Creative romps and deep dives

I have recently moved into the sewing phase of my quarantine life. I have noticed most of the things I do to add joy and fun to my life are sensory experiences and are hands-on creative activities. I like the feel of yarn in my fingers and the scraping of paint on canvas. It helps me get out of my head and into my body and the present moment. Sometimes I need to remember to push myself to do something creative instead of wasting time on my phone, but I’m always excited to get started on my current artistic experience.

I also like to write for creative expression, but it is a mind experience instead of a sensory exploration. I go deep in my head to imagine and play with language. It’s an exploration of my thought world. I’m a linguistic person and I love reading, but getting ready to write is always a hump that I have to push myself over. I have no problem making lists or journaling, but if it’s real writing, it’s always a struggle to sit down and start. I wouldn’t say it’s like pulling teeth, but let’s just say the rocket to writing has to reach escape velocity to get over the pull of my resistance. The escape velocity for writing is much higher than sewing while listening to an audiobook.

I suspect the brain power needed is more taxing. I need quiet and focus. The stakes are also higher. I like crafting and making things, but when I write I am pouring out a part of my inner self and handing it out into the world. As a linguistic person, I actually want my writing to be good in a way that I don’t need my craft projects to be. It definitely feels more high stakes to put that out into the world.

What is your favorite form of creative expression? Are some more important to you than others? Are there some activities that are a fun romp and others that are more of a deep dive?