WHEN YOU HAVE NO EGGS
I felt like making simple pancakes today for breakfast...but realised half way that I didn't have eggs in the house!
URGHH!
So... facing a disappointed 3yr old who had been promised she could 'help make pancakes'
i had a choice.
Just make our usual oats and muesli for breakfast
Or
Somehow find and make a NEW recipe for eggless pancakes.
...
I quickly scrambled to grab my phone and looked up eggless recipes.
Now I should say... I'm no cook. I suck at following recipes - I just can't get exact measurements right and a little part of me prefers to wing it!
But new recipes aren't easy for me! It's like learning a new skill.
And the added pressure of hangry babies (both the 3yr old & the one in my belly) - there was very little margin for error.
So I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. Not the best for sure!
But Indy is happy AND they were edible!
Which was the main goal!
But I got to thinking about a couple things.
FIRST,
how easy it would have been to just go back to our usual breakfast.
Doing what we always do.
Blame the lack of something so that meant I couldn't follow my plan perfectly - so why bother?
Not take another risk when it may mean tantrums and a whole morning of wasted ingredients if it doesn't turn out.
Not to mention, HANGRY!
Well, then I miss out on learning something new
(I prob won't use that recipe again - because I prefer my simple recipe WITH eggs!)
but I also learnt
however subliminally
that i can solve problems that come my way
that a lack of the right tools doesn't have to be the end of the road
that taking a risk (however small) is OK
that if I let go of the exact outcomes - I can still get a sense of play, experimentation & quality time skill sharing with my little girl!
What little way could you be missing out on being a little more creative in your day?
Even in a small tiny way?
Even in a very imperfect and 'ordinary' way?
SECOND
I got to thinking also, of how I (& probably all of us) use our creativity in little ways every day.
We're not robots - not just bumbling along following a preset formula and routine that we repeat day in day out.
When we play
When we listen to music and make another playlist
When we take photos of something on the weekend
When we retell a story over dinner
When we coordinate our schedules to squeeze in one more appointment AND still make that movie
When we cook
When we solve problems like having no eggs
What little creative activity do you do everyday but don't acknowledge?
How would it change how you nurtured your creativity if you saw just HOW MUCH you use it daily?
Cooking is a creative activity I like,
But
am totally not good at,
doesn't come naturally to me
Yet
I enjoy the fruits of it - eating, seeing master chefs creating their art, watching shows on it
and
wish I could do more of!
but I never seem to have the time!
or honestly, i say that i don't have the time.
That I like having ALL the right 'tools' and ingredients.
That I don't like wasting all that food when it doesn't work out (which is frequent unfortunately)
Sometimes I blame my lack of some appliance or other (even though I wouldn't know how to use it!)
Sometimes I make it a HUGE DEAL and need 5 hours because it's go big or go home...
But there are little moments when I remember...
now is the time
It only takes a moment to choose to move forward
It only takes the DECISION to choose 'what the hell, lets try it!'
And to acknowledge and be SO grateful for the opportunity to connect, learns and PLAY.
With my inner child, with my actual child and with creativity and the Muse.
EVEN IN SMALL, ORDINARY WAYS.
Which only serves to boost my confidence to try more 'ambitious' recipes.
Or even
*gasp*
Make up one of my own!
Just from a small, ordinary plate of eggless pancakes...
x Brenda
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To nurture our creative practice into a deeper connection of chaotic play with creative purpose.
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