Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

     I recently started reading Twyla Tharpe's book " The Creative Habit".  It explores the challenge of making creativity a habit and getting through "writer's blocks" and other such difficulties.  I have only just begun it so I still have a long way to go.  At the beginning of chapter 3, there is a questionnaire called "your creative autobiography" which asks you to explore your creative history in order to understand your "creative DNA" (I'm not going to explain this, just read the book).  Anyway, the first question is "What is the first creative moment you remember?"  This was a very hard question for me to answer for I have to go way to my childhood, before I even thought of myself as a creative person (that has only been very recent).  The moment I came back to had to do with my Breyer model horse collection.  Being a horse crazy kid, I had a healthy collection of them that I loved to play with.  One day when I was in the toy store with my mother, I saw the great barn set, complete with tack, fences, jumps, and probably anything else you could possibly think of.  Basically, it was a deluxe doll house for toy horses.  Of, course I pointed it out to my mother for a possible gift. Never got it.  I pointed it out to my grandmother. Never got it (and you know if grandma didn't get it for you, nobody would).  I don't know why nobody bought it for me.  Perhaps it was tremendously expensive or looked poorly made to my mother, but whatever the reason, I am thankful that nobody purchased it for me.  If they had I would never have spent an entire rainy Sunday afternoon constructing a barn and fences for my horses out of cardboard boxes, and saddles and bridles out of cloth and elastic from my mother's sewing stash.  This was the first time I remember creating something without help, directions, a kit, or any other guidance of that sort.  I simply created what I so desired out of the resources I had available to me.
     This is how it sometimes goes with the creative process.  Often the desire for something very specific sparks the fire of innovation.  I know many people who have gotten into beaded jewelry making because they wanted a certain color or style of necklace to wear with a special outfit.  So it went with some of the belly dance accessories I have created recently.  The first tribal fusion headdress I made came out of a need for something to go with certain costume pieces.  I have since made two costume bra tops, and many hair accessories.  Some very special pieces I have sold to other dancers and have enjoyed watching them perform with something beautiful that I created.  This last piece I made is also for sale, and I'm sure it will look fabulous on the lucky dancer.  It was made with love out of up-cycled jewelry pieces and vintage ribbon and lace.  As I continue to become more involved with the dancing, I'm sure I will have many other creations to add to my collection of belly dance costume accessories.  Stay tuned!