Does Interacting With Other Creatives on Hive Help Your Creativity?

In many ways, Hive (and its predecessor) has been good for my creativity.

I think being exposed to the creations of so many very diverse individuals serves as fairly powerful inspiration. It's not a matter of wanting to copy what anyone else is doing... but it is a great way to get the creative energies going.

There was a time when I took a lot of writing classes and one of the things I took away from those is that most great writers are also voracious readers.

Similarly, I think it is good for artists to be around lots of other people's work, as a way to get insights and fresh perspectives on their own work. Inspiration and outright plagiarism are two very different things!

This summer, I have been trying to look for new possibilities for creative expression.

I am considering revisiting a previous "love affair" I had with wood carving, something I really got into during the 1990s. Except this time I might try working with some of the amazing driftwood that regularly washes up on our local beaches.

Is wood carving really art?

I suppose that could be open to debate, the "art vs. craft" debate seems to be as old as creativity itself. To be honest? I don't really care! I have never seen myself as much of a "purist."

Perhaps I will try my hand at carving elaborate walking staffs. Not sure, yet... have to experiment with how well various kinds of driftwood are suited to being detail carved.

I still have most of my father's old woodworking tools... I knew there was a reason I had been saving them for all these years!

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave a comment, if you feel so inclined!

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