Connecting to Self
I take frequent walks to my favourite park. It is a time just for me.
An opportunity to let go of the stresses of the day and take in my surroundings – the family of cyclists, the sound of our neighbour’s son practising his drumming, the kids at the local kindy peering through the fence.
When I enter the park I am greeted by ‘my’ grand trees. I feel my body relax and mind open to the little gems that I may find along the way. The thing I most enjoy about walking around this park is that it’s an opportunity for my mind to wander. It is in this state of nothingness that I can truly hone in on the coloured leaf or the texture of the bark on the trees. I can look down and see the uncut grass blanketed in new autumn leaves, hearing them crunch beneath my feet. I can look up and notice new patterns in the clouds – the shades of blue, sometimes splashes of orange and pink. I’ll sometimes get a random thought, or I’ll gravitate toward a particular pattern or texture. These walks are not only good for my soul, but they are a core part of my creative practice.
In my current embroidery practice I use patterns in nature as a way to connect with my identity, as a Samoan/Irish New Zealander. It is in nature that I feel a connection to my ancestors. The place and time of these connections are uniquely based on my own experiences and interpretations. The act of stitching is in itself a way to thread my past into the present.
I like to play with lines and patterns, portraying a connection through the markings found in nature, but also showing disconnection such as the holes made by my needle and the cut thread. I love that I can express beauty in imperfection.
As we celebrate ‘World Creativity & Innovation Week’, a worldwide community dedicated to celebrating all forms of creativity, it is an opportunity for us all to pause, reflect, look up and look down.
Being creative does not have to result in a particular outcome. Everything you do can be a creative act. In a world increasingly captured by AI, it is our qualities and behaviours as human beings, which we can hold onto.
Creativity is driven by spikiness – the unique, out-of-the-box ideas that often come from human intuition and insight.
Technologies such as AI do not fundamentally change who we are as human beings. It is the creative spark that defines human innovation. These creative sparks are unique to us all and are shaped by our own identity, experiences and memories.
We live in an often noisy and busy world. This week I encourage you to take a break from technology for a moment, to be present with your surroundings – look closer at nature. Maybe explore further and create something. Draw, paint, photograph, write – let your mind wander – these are all creative acts that celebrate what it means to be uniquely you.
Written by: Des Ratima, Creative Waikato team member