of fun. We had new people come too, so it was great to see them joining in the fun. Tonight I'm going to an open mike night with musicians, poets and comedians. This weekend sees the launch of the Bath Literature Festival too. So many students I know are invovled in some way, doing readings, volunteering and loads more.

Creativity is part of where I am and I feel really lucky to live here in Bath. It's just a case of being active and getting ivolved.

What's going on in your town? What about your school/college? Can you get invovled? If you can't find anything you fancy, why not start it up yourself? What's stopping you? Why not share your creativity with the people around you...

Day 248: Just Volunteer

Goodness knows why today's entry is brought to you at 6:25 in the morning! I have been awake since 4:15 and thought, after two hours of rolling around in my bed, it was time to get up.

The truth is, I'm worried. I'm worried about life after I graduate and what anyone creative can possibly do for the world in a time of resession. No one's hiring, no one wants to invest in creativity and I just don't know what to do with all my creative enthusiasm.

But, after two hours of thinking, I have come to this conclusion. Us creative folk just need to volunteer for a while.

Last year I went into two secondary schools to teach creative writing (for free) and I loved it. In the summer I volunteered with the Bath Kids Lit Fest and loved it. This year I am volunteering with Bath Festival's educational department and, yet again, am loving it! It's amazing what people will let you do when you'll do it for free.

All of this stuff looks pretty good on my CV and so, I'm hoping that one day it'll get me a job I really enjoy too, but until then, I'm gonna keep on doing stuff for free. Life's too short to get caught up in making money.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you enjoy being creative, then just do it. Get involved and see where it takes you. What do you enjoy doing? What's going on in your area? Could you get stuck in? Doing stuff for free in a time of global resession is what's gonna make the world keep turning I reckon! I'm telling you, it's the way forward...

207: Creative New Year's Resolutions

The question comes up every year; what is your New Year's resolution? To be honest, I hate this question. I can never think of anything I could keep up. I should really say things like, 'well, I'll write every day' or, 'I'll call my family more often.' But from past experience I know these just won't be kept up (rubbish I know). I really need another one on top of these ones.

So this year, I am going to set myself a creative New Year's resolution. Maybe I'll set myself a knitting challenge, like knit something for each member of my family by next Christmas. Or I could make a photo album of my year with my new camera! Or volunteer with a creative charity. Finishing my novel would be a really good one...

Let's do it together! I'll have a creative New Year's resolution if you have one too. Get your thinking caps on people. What creative skill do you have? How could you use it this year?

Write it down, stick it on your wall and get it in motion!

Day 155: Spread your creative passions...

I'm pretty sure I've spoken to you a few times about how I've got stuck into knitting, but really credit has to go to the knitting club at Uni. We hold it in town every other week at a coffee shop. Yesterday I went along and there was one girl making gloves and another who had never knitted before. That's the great thing about it, anyone can come and join in the fun.
We sit. We chat. We knit. Simple.

It's great fun and I've really got into it. I've even started making some baby booties (I will show you when they're done, I promise)! It's fun doing something creative that's separate from my course. I do it when I'm watching tv in the evenings or watching a film. I love it!

The knitting club was set up by my friends Celia and Beth just because our Uni didn't have one and I am so glad they did. I wouldn't be into knitting without them and the knitting club.

 Does it annoy you that your school/college doesn't do what you love? Well, my challenge to you is to set up a club. If there's something you like doing creatively and it's not there, do it yourself! Get permission, put up posters, start a facebook group and away you go, you've got your very own lunchtime club going on. Maybe you're into writing lyrics or poems, sewing or dance. If you like baking why not set up a recipe club where one person brings in something they've made for everyone to try and give feedback? School/college is the perfect place to get more people involved in what you love.

Just because something doesn't happen, doesn't mean it shouldn't happen, so start it. That's what my friends did and it worked out great.

Give it a go. You won't know until you try...

Day 106: Volunteering at the Bath Kids Lit Fest

I have got a really busy week ahead because I am volunteering with the Bath Children's Literature Festival in Bath and with The Write Team (also part of Bath Festivals). It's going to be great. Not only am I likely to meet authors and go to some really interesting/helpful talks, I am also going to help kids learn about it all too. This is basically what I'm about. That's why I'm doing this blog, to encourage young people to be creative.

What are you about? Are you interested in dance, music, animation, writing...a great way to get experience in it is through volunteering. See what's going on in your area. There are loads of activities for children going on at weekends and in the holidays, so get on board. Maybe you don't want to work with children long term, but give it a go for now and see what you learn. Send them an email, ask if you can help. Make sure you're 'pushy' too. If they don't email you back, email them again. People are busy, so make sure they keep you in mind!

Volunteering is a great way to learn more about what you're interested in and meet some people who already do it! I'm going into schools all year (with The Write Team) to encourage young people to be creative, which is exactly what I want to do! I got this great opportunity through talking to someone at another event I went to. (Oh, the importance of Networking, see Day 69 for more of that...) You never know where these things might lead. So I encourage you all to get involved in whatever you can and be creative at the same time. A winner all round!

Go...

ps, if you're into writing and you live near Bath, check out the link above 'cause there are some brilliant events on at the Bath Children's Lit Fest this year! It starts this Friday so get moving...