WHAT DOES CREATIVITY MEAN?

WE ALL HAVE HEARD THIS WORD A LOT - "CREATIVITY". WHEN WE ARE YOUNG WE ARE OFTEN  ASKED TO DO SOME SCHOOL PROJECTS CREATIVELY, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO ART ETC. THEN LATER IN LIFE FEW OF US CHOOSE A CAREER IN CREATIVE FIELDS ALSO LIKE DESIGNING, ART, WRITING, FILM MAKING ETC. AND MANY CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH FOR THEM. PEOPLE WHO WORK IN CREATIVE FIELDS STAY CONNECTED TO IT IN SOME OR THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE OF THEIR NATURE OF WORK. BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LATTER ? DO THEY MOVE AWAY FROM CREATIVITY IN THE RACE OF LIFE? I THINK NO..THEY DON'T. WE ALL HAVE SOME CREATIVITY IN US BUT WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE IS THE POWER TO RECOGNIZE AND REINFORCE. IN OUR BUSY ROUTINES WE OFTEN GIVE BACK SEAT TO OUR CREATIVE SIDES AND GIVE PRIORITY TO OTHER THINGS. WE DON'T REALIZE DOING CREATIVE THINGS CAN BE A GREAT STRESS BUSTING EXERCISE FOR HUMAN BRAIN. IT CAN EASILY TURN THE MUNDANE REALITY INTO AN IMAGINATIVE WORLD.

AS THE TITLE OF MY BLOG ITSELF LEADS YOUR THOUGHTS TOWARDS BEING CREATIVE, I OFTEN THINK WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS?AND CAN IT BE TAUGHT TO BE CREATIVE ?

SO MY CURIOSITY TO UNDERSTAND THE CREATIVE WORD AND WORLD BETTER TOOK ME TO INTERNET SURFING. I ENDED UP READING VARIOUS VIEWS ON DIFFERENT WEBSITES. BUT STILL I WAS NOT HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH WHATEVER I HAD READ. I ASKED MYSELF WHY? WHEN UNANIMOUSLY IT'S BEEN WRITTEN, WHY IS IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO COMPREHEND?

WHAT I READ ON INTERNET AND WHY I COULD NOT CONNECT -

1. BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE OF THOSE PAGES 

2. EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO WRITE SOMETHING SO "CREATIVELY" THAT IT ACTUALLY BECAME "COMPLICATED" FOR ME.

3. LIBRARIES CURATED WITH A LONG LIST OF BOOKS ON "HOW TO BE A CREATIVE THINKER" ETC.

4. BEING CREATIVE IS A ROCKET SCIENCE.

IN THAT VERY MOMENT I FELT HORRIBLE ABOUT MY WRITING SKILLS AND FOUND EVERYONE BETTER THAN ME. I ALMOST FELT LIKE GIVING UP BLOGGING BECAUSE OF THE PICTURE I CREATED INTO MY MIND ABOUT "CREATIVITY" AFTER ABSORBING THOSE HEAVY VOCABULARY WORDS. MY WRITING IDEAS SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED BECAUSE OF THE IDEAS OF OTHER PEOPLE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN A SINKING FEELING WAS FILLED INTO ME. I WAS STANDING AGAINST THE MONSTER OF "CREATIVITY" WHO WAS ENORMOUS AND READY TO GULP ME DOWN. 

I GAVE SOMETIME TO MYSELF AND LOTS OF THINKING HAPPENED. I STARTED ASKING MYSELF FEW QUESTIONS - 

AM I ENJOYING WHAT I'M DOING? THE ANSWER WAS "YES".

AM I READY TO LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES? THE ANSWER WAS "YES".

AM I AFRAID OF FAILURE? THE ANSWER WAS "NO"

AM I DOING IT TO PROVE MYSELF TO ANYONE? THE ANSWER WAS AGAIN A "NO"

SO WHY AM I NOT FEELING GOOD ABOUT WHAT I'M DOING 😀 I SHOULD RATHER BE HAPPIER ABOUT THE FACT THAT I COULD FOLLOW MY HEART DESPITE OF SO MANY CHALLENGES. 

SO WHAT I FINALLY CONCLUDED IS, SHARING WITH YOU ALL HERE, MY DEFINITION OF BEING CREATIVE OR CREATIVITY :

WE ALL HAVE SOME PART OF US INCLINED TOWARDS CREATIVE THINGS -  MUSIC, DANCING, WRITING, PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY, SINGING AND EVEN DAY TO 

DAY COOKING ETC. 

WHEN IT COMES TO EXPRESSING YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES, LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. WHAT MATTERS IS THE CONTENT, PASSION YOU PUT INTO IT AND HARD WORK. SOMETIMES WHAT IS SAID OR DONE SIMPLY, CAN WORK FOR YOU THAN HAVING SAID OR DONE IT COMPLICATEDLY. IF YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO - IF YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF YOUR FAILURES- IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS - YOU CAN RETAIN YOUR CREATIVE PART...YOU WON'T LOOSE IT. 

BEING CREATIVE ALSO MEANS BEING YOURSELF. I AGREE WITH WHAT THEY SAY,  IT MEANS THINKING OUT OF THE BOX, UNTWINING YOUR TWINED THOUGHTS AND SO ON...BUT WHERE IS THE ENJOYMENT, LEARNING, BEING YOURSELF ATTITUDE? ONCE YOU LEARN BEING FEARLESS THEN  CREATIVITY COMES NATURALLY TO YOU.

SO JUST LET YOURSELF LOOSE AND LET THE CREATIVITY BEGIN ON IT'S OWN. BELIEVE ME IT IS NOT A ROCKET SCIENCE. IT BRINGS LOTS OF JOY, SELF-RELIANCE, CONFIDENCE AND POWER TO SEE THE UNSEEN IN YOU. 

HAPPY READING :)

THE ADVENT OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

TODAY WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY DAUGHTER FROM HER CLASS IN THE EVENING, THIS BEAUTIFUL SET UP ON ONE OF THE  BUSY  ROAD OF NEW DELHI CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. I DECIDED TO CAPTURE IT IN MY LENS. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE ACKNOWLEDGE OR ADMIRE THE BEAUTY AROUND US? AS FAR AS I KNOW IT'S VERY RARE OR ONLY WHEN WE ARE BEING TOLD TO NOTICE IT. 

STREETS OF EVERY CITY IN INDIA ARE GOING TO BE LIT UP AND SHINE LIKE THIS WHEN DEEPAWALI OR DIWALI IS AROUND THE CORNER. I GUESS THE MESSAGE IT BRINGS WITH IT IS TO ILLUMINATE OUR HEARTS AND SPREAD THE  LIGHT OF LOVE, HUMBLENESS AND GIVING IN EACH OTHERS LIVES.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST FAVORITE TIME FOR ME OF THE YEAR. I LOVE AND 
COMPLETELY ENJOY DOING UP A RANGOLI ALMOST EVERY YEAR TO WELCOME GODDESS LAKSHMI INTO OUR ABODE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE WHEN YOU DO SUCH TRADITIONAL THINGS, YOU PASS IT ON TO YOUR CHILDREN. THEY WATCH YOU DOING THIS AND REGISTER IT IN THEIR MINDS FOR REST OF THEIR LIVES. SOMETIMES THEY PARTICIPATE AND BECOME A PART OF THE PROCESS AND LEARN TEAMWORK FROM SUCH SMALL DAILY EXERCISES. AND YOU END UP SPENDING SOME QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY. ISN'T IT GREAT?

HERE I'M SHARING SOME PICTURES OF MY RANGOLIS :

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE THESE RANGOLI DESIGNS ARE LITTLE UNCONVENTIONAL. ABOVE IS A LANDSCAPE OF DEEPAWALI NIGHT AND BELOW IT'S MY FAMILY (that time my younger daughter was not born, so she's not been drawn)

I HOPE AFTER READING THIS, YOU ARE GOING TO TRY SOMETHING MORE CREATIVE THIS DEEPAWALI.

HAPPY READING :)

"Candy Table"

On 14th September,2016, my elder daughter was going to turn 7.As usual we both were super excited and were looking forward to it.
We decided to host a house party.I didn't have to convince her much for it as she knows her mumma very well ;)

I put on my party hat days before her actual birthday and started designing the theme, decorations and food menu.

Once when most of the things were jotted down in my naturally inbuilt mind diary..i started to shop (most of the women in the world love shopping :D)

I chose an orange and beige theme for her birthday bash.And decided to set up a candy table. So I converted my dining table into a sumptuously, eye catching and sinfully delish piece of furniture in my house.(picture attached above)

It had homemade cupcakes, cake pops, pretzels, marshmallows and jelly cups made by me with some sugar but more love. Other than these I had displayed lots of color coordinated candies, cookies, apricots, magic stix, orange and mango juices and  jelly beans ( which i tried making at home too but failed :D)

While setting it up I went back into my childhood and started recalling candies which i used to relish as a kid. And all these popped into my head :

Hope these pictures reminded you of your small sweet tooth too. I really enjoyed having these and many more. And to my surprise I went and bought few of these recently and shared not just the candies with my girls but my childhood memories also. We enjoyed doing it hope you also will.

Here I would like to share history and some fun facts about candies. Click on the given link to explore more :

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiC7rXC_6_PAhXCqo8KHVQkDfIQFgg5MAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.candyhistory.net%2Fcandy-origin%2Ffirst-candy%2F&usg=AFQjCNHSrYfXV8RimuVF6IqoCW0FKV30hw&sig2=VgDwi99vwPnXaiyInpiU_w

As i always say please do share your thoughts in the comment box below. Happy reading!!

                       WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID             SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME ?

Another weekend !! Another expectation !!

Today morning for the very first time I decided to try egg Bhurjee. Though he always wanted me to try but I was always reluctant. But then suddenly something struck me in my head. And that was "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I DID SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME?" And in that moment I decided to drown my inhibition.

And voila!! Here's some delish egg Bhurjee on my plate...soft and simmering. It tasted so good that I wondered why I always kept my taste buds deprived of this taste [ FYI it was cooked by me ;) ]. 

So after trying something for the first time i started contemplating about how we become so adamant or develop a belief in something without even trying and keep ourselves away from it for rest of our lives. Most of the times we keep giving up on things without even trying them once. 

Many of us want to explore various things in life but don't do it. It's not that someone is stopping you. Because if you really want no one can change your conviction. Situation and circumstances can be tough and challenging. 
So why do we don't try new things? It is actually because of "fear". We start all the thinking with two words before doing something new "what if.." And on the other hand we always want to do routine things because there is no risk at all.
                      But what is life without challenges !!

Dear readers and friends please do share when was the last time you tried something new? And do let me know if this write up has helped you in any way. Happy reading :)

childhood remembrance

Day before yesterday I was walking towards a medical shop to buy a back rest pillow for my father-in-law. His back was aching badly so he wanted one. When I crossed a shop on my way, a sudden smell of spices went into my nose. A very strong smell which reminded me of my childhood days. I couldn't stop my feet from moving towards that small spice-stinky shop. Indeed it reminded me of something. 

When I was a kid, my paternal uncles used to deal in spices. They had a big godown in their house which was a three story building in the middle of the main bazaar of our small town in Uttar Pradesh, India. My cousins and I used to play there all day long. Especially hide and seek...what a joy it was!!

There was a small pooja-room (temple-room) also in one dingy corner of that godown, where both my Taiji's (wives of my uncles) used to come everyday to worship their God. Any important festival or occasion was incomplete without a visit to that spice godown. Nevertheless that fragrance of strong Indian spices has always remained somewhere there in my system.

I was accompanied by my elder daughter and the moment i decided to enter that shop she threw a fit. "mumma mumma I can't come inside with you...this smell is burning my nose". 

The smell which was burning her small cute nose was actually soothing to my heart and reminded me of my childhood spent amidst Indian joint family culture.

Dear readers please do share which smell brings a childhood remembrance for you?

 Happy reading :)