Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: creativity

Writing is Thinking

During the very first lockdown here in Melbourne in March 2020 I was filled with a sense of peace and relief at the free time I had spreading out to become large enough to breathe and craft and think. Leading up to that lockdown I had been super busy and pulled in so many different directions that I gladly took on the chance to press pause on all my commitments.

During lockdown six (!) in August 2021, I was trying to recapture the feelings of the first lockdown by doing the same things but unsurprisingly it didn't work. I didn't feel like doing the same things because I was in a different place mentally and emotionally. Instead of being relieved to be at home, I was dying to get out of the house. To be able to spread my wings, see people and explore.

And I only realised why it didn't work and why those projects are gathering dust when I started blogging here again. Writing about my experience and what has been happening for me over the last few months has allowed me to get it out of my head so I can see it clearly. Writing really is thinking for me!

How do you process what is happening to you? Do you write or move or sing?

January 12, 2022
The Five Seasons of Imagination

I've been wondering about the nature of creativity. When I've read articles or books on the subject they all emphasise the writer's routine. And when I say routine, I mean what they do every day, no matter what, to write. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the way Hemmingway or Angelou writes and feel inadequate. I mean who has the energy to rise at dawn every single day or the money to pay for a hotel room in which to write?

The idea of the same routine day in day out is very linear and growth oriented. It treats us like machines, able to endlessly churn out sentence after sentence of glittering prose. But we are not machines. We are beings. What about the days when we are tired and just want to sleep? Or the days when we're too busy juggling chores and kids' homework? Or the days when we're going out with friends?

I think these books and articles do us all a great disservice. Yes, we do need to write frequently to build up material and improve our craft. But I don't think we need to write ten pages every day followed by a run around the block and a green smoothie. After all, we are not in flood every day. There are also lean times of drought. And everything in between.

Instead of thinking about creativity as a beast to master and whip into shape I think we need to treat it like the seasons of nature and allow for periods of growth and rest. I view creativity as a seed that starts with an idea. First we plant our idea by grabbing hold of it and giving it our full attention. Then we nurture it with curiosity and excitement. Once it starts growing we feed it ideas and information. Any mistakes we make along the way are compost to enrich the soil. When it has reached maturity it's time to harvest it by sharing with others or consuming it ourselves. Once the harvest is complete, it's time to grieve the place in our lives where the idea has lived for so long. And finally, we are fallow until the soil of our imagination is fertile once more.

We can be kinder to ourselves when we view creativity in this way. Instead of beating ourselves up for not being productive, we can recognise which season we are in and fully embrace and celebrate that particular season and its gifts. All the seasons are necessary for our creativity - planting, nurturing, growing, harvesting, grieving and resting. To promote growth over all others depletes the tilth of our imagination.

March 9, 2020
Sewing the Sacred

I often have half finished projects lying around the house. I start them with great enthusiasm and then for some reason or another (life gets busy or I get distracted by another exciting project) I don't get around to fishing them. Last year I was making hand-bound books using eco-dyed silk. I made one as a farewell gift for a good friend. Since then the others have lain in a box in various stages of completion.

This week I wanted to get back into using my hands to create (off the screen that is. There's been far too much of that and square eyes lately). I laid out all the paper, thread, scissors and silk on top of the blanket box in the snug where I craft. And then just didn't feel like doing it. I'm tired after a week of camping and not sleeping very well. I found it hard to muster the energy.

I finally told myself to just go ahead and do it anyway. There was never going to be a perfect time to start so I may as well jump in. Slowly, slowly I got back into the groove. And as I was sewing the pamphlets together to create the text block I had a realisation. I had been wanting to go straight from housework to a state of flow. Straight from mundane tasks to being fully absorbed in my project. Straight to the feeling of ease and the hours slipping away. Of course, flow comes when it wills and sometimes not at all. You can't force it or flog it into submission. It must be coaxed gently by doing, one step at a time. And then if you're lucky, you'll look up to find that hours have passed and you are feeling fulfilled.

January 27, 2020
Cure Creator’s Block

We’ve all been faced with the terrible moment when our creativity deserts us and our inspiration runs dry.

The blank page or lump of clay stare back at us. No matter how hard we try we just cannot come up with new ideas.

Don’t fret, it happens to all of us and with this free e-book I’ll share with you practical and effective ways to kickstart your creativity.

Download now!

April 25, 2018
Cure Creator’s Block

We’ve all been faced with the terrible moment when our creativity deserts us and our inspiration runs dry.

The blank page or lump of clay stare back at us. No matter how hard we try we just cannot come up with new ideas.

Don’t fret, it happens to all of us and with this free e-book I’ll share with you practical and effective ways to kickstart your creativity.

Download now!

April 25, 2018
Big Magic

I didn't read Eat Pray Love when I worked at a publishers and saw the cover every day. I didn't feel drawn to it somehow. I have on the other hand watched Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk on creativity more than once. She's funny, inspiring and insightful. (One of my other favourite TED talks is by Amy Cuddy, check it out.)

Big Magic is Gilbert's book on creativity and I have devoured it. I have to admit that I borrow a lot of business/motivational/inspirational/creativity books from the library and most of them are so dense (and boring) that I don't finish them. This on the other hand is very readable, quotes lots of interesting authors and artists (Marcus Aurelius, Tom Waits) and has some thought provoking ideas. Gilbert believes that ideas are an entity just like plants and people and they spend their time looking for collaborative partners so they can come to fruition. I'm still getting my head around this one!

I envy her dedication to writing – I only wish that as a writer I had her unwavering commitment to the craft. She took a vow to be a writer when she was a teenager and has stuck to it ever since in spite of countless rejections. Talk about impressive. Compared to her I feel awkward and insecure. That said, I can learn a lot from her example and suggestions.

I don't agree with everything Gilbert says but that's okay cos there's still a lot to love. One of her main themes is that we shouldn't rely on our passions to pay our way. That we should work the boring jobs and do our craft in our spare time. I think that one of the reasons I don't agree with this point of view is that I don't want it to be true although I suspect she's right dammit!

What inspiring books are you reading at the moment?

October 23, 2017
What’s Your Excuse?

I've been busy writing an e-book and I wanted you lovely readers to be the very first to have a sneak peek!

I've created it to help people who want to live a more creative life but just don't know how to start. It's about overcoming the excuses holding you back from making the things you need, expressing your creativity and following your dreams. I've included some of the tips and exercises I use to live a creative life and make the things I need. Doing something new can be scary; this book is a friend to help you on your way!

I have a favour to ask – I've designed two covers for the book and I'm not sure which one to go with. Which one do you like better – the cover with the picture of a watch or the minimalist black and white cover? Reply to this email or vote for your favourite in the comments.

You can download the first chapter and share the link with anyone you think can use it. And if you have any feedback or ideas about how I can improve the book, please let me know!

I'm not sure how the final book will be published, whether it will be a free download or a paid book, but for now you can have the first chapter – free! (I lurve free!).

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August 8, 2017
Rest

The cold winter days have me huddling inside, heater blazing while I try and make as much as possible, do an adult education class and write a couple of books. This year I am relishing the creativity of the season rather than bemoaning the cold, gloomy weather. So far it's working!

I know winter is the time for drawing indoors and for some people, a time for rest. But for me, winter is the time of year when creatively I get the most done. The challenge for me at this time of year is to remember to rest. There's so much temptation and so much I could do that I find it very hard to sit and do nothing. I find that hard anyway but in winter it's much worse!

I'm reading this book in the hope that it will somehow rub off on me and I'll be able to rest. The author talks about being the feeling of chasing ideas and achieving creative breakthroughs as being as addictive as games, as physically satisfying as food and as emotionally fulfilling as being in love. That about sums up being creative and making things for me.

Hopefully I'll also get some good tips on how to create more space in my life for rest and crafting a better balance between work, rest and play. Tell me, do you like to rest in winter or do lots of crafting like a person possessed?

July 29, 2017
Crafting Lessons Learnt At The Village Continuum

{Basket woven by my ten year old daughter, at The Village Continuum festival.}

We're wired to create. It's in our DNA. I just know it. It's why there are cities and spoons, buildings and blankets, stained glass window and shoes. We just can't help ourselves, we make. The Village Continuum festival was maker's paradise for me with so many amazing traditional craft workshops on offer. If you didn't make it this year and you love craft, you should seriously think about going next year.

{Stringy bark rope made in Josh's workshop and dyed in Heather's natural dye pot. L: eucalyptus R:onion skin with iron mordant}

{Dye pots simmering over the open fire. Onion, eucalyptus and cherry ballart.}

Cross Crafting

One of the really exciting things about the Village Continuum festival was the cross crafting that occurred. There was a steady stream of people going from the rope making workshop across to the fire and the natural dye pots to make their stringy bark rope colourful. Shoes and leg warmers from the felting workshop went into the dye pots too. We even had one facilitator who was chucking whatever she could find into the dye pots- old thermals, socks and bags that needed livening up.

There was also butter made in one of the workshops served the next morning at breakfast time.

{Top: Max's wallet. Bottom: the workshop template}

Creativity

When you put a bunch of people together, show them some skills and give them the tools and materials they need, amazing things can happen. In my leather craft workshop at the Village Continuum, nine year old Max took the card and note wallet prototype and flipped it on its head. He took the middle piece of leather, attached it to the top and turned the whole thing into a little pouch. I love it! Especially the button detail with the loop (the button has been sewn on backwards as well!).

This little pouch tells you everything you need to know about creativity. Age doesn't matter – young kids and old people can do it. Step outside the box (or in this case the pattern). Turn things over. Go backwards. Do it your way. Make it what you want. Be different. You are unique. You can do it.

{Basket weavers weaving their baskets}

Collaborative Crafting

I think there's nothing better than crafting with a bunch of other people. It's why I love doing craft workshops and attending awesome festivals. You get to chat, learn and be inspired. You get to swap stories, talk about your loves and for just a little while feel connected to each other as you share your stories, hopes and dreams. It's amazing how people open up when their hands are busy doing something else.

Sitting together in a workshop chatting as we carve, sew, cook, learn and teach fills my soul right up. I learn as much from the other students as the teachers when I do a workshop and the Village Continuum was no exception. When I was doing the Coal Burn Spoon making workshop, one of the other students, Art, taught me so much about branch wood and choosing a good piece.

{Speedy running an impromptu razor sharpening demo}

Spontaneous Crafting

You just couldn't stop the passionate folks at the Village Continuum from sharing their skills and knowledge with each other. This is Speedy teaching an impromptu razor sharpening workshop during the festival. Speedy is a goldmine of traditional craft knowledge and can turn his hand to just abut anything. From blacksmithing to cheese making, he's done it.

Festivals like The Village Continuum are so important for slowing down and bringing together creative people who are happy to share their skills and knowledge. It was an honour and a privilege to be part of creating something so beautiful. If I had my way, I'd be gong to a festival like this every weekend!

December 2, 2016
I’m Still Here!

Hello? … Hello!

Oh good. You’re still there. And I’m still here! Although it may have looked like I was doing a disappearing act, I’m still here at the other end of this keyboard. Being part of the crew organising the Village Continuum festival was huge and it kind of took over my whole life. Actually, it did take over my whole life! All my keyboard time was spent working on the festival.

While there was still some crafting going on (there’s always some crafting going on!), I didn’t have any spare time to share it here. I know, terrible isn’t it? No time to write and share. But the festival is over and I’m back! Although for how long, who knows? The warmer weather always gets me about and about more…

I did manage to keep posting on Instagram so if you want to check out what I’ve been making for the last few months you can – @indraniperera.

As well as being part of the organising crew, I also ran a leather craft workshop at the festival. I was so pleased and humbled at the number of people who turned up to do my workshop. Before the workshop I had cut out 20 pouches and I was thinking that I would be going home with some. Boy was I wrong. There were over thirty kids and adults crammed into the tiny tent, all eager to learn about leather craft and make their very own vegetable tanned kangaroo skin pouch!

I'm grateful to the lovely Kate Horne for coming to help and cut out more pouches for all the people patiently waiting for their leather. The time went by so quickly as they all sat and crafted. Marking stitches, making holes and sewing leather. Watching them teach other what they already knew or had just learnt was wonderful. The synergy and energy of workshops and people creating together is always inspiring. A community of crafters – that’s the world I want to live in.

These are some of the pouches that were made. The others went off with their very excited owners before I could get a snap!

I love giving people a template and the basic skills needed to complete a project and then sitting back and watching them unleash their creativity. Options – it’s all about having different options and allowing people to have some choice. It’s so empowering to be able to customise something and make it truly your own. Looking at the pouches, you can see the owner’s personalities and style peeping though.

There were two choices of pouch – the round coin purse and the note & card wallet. A few simple choices such as coloured cotton thread for embroidery, black or white waxed linen for sewing and some coconut shell buttons made 27 very unique pouches.

It's so rewarding to be teaching people so hungry for traditional crafts and mindful making. I've still got a big grin from ear to ear and a bounce in my walk!

November 17, 2016