Tag Archives: Calm

Creativity Burst: Baking a Pie

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When all else fails, bake a pie!

Creativity can found in so many places, particularly the kitchen. Perhaps you are not one to enjoy cooking or baking – if that is you then this post is probably not for you. However, if there is an inkling within that is drawn to making something homemade in the kitchen, it truly is a place and space to let your creativity burst forth.

And why pie?

In my humble pie opinion, it’s one of those baked goodies that can be as easy or as challenging as you want to make it and/or need it to be. No matter what level you take it to though, baking a pie can create a space for creativity like none other.

You have the choice of type of pie and can change it up as you see fit and are drawn to do. You can choose ready-made pie crust and focus on the filling or you can perfect your pie dough technique – what would be most challenging of all for me! There is also the ritual of using your hands and mind to create something special and delicious for you and your loved ones.

Even better, once the pie is in the oven and the scent comes piping out of the oven — oh! Is there anything better? The scent alone can bring forth a burst of your creative self at play.

Along with the creativity, baking a pie can also lead to a felt sense of being grounded in a tactile activity that uses our hands and our hearts and minds. United in the act of creating a pie, it is an activity that holds one in the moment. So, not only is it an activity to turn toward for a creativity burst, but also to find grounding in one’s self.

There is always pie! Which type is your favorite?

Mid-Winter Flowers

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Mid Winter Flowers

Yes! This bunch of flowers have been picked just for you!

It seems a little odd to think of fresh flowers during these deep, dark January days. Unless you have a Birthday or particular celebration, flowers are not very seasonal this time of year. Even at the famous Pike Place Market here in Seattle, most of our local flower farms are selling dried stems that have a beauty all their own, but do not hold the scent and look and feel of fresh ones.

However, this is probably the time of year when we need a bouquet the most. I know Valentine’s Day is around the corner and the flowers will be pricey and in demand, but the quiet, slow, deep winter days where no flowers are to be found let alone thought about feels like the perfect time to treat one’s self or to pick a few stems for a friend or even plant a bulb inside your warm home.

Something about the flowers and their beauty can brighten an otherwise mundane day and remind each of us that the days are lengthening and that spring is not far away.

If a bunch of real flowers are simply not possible, you can definitely create a bouquet in your visual journal. Clip out all the flowers you see in your magazines and make the most beautiful arrangement of flowers you have seen. This is a simple yet wonderful way to dwell in beauty as you use your creativity and intuitive sense of what you are naturally drawn too.

Overall, flowers are alive and can be present with us throughout the days and seasons. It may be an upside down idea to have flowers in January, but that’s what makes it precious!