Creativity at Christmas

We did our main food shopping last night for Christmas and I was sad to hear the general level of frustration and resentment around about Christmas.

In every aisle, tired and angry looking couples lost in their own private bickering of whether to have a choice of five different deserts for Christmas lunch or six. Which of course, in a busy major supermarket, becomes rather less private.

There was one lady struggling round with a trolley overflowing with food and her young girl skipping beside. Obviously happily lost in her own world, the girl was singing to herself - "It's all in the mind...".

"Yeh if only Christmas was all in the mind." her mother mumbled bitterly...

Just from overhearing snippets of conversation, the main theme of people's frustrations seemed to be the pressure to conform to the whole season and what it entails.

Of dozens of snapshots of conversations, nearly all were variations on - "Of course we've got to, it's Christmas...".

As with much of life, a huge feeling of - "This is what we've got to do because it's what everyone does and if we don't we'll be seen as weird/ different/ stingy/ boring/ etc" - seems to pervade the population.

In a word - conformity. And being afraid of what will happen - or more often what other people will think - if we don't do the same as everyone else.

Creativity begins in the tiny everyday actions. Seeing things slightly differently. Wearing something you've never worn to work before. Reading a book plucked at random from a library bookshelf. Cooking a new recipe with at least two ingredients you've never heard of, let alone tasted...

From small beginnings, this creative attitude and outlook slowly seeps into all parts of our lives and we begin to experiment more with our creativity as our confidence and enjoyment grows...

So how can you start this over Christmas? Maybe this year you'll have goose instead of turkey. Pork and apricot stuffing instead of sage and onion.

Maybe you'll invite your neighbours - who you've only spoken to a handful of times this year over the fence - to pop over for a glass of wine and a mince pie.

Maybe you'll visit a relative you haven't seen for years.

Maybe you'll donate all the money you were going to spend on presents to a favourite charity. Or buy the presents, then donate them.

Maybe you'll go out for a walk or a movie after lunch on Christmas day instead of sleeping in front of the TV..?

Start with the little things, do something different and make YOUR Christmas a little more creative this year. You may find it becomes infectious...