It’s easy to say now that there were red flags from the start. And I don’t even know when ‘we’ actually started.
Want to know how my creative journey started?
What I do know is that back then, I hadn’t heard of the ‘famous’ red flags.
Sure, I’ve met people who turned out to be not as nice as I thought they were. Or maybe even hoped they were.
Pure evil was something you saw in films.
Photo by Zelch Czaba, https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-cartoon-demon-character-with-pitchfork-32961350/
Only after the last incident did I start searching online for information about ‘his’ behaviour, and I learnt so much.
I was absolutely clueless about the extent of this behaviour. Not only in the UK, but globally.
Wonderful brain
Many books, articles, online courses and masterclasses later, I feel I’m an expert on this topic. So much so that I can spot ‘them’ from a mile away.
Of course, that’s also a survival response.
The brain can work wonders to protect us. And studying the topic gave me coping mechanisms.
Hello creativity!
Keep in mind it’s definitely not the only coping mechanism available.
The creative process
It’s no surprise that I was extremely concerned when my two youngest had to go for overnight contact at such a young age.
No words can describe how I felt.
One thing I did know was I needed to make something. I needed to keep myself busy.
Pinterest gave me plenty of ideas. I wanted to turn an old cabinet into a multi-story guinea pig home.
The guinea pigs lived outside but when winter arrived it was too cold. So they moved inside.
I wanted a house for them that doubled up as something decorative. Maybe even storage.
For a long time, I looked for that perfect cabinet, but the right one never popped up. Or if it did pop up, it was way above my budget.
Money was TIGHT.
Come to think of it, money is definitely worth a blog post.
Hobbies can be expensive. However, there are cheaper options too!
Making a hay rack
The next best thing was a hay rack for the guinea pigs. Made from wood.
With the least amount of wood and tools needed, my eldest son and I made it in one weekend.
The weekend my two youngest had their first overnight contact.
Photo by Sandra Sturm
We couldn’t follow the instructions to a T.
Weirdly I can’t remember why. I do remember we followed our instincts and worked together to make the hay rack.
It was a great feeling.
We proudly showed it to the boys when they came back home.
The guinea pigs ate hay from the rack until their dying day. One guinea pig lived a long guinea pig life of eight years.
Not perfect
And so my creative brain started to help me make life liveable. No matter how many red flags life throws at me, I can always count on my creative brain.
I’m convinced that if you feel stuck, or can relate to my story and you’re looking for ways to cope, start a project.
It does not have to be perfect. And that’s coming from someone who was once called ‘Miss Perfect’.
It will always be original.