Memaw’s House
Hi! Welcome & I’m glad you’re here…
Like many others, Christmas season is one of my favorite times of year! I’ve been reflecting on what makes it special to me…
Growing up, I spent Christmas Eve with my family at my Memaw’s house. Memaw had beautiful white hair that she kept curled in tiny spirals that sparkled, big kind eyes, and warm hands with gorgeous natural nails she would fiddle with as she talked. She always smelled like peppermint and gave really tight hugs. When I was very young, we would sit for hours together, reading and looking at images in the set of Childcraft books.
If you aren’t familiar with Childcraft books, they were a sort of encyclopedia for kids (ya know, before Google!) They were full of illustrations and explanations meant for children to understand and enjoy. I especially remember the book spine illustrations of things like an art palette and a squirrel in simple black brush strokes, because that’s how I’d pick which book to look at! A simple but effective approach I suppose. Lol.
Well needless to say, Memaw’s house was full of books, games, and treasures from around the world. She’d lived in many places, traveled a lot, and had a great many adventures. As a young woman she was a great beauty with olive skin, long straight black hair and striking green eyes. I’m fair, have wavy/curly hair, and hazel blue/green eyes! But when I look in the mirror, I can see a lot of her, and I know I’ve got her adventurous creative spirit and I’m thankful. (I got her pretty long nails, too!) She’s a great inspiration in my life and I wish she was still here to talk to, but my many vivid memories keep her close. Like my memory of her home at Christmas!
Do you have something that you can close your eyes and literally picture perfectly?
Maybe it’s a loved one, a garden, a home, an old toy, a photograph? Well, Memaw’s home is one of those things for me. I can close my eyes and go exploring there again. Maybe I’ll go up the spiral stairs and sit on the landing looking out of the stained glass windows at the City Park, or maybe I’ll go out to the sun room and marvel at the statues from Africa, or maybe I’ll go into the backyard and smell the honeysuckle growing wild.
Isn’t our imagination a gift?
I was reminded recently about how imaginative children are and how most adults seem to lose their natural tendency to constantly imagine, to play, to be creative. As you get older it can get harder to dream. But THAT is what I truly love about this time of year - The sense of wonder, dreaming, and fun that comes with the season.
When is the last time you did something just for the fun of it?!
I’ve recently begun to create art digitally (thanks to an early gift from Santa 🎅) and I am having so much fun with it that I seriously feel like a kid again when I’m creating! I always have fun drawing and painting, but it’s extra exciting to be doing something new and challenging.
And speaking of that, I’m going to go use my imagination and do some drawing now! & next time, I’ll share another reason I enjoy the season!)
Cheers & wishes for you a wonder-fun-filled week…
🖤 Rachel
*Bonus*
Holidays got ya stressed or down? Feeling a creative block?
Here’s an easy activity to get your imagination going:
Remember when I asked earlier if there is something you can picture perfectly in your mind? Well, try doing that right now!
If you already have a place or thing in mind, picture that and give yourself a good couple of minutes (or longer if you like) to seriously imagine it in detail. Think of the colors, textures, shapes, sounds etc. Let yourself explore. Just the practice of purposefully visualizing something will get your brain moving in a creative direction. And don’t worry if it isn’t “right.” It doesn’t actually need to be perfect!
Can’t think of something to visualize from memory? Well, look around. Pick an item. Look at it with focus. Pay attention to it’s shape, it’s lines, the colors, the textures etc. After a minute or so, close your eyes and imagine the object to your best ability. It might not seem like a fun activity, but this is the way you can get your imagination going so that you can move on to more exciting ideas!
Then, if you want, you can take it a step further and draw, write, dance, make a list, or sing about the thing you visualized. Whatever you like. It might seem silly, but the more you engage your imagination and allow yourself to have fun with the creative process, the more you’ll be able to create and share!
Most Important: Have fun!
Let me know if you do this & whether it was helpful! Hope so.