Creativity in the Woods

On a walk in the woods today with our local family, I thought about creativity. One definition is "the use of the imagination or original ideas..." 

There are plenty of original ideas in the woods. Moss and lichens, for instance. Such intricate handwork designed by the Creator. 

Along the trail someone had collected and propped up a line of sticks. A creative child? A whimsical and creative adult? Whoever did it, I imagine they had a lot of fun. 

One family brought along a bag of rocks they had painted and hid them along the trail for others to find. It's part of the Sooke to Sidney Rock Hunt. 

An enormous hollow cedar tree sparked all sorts of creative play. Scattered sticks and branches were collected for a fire, which was then used to...

toast chocolate-covered pretzels, followed by an "campfire dance". 

 Here's another photo to give an idea of the size of this tree. Although the day was grey, and the woods rather gloomy, everyone had a wonderful time.

Woods. Beach. Backyard. Lots of scope for the imagination, as Anne Shirley would say. Creativity isn't only about making something tangible, like a quilt, a meal, or a painting, but about the way we see the world. I sometimes (often) chafe at not being able to sew or garden or draw as much as I'd like to. (I love my job, too) So I try to look at, and experience the world around me as full of possibility, the way children often do.   

Raindrops caught in hanging moss. So lovely. 

An old VW lies rusting not too far off the path. Who left it there? How did it get there? Why? So many questions left unanswered as we walked away from it. I later spent some time editing the photo with a watercolour filter. Fun for me, and an opportunity to play a little. Creativity and play go hand in hand, don't you think? 

What do you think about creativity? How do you experience the world?

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.