Dedicated to “the solid gold power of creativity in everyday life” (Clare Bowditch, The Age, 2008) and a man in a park on a Wednesday morning eager to talk about Berlin architecture …
I’m writing this blog to pay attention to the things in my life that are creative, and in such paying attention to be creative.
The things in my life that are creative include reading and knitting. I read widely, though mostly fiction, mostly non-contemporary. Because I prefer truth to facts, and only want to be in the hands of masters.
My favourite writers are Nabokov and Flaubert. My favourite book, just to be contrary, is non-fiction. It’s the book called Flaubert in Egypt, assembled by Francis Steegmuller, on Graham Greene’s suggestion, from the “preternaturally observant” notes and “splendidly frank” letters Flaubert wrote during his trip through Egypt and Jordan in 1849. I like to imagine Greene and Steegmuller, neighbours on Capri, one scotch down, conjuring the book on a flagstone terrace. One day, I plan to follow in Flaubert’s footsteps.
In knitting I plough a very narrow field: mostly socks.
I live in Melbourne, Australia in a very beautiful street with trees like candelabras and the Yarra river at one end.
I work as a business and communications consultant. The parts of my job I most enjoy are interviewing people and “causing” others as they create new possibilities in how they work.
I hope you will enjoy this blog and add comments.
You can also email me at solidgoldcreativity@gmail.com
Narelle Hanratty
Melbourne, Australia
I liked what you wrote about creativity – “To pay attention to aspects of everyday life that are creative, and in such paying attention to be creative” . I want to do this consciously.
I am just browsing through the blog and thought I’d better start at the start and so just read your intro: Francis Steegmuller wrote one of my favourite biographies, on one of my favourite people, Jean Cocteau, which I stole from the Blacktown public library in about 1983 – it’s still in my bookcase stamped with Public Property stamps and a dyno tab across the front with ‘Book of the Year 1970′ – heaps of people have picked it up over the years and no one has ever commented on how it ended up in my library…
As you know, Steegmuller was married to Shirley Hazzard, who wrote a slight book about their summer relationship with Greene, called ‘Greene on Capri’ – which I thought was an interesting Vanity Fair article stretched very thinly to a book – what did you think?
Through your introduction, I love ‘Transit of Venus’ – which I once lent to a boy I had a crush on and which he never returned – the crush didn’t work out either…
During the Hong Kong book festival in 2006, I went along to Shirley Hazzard reading from her latest book ‘The Great Fire’, which I was never able to complete. She was very lively and I got her signature on the programme – but I still left somewhat empty and she seemed out of touch and no longer modern or relevant.
At the same festival, I also met Alan Hollinghurst , who wrote one of my favourite books ‘The Line of Beauty’. In person, he came across as totally obsessed with money. I suppose the lesson is never met your idols…
R X
Steegmuller must have been very talented; he was an editor, biographer and translator. It’s many years since I read Transit of Venus (haven’t wanted to read it again in case it broke the spell, a la the book festival experience), but I remember it featuring an expat Aussie woman and an older, sophisticated man, who in retrospect must be a version of Steegmuller. I haven’t read her book on Greene. A bit crass to trade on her acquaintance with him …?
“Most people live lives of quiet desperation.” versus “No day is commonplace, if only we have eyes to see it’s splendour.” The key would appear to be focus. Buy a car, and you see that car everywhere. Buy a life, and that life is manifestly shown to you. I buy your creativity. ;-)
Ha ha, great! Like the quote about splendour. What a wonderful word. Thanks for reading and commenting.
On the topic of creativity: Soulful talk, delivered with British humor:
Ha ha, brilliant, and hilarious. He could be a stand-up. Love the line about university professors viewing their body “as a form of transport for their heads”, and “if a man speaks his mind in a forest and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?” :) His point too about being educated “out of creativity” is exactly what I’ve recently been feeling about there being a thick film or crust lying between my present self and my childhood/teenage inventiveness. Thanks very much for posting it. It’s given me a lot of food for thought.
Just checking out what you said about yourself
getting ideas from my blog coach
I think creativity is to be present and doing what needs to be done in each moment
the words of my coach stand out plan your work work your plan and the same might be said for creativity – just avoiding starting the red presence but am calling this research
Oh yeh, I do plenty of “research” myself. I actually have very little idea what creativity is. Cheers.
I like knitting too! Although all I know how to create are scarves. Now that winter has arrived here in Northern California, my computer and my knitting bag will vie for hands-on attention.
Hi Cheri. Thanks for stopping by. Oh yes, I have the same dilemma many nights: computer or knitting bag? ;) SGx
Came past via ‘landmark forum’ tag roll on wordpress. Just wanted to wave a ‘hi’ from a fellow Melbourne Forum Graduate.
Hi craftymim :) Thanks so much for the wave. Drop by again soon. SGx
Thanks for your insights. I had a similar experience several years ago. A nonprofit board I was working with could not reach a decision. They asked me to come and help them. So, I drove many hours to attend the next board meeting.
When I arrived the board chair said, “Barbara is here so let’s tell her about our predicament”. And they did. As the board discussed the problem and the possible solutions they reached a conclusion everyone supported.
They thanked me for my help.
How wonderful, Barbara. It’s a very distinctive type of experience, isn’t it? Thanks for commenting.
“I prefer truth to facts, and only want to be in the hands of masters”
A phrase redundant with beauty. I can easily imagine a full life from catching its drift.
To distill the practice from such an understanding is to court Sophia her self; to engage her company through groves of olive and along the crystal blue epidermis of the Mediterranean sea.
Thank you. “… through groves of olive” … lovely.