The difference between buying and creating

A trip to the local outlet mall can be rather satisfying. Finding summer clothes or shoes at a good price feels like a win. Enhancing your wardrobe can be a boost to the self-esteem and prepare you for social events that create memories for a lifetime. So buying things is a wonderful way to express yourself. 

And we've all heard jokes about "retail therapy" in which shopping is painted as a method to heal the mind and calm the soul. Perhaps that's true to some degree. But for long-term satisfaction and a lasting sense of self-esteem, there are few better methods than engaging in the creative process. 

Guided experiments

In recent years so-called "painting parties" have become popular with the Friday night crowd seeking a somewhat deeper experience than wine and smartphones and images for social media. Joining others for a guided experiment using paint and canvas can be both a bonding experience and a path to creative expression. These events vary in the degree of difficulty called into the painting process. Some are just happy to take home a painting copied from the original. 

Yet some people feel a spark from this experience and want more from their creative investment than a copy of someone else's work. These people are making the transition from buying into an experience and actually engaging in  a creative process of their own. 

Definitive work

This is not to engage in artistic snobbery. This is to suggest that there is a difference between a purchased experience like a painting party and actually putting what you've learned to creative use in your own explorations. 

Those who feel this pull are attracted to opportunities like those presented at art organizations such as Water Street Studios, where working artisans share experience, teach others to paint, sculpt and explore the creative process. These people seek definitive experiences in the creative process. That is not snobbery. That is a challenge to self, and a worthwhile one at that.   

There is a difference in the "purchase" of a learning experience that more deeply involves the creative process than buying something and wearing it around. The confidence that grows from being creative expands your mental wardrobe in ways that will shine throughout your life. 

Give it a try. Find an art class. Start a blog. If you want inspiration on how to get started in any of this, write me a note here in the comments section or through LinkedIn messaging. Christopher Cudworth. 

Christopher Cudworth is a working artist and writer with more than 30+ years of experience in content creation, art and design.