We writers are creative folk. Beyond writing, it’s not uncommon for us to have other creative pursuits – art, music, theater… or even gardening.
I started vegetable gardening when I was in Junior High. Two of my friends went to the store with me, and we got seeds and soil and planted a garden in the side yard.
I’d never really experienced some of the things we grew fresh. This was in the late seventies and early eighties, and much of what we ate at home came out of tin cans.
The first time I had some fresh-cooked green beans with melted butter… OMG!
What were those awful limp dark green things I’d been eating before?
When you garden, you have to learn to edit, trimming back your plants as needed to produce better growth, and weeding out, well, the weeds. There are also unexpected plot twists. Snails, red spider mites, and the cat who pooped in my basil pot, I’m looking at you.
And hopefully, if you do it right, when you’re done your garden comes to a satisfying conclusion, bearing the fruits (and vegetables) of your hard work.
I just started this year’s container garden – I am growing cherry tomatoes, basil (OMG I love basil), bell peppers and zucchinis. It’s a great creative outlet that complements rather than competes with my writing.
I love having this outlet, and it gets me out of my writer cave and into the sunshine.
For my writer friends, what are your other creative outlets? Photos please. 🙂
I have flower gardens. I’m not very good at it but digging in the dirt is relaxing and gives me time to think. I faux paint my walls too.
Music. I haven’t practiced the piano or guitar in too long but I used to sing satiric songs in local clubs!