Thursday 4 October 2012

Maintaining creativity

Despite the full-time (and over-time, really) study around here these days, I'm still determined to keep some creativity in my life.  It's very hard though.  I come in late, talk to the children, help with their homework and wish with all my heart that someone else was making dinner - I don't feel like pottering in the kitchen when I've been doing urine tests and drawing bacteria all day.  The early evening in the kitchen is no longer a creative part of my day. I absently stand at the stove, thinking of biology or planning essays in my head and not really caring so much what sort of soup I'm making.

But late last night I finished knitting a sock, and today I had a morning at home learning the cardiovascular system, so I took five minutes out of my studies to photograph it in the sunshine.  This sock grew really fast until I started University, and since then it's only grown a couple of rows at a time.  I knit for ten minutes at a time, late in the evening after I've finished studying, maybe once every few days. 

New sock, old sock
New sock (l) and very old sock (r)
So I know this sock is going to be without its other half for many months to come, but just imagine the sense of accomplishment I will feel when it's done!

The other outlet for my creativity is colouring pencils.  With so much anatomy and biology to learn, I find it easiest to take in the information by drawing and colouring.  Yesterday, it was mitosis and today it has been the directional flow of blood through the heart.


Four phases of mitosis

Directional flow of blood through the heart
 
I think my anatomy and biology notebook is going to be the most colourful one on campus.

10 comments:

  1. You make sure those pesky children don't mess with your nice pencils.

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  2. I think you might be right!(what's more fun, drawing them or colouring in?)I think I may draw pictures of cake at work tomorrow, you have inspired me!
    I totally understand what you mean about cooking at night-what was previously a planned activity, a creative outlet, is now just considered a necessary essential, ideally one that takes place as quickly and painlessly as possible.

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  3. I LOVE me some cells!! I love studying Medical Science!! I will have to read more of your blog to find out where you study, I'm actually applying to go to the University of Surrey next year!
    Tammy xx

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  4. Time to get the slow cooker out and then tea hopefully wont be a pain for you. xx

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  5. Coloured pencils are the absolute upside of just about anything. I buy them and I don't even colour anything anymore. Same with felt pens.

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  6. Gorgeous sock! And notes in color really do improve comprehension, great idea :-).

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  7. Lovely sock yarn.. that second sock will be worth waiting for. It does sound as though you are enjoying your course.

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  8. Have you looked at real cells undergoing mitosis yet? It may well blow your mind - in a good way!

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  9. Think you might have another career as an illustrator beckoning - I never remember my biology books looking like that. About to embark on a bout of work eat sleep after a year off and wondering myself how I'll ever fit in all the lovely things that I want to keep doing. (Love the sock.) C.x

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