I've come to a conclusion today that I have a void in my life, I have no outlet for creativity.
It's not that I'm not creative, more that I'm not traditionally creative. I don't write, draw, paint, sculpt, or anything like that. The closest I ever got was mapping for Quake. My creativity is based in problem solving. I can't figure out how to apply that to a hobby of some sort.
What do you guys do?
Show off? No not at all. If I wanted to do that I would do so, but it has been my experience that often times many are less than receptive about others who are outside the community of Lego as adults.
Usually some stupid shit to say or just never letting it go (see Voat). Just something I don't feel like dealing with usually.
But meh here is one
I'm guessing you have used some sets in there and combined them.
Two of my friends in high school(twins) used to love lego and we built a massive castle once but that was mostly out of standards blocks with a few special cap pieces for the tops of the walls. It didn't have a roof. It looked pretty good with all different colors. If I remember the standard colors were yellow, blue, red, white and black. They tore it down after a day because they just wanted to build stuff.
I think they had a couple of sets but they had them setup on their shelves.
I'm an old dirt and I am still addicted to Lego. I have a closet full of Legos; my favorite kits are (were) the old school Model Team.
I don't have a ton of creative outlets either. I think my imagination serves as the primary one (not connected to what I'm about to say).
I do have two people I know from a Discord server who I will be kicking off a Pathfinder (D&D 3.75, effectively), campaign with, so that'll also provide some good creative output. Only two people, but maybe that's OK given that I'll be the only one talking, and they'll both be typing. :p
I have done a little writing in the past; nothing like what Locke or someone who actually writes does, but just some place to express myself a little. I have been thinking about getting serious about one particular story or set of stories that would be a "Choose-your-own-adventure" type; but I'm not much of a writer in the first place, and motivating myself is difficult, even though I have a lot of ideas in my head.
I love DnD, and have viewed a little bit of the Pathfinder material. I am also part of a discord where this idea floats around constantly. We've got a handful of people that ready and willing to start a Roll20 group or even meet up in person. I love Choose Your Own Adventure stories, its what I grew up on. I practically live my life in that mindset.
Let me know if you ever have anything going on, I might take a peek.
Because of my work hours, I can only play at wonky times for US people (usually 1-2 AM until 5 AM US Central Time), so my two playing partners are someone on the west coast with no job and a girl who lives in Pakistan. :p
I'm still not sure how this will play out even with 2. I've looked at Roll20 and tinkered with it a bit, but it can be hard to work with at times I think. Though if you have what you need, it can be very cool.
OH man...
So over the course of several years I have garnered a lot artistry equipment. I have so many tools at my disposal: software, hardware, hand-art supplies like crocheting/painting/drawing. I am a creator.
Yet I cannot find that one true thing I want to create.
Every few months I have an inspiration. Like today. I have this overwhelming urge to make something but I don't know what to make.
I know so many different things, but I cannot focus my thought on that one thing in specific.
I think the best way for me to go about my situation, is to have a full Two Days Off in a row (will never fucking happen) and just lay out every piece of equipment I have on the living room floor.
I just want to look at all my tools. I want to see what I can create with them.
Seldom does modern man pursue his greatest hobby. My greatest hobby is creation, I love to make things. I want some time alone and access to a workshop where I can just make whatever the phuk comes to mind.
Wouldn't that be bliss?
I basically feel the same way, but I have nothing to do. I can't start because I don't have a muse. My creativity comes out of a need and if I have no need then I have nothing to do. I'm more a fixer than a maker, though. Like a MacGyver, making shit work with a limited amount of resources.
You sound like my dad! He was a child of the depression and grew up making stuff for him and his sibs to play with. After he returned from WW2 (Ardennes, Normandy- yes I'm proud of my father) he built his first home and as I grew up, was always fixing and making things. More of an "artificer" I suppose. We have more furniture made from other people's stuff - it aint all pretty, but it works and my father made it!
Lay out all of your creative tools into a neatly organized pile.
If you consume alcohol or any other substance, do so. Then look at your pile of creative potential.
Look at it real hard.
Then randomly pickup a tool and fucking use it.
That is how art is born.
I paint. And like once a year I sculpt.
If your creativity is based in problem solving, I would suggest perspective drawing for something easy or pottery for something hard.
And then after you've done that, assuming it doesn't break in the kiln and you have to start all over, you have the plethora of combinations of glazes to refire it with, with all their unknown (until you do them) chemical reactions.
Definately. I made this beautiful purple matte glaze as a test sample for my community college's ceramics facility. Last i heard they wanted to add it to the selection :)
Writing. Mostly in the form of shitposts and broccoli posts, but I have written an actual book and am writing another one.
What did you write? Care to share?
I don't want to dox myself over my first book, because it was a cringefest that I wrote to graduate high school. Basically just an Anarcho-Capitalist manifesto, and my beliefs have changed slightly since then anyway.
I might share my next one though. It's a satire manifesto for a horrible meme ideology, and the 'author' is slowly revealed to be a complete psycho as the book progresses.
So what you're saying is that you're a professional shitposter? Dems some creds, boi.
"The Broccoli Post Manifesto"
In a world of auto-correct and typing I do the occasional bit of Calligraphy and I hand write letters for people on special occasions. There's something about the act of writing with your hand, it makes you consider what you are trying to say with more thought and care. People seem to deeply appreciate it when I write something by hand and with sincerity. Not the kind of plastic smile thank you everyone gets when they give a gift. But when they take the time to read it, appreciate it, they pull me aside and thank me personally with a sincerity I find rewarding.
I've several book ideas and short stories I'm working on. I'd like to publish some day.
Calligraphy is cool, I wish I had that sort of fine motor control with a pen. TIny screws, sure, but writing? Forget about it.
How are the stories/books coming? Are you putting a concentrated effort into it?
Anyone can try Calligraphy, all you need is patience, a nib and some ink, perhaps a book with some example styles. I find it soothing for some reason. I should really do it more often to try and get better at it.
I chip away at the writing here and there, a lot of ideas spit balling with a few friends. I can always do more and I should because I enjoy it and maybe I can make a living off it some day if I'm lucky enough. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction writing. The thought just occurred to me to consider writing it by hand before typing. Perhaps I'd tease out more of the sincerity in such a way. I like feedback so share some short stories with friends for ideas. Perhaps sometime I could write a short story to share on phuks for feedback.I did write a few little snippets in my aussiebanter sub for fun.
Perhaps sometime I could write a short story to share on phuks for feedback.
I'd read it. We need more OC anyway. :)
Prop building might be your fix.
You said you sculpt on occasion, I'm getting it's either digital or with proper clay. If it's the latter, try sculpting with a wax or oil based clay (my favorite so far is Chavant NSP. Bit expensive but reusable, but if you want to save anything you need to make castings.
Cooking is one of my many creative outlets. So as a bit of background I'm an expat living in Thailand. That means that cooking western food is often expensive as some of the ingredients are not made locally here. Even simple things like canned beans. So instead I have to source local, fresh ingredients and use online recipes more as an inspiration than a guideline. For me, it's very much like problem solving.
Another creative outlet that involves problem solving is chess. Chess is one of those games that's easy to learn but has a steep learning curve. And once you're playing at a high enough level it's more like a language.
The occasional doodle or some shitty poetry is my go to outlet. Although those both mainly happen when I have down time at work.
Lately I've been slacking on that and haven't found a good replacement.
my creative outlet for the moment is poal. I wish I had more I would probably be happier if I had more hobbies. Poal is the first one I've had in over a decade and I hope it will lead me to expand and find something more outside of work.
I fix things.
I have a 30x40x16 pole barn with every tool imaginable and a huge air compressor. I have a large house, 3.5 acres, four cars (kids), and a large boat - all of which equal a huge pile of shit going wrong. Something's always breaking so I'm always fixing something. Sometimes it's overwhelming but also the most satisfying thing ever. Tomorrow I have to fix a broken sprinkler line.
Have to say Lego.
Before any of you edgelord types say some shit don't knock it till you try it. I would share some of the shit I have made but you would hurt my feels.