A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 27 – Create!

Fiona Ferris, in her book, 30 Chic Days, labels Day 27 “Embrace Creativity and Enjoy the Benefits.” In this chapter, Fiona writes about the fun and freedom that she experiences when she loses herself in her creative crafting hobbies. She finds that she feels better – both calmer and more resilient – when she keeps her creative time a high priority in her schedule. Fiona asks us to think back to when we were about 10 or 12 years old – what did we love to do? Whatever it was, the key parts of it are probably the things that we still enjoy doing today.

When I was around 10-11 years old, I loved exploring and drawing mental maps of the areas I explored. I also loved building things from whatever materials I could find.  As an adult, I still love exploring. Instead of the nearby creek, I now love to wander interesting neighborhoods in Paris. Right now, under the rules of Paris’s lockdown, I can’t go any further than 1 km from my place of residence. Since I can’t visit new places, I’m actively looking for beautiful things in my own neighborhood that I have never before noticed. I just “found” this charming squirrel this morning on a street that I have walked many times this Spring!

I also enjoy the challenge of “making do” – like how to substitute ingredients in recipes if I find I’m missing something. I really like the exercise of creating the perfect capsule wardrobe only using the clothes I already have – no new purchases allowed. Or “building” a well-thought-out packing list for a 2-week trip that will easily fit in a carry-on suitcase. (That can be a challenge!) I guess I still enjoy basically the same activities that I did when I was a kid!

 Fiona’s point in this chapter is that actively expressing our own creative spark makes us happy. When we spend too much time being passive consumers of other people’s creative work, we can begin to feel dull and unmotivated. We each have a unique gift that when we use it brings joy to us and to the world around us. Even though this lockdown period restricts our movements, maybe it can free us to reconnect with our creative hobbies.