“The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort towards wholeness.” – Madeleine L’Engle
It’s captivating to watch all the different types of creativity at the beach. Unless someone has found a way to monetize sand castles, I believe what I’m watching is some of the unique ways people use their leisure time.
There are all sorts of way to unwind, aren’t there? Here on this beach in the Pacific Northwest, building forts and sand castles top the list.
Almost nine-year-old Miss O likes to create some version of a crab café every time we come to this beach. It’s got scalloped dishes, seaweed garnish and salt and pepper (sand) shakers made from crab claws.
Others have made beautiful and intricate forts out of driftwood. Some of these structures are so sturdy that they last for months and years between our visits.
Someone else makes driftwood sculptures. And our neighbor on this trip has made a sort of hanging sculpture from the wood on the beach.
When my friend, Katie, was here, she challenged the kids to come up with their own Beach Olympics. Would their event be Shell Shotput or Beach Balance Beam?
As I jot all this down, it reminds me that writing is another activity to add to the list. Not only am I writing this down for a post, but I can also imagine all the poetry, prose, and photography inspired by time away at this place.
I’m struck by how intertwined creativity is in what we do, even when unwinding. Maybe as the quote for this post from Madeleine L’Engle suggests, it’s all part of working towards wholeness.
Surprised By Joy 