Exploring your creative side in retirement

Retirement years are a wonderful opportunity to explore pursuits that you didn’t have time for when you were working.  There are so many avenues out there for taking up new hobbies, exploring your creative side, volunteering, learning a new skill, enrolling in higher education, going to workshops or just getting out there exploring.  With so much on offer there shouldn't be any time sitting at home with nothing to do. Just get our there!  Even if you live in an isolated area far from services there are many courses on offer via the internet or by correspondence that you could try.

In January I attended a number of summer school workshops with the Bunbury Summer School program at the Stirling Street Arts Centre. I wanted to explore a few new artistic genres and I found that the Bunbury Summer School was a wonderful way to do that. There were so many short workshops on offer that I actually had a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to try.

To find out about the Stirling Street Arts Centre and Summer School, please go to their website by clicking here - Stirling Street Arts Centre.

First off for me was “Find your Thing” with artist Jenni Doherty. Jenni says that “A creative life can seem like a bit of a pipe dream when there are so many demands on our time. Sometimes creative energy dissipates and gets lost for a variety of reasons”.  

Jenni shared a few strategies to encourage it back. Here are a few of my “doodlings” from that day.  I really need to make time to stretch my drawing wings.

The circles you see below was an exercise we did while Jenni read, we did some collage work, and the drawing of leaves was sparked by a few lines from a poem by Peter Boyd, called “Nine Words to Make a Poem”.

Verse 1 – Leaves – because each year they tear away an abolished world, green witness to summer and beauty on windswept avenues of rain.

Jenni's studio is nestled in the South West's beautiful Ferguson Valley. Please click here to see Jenni's work - Jenni Doherty

My next workshop was a free workshop - “Telling True Text Tales OnLine” with Ruslan Kulski from ABC Open Tales. This was about learning to plan, write and share stories online in 500 words.  My writer’s group regularly writes stories in 200-300 words for our monthly “homework”, but this was an interesting workshop particularly listening to other participants. (sorry, no pics for this one) But I did write something that came out of that workshop here - Reading on the cold lino floor

ABC Open runs in all Australian states. Please click here to learn more  - ABC Open

 

 Next was “Acrylics for Beginners” with Julie Oakley. This workshop ran over two evenings, and whilst I produced a couple of pieces, overall I was very disappointed with this workshop as we weren’t given the tuition as “beginners” that I, and other participants, were expecting. The main plus was meeting and chatting to the lovely lady sitting next to me. 

The two canvasses on the right were done with cut-out templates. This was the only instruction we were given..... The painting on the left I did on the second night with a wide house painting brush. It is supposed to be a forest. I don't think I will be taking up acrylics any time soon.....

My next class was all day Saturday “Exploring Eco-Print” with Jane Flower. I have known Jane for a number of years and I knew this workshop was going to deliver, which it absolutely did. Thanks Jane! We learnt about using natural dyes from plant matter, leaves etc, and came home with a selection of swatches of dyed fabric. I loved the serendipitous nature of this process. You never know quite how your piece of fabric will turn out. I also loved that I shared this workshop with my watercolour painter friend, Marguerite. 

Below is the basics - collected leaves. Brown leaves go into a pot of water. Fresh leaves are laid on the cloth. The cloth and leaves are then bound around a stick. They go into the pot and are boiled for a couple of hours. Then unrolled. It is better to leave a few days before unrolling, but we were keen to see our results.  

You can find out more about Jane's work at her Folios and Fibre Facebook page by clicking here - Folios & Fibre

I also attended a second workshop with Jane Flower -  “Bookmaking”. In this workshop we learnt how to hand-make a book without the need for expensive bookbinding equipment.  This was a fascinating process, and opens the way for using all sorts of handmade papers and individually decorating your books.

Below here you can see the cover being glued to the card, the press, stitching the pages in, and my completed book. 

My final workshop with “Fun with Flowers” with Eileen Wenn and Jean Shine.  Unfortunately this workshop was cancelled, as was two of the other workshops I had booked into, due to lack of numbers. 

However I was thrilled to be invited by my friend Eileen, who I met through Spanish dancing classes, to attend a flower design workshop with the Flower Designers Club of Bunbury.  This workshop was with the creative and talented Annita Bokobli, Australian Florist of the Year 2014, partner at Floral Army, Fremantle and Floristry lecturer for Challenger Institute of Technology, Murdoch. 

What a joy Annita was – such a delightful and generous presenter. Thank you so much Flower Designers Club for allowing me to come join your group for this workshop. 
Below you can see Annita demonstrating during the workshop, and my completed piece.  Usually I just put flowers in a vase, so this is the first time I have done anything like this. 

You can find out more about the Flower Designers Club of Bunbury by going to their Facebook page here - Flower Designers Club of Bunbury 

A couple of weeks ago I spent a lovely afternoon playing with paints with my artist friend, Marguerite Aberle.  Recently I took Marguerite’s portrait, so this was a return favour. We had a lovely afternoon pushing paints around the page, experimenting using acrylic paints as if they were watercolours, and talking about life.  It seems that I am not the only one that is searching for something.

These "dabblings" will eventually be cut up to make greeting cards.

You can see some of Marguerite's work by clicking here - Marguerite Aberle
or find out about her workshops, and other workshops on offer at Lyndendale Gallery, Dardanup by going to their Facebook page here - Lyndendale Gallery Workshops 

Last week I went to a free workshop at the Eaton Library who have a program of free workshops on each month. This workshop with “Book Sculpting” with Kerry Glemi.  In this workshop we learnt how to up-cycle old books into amazing sculptures.  So easy and lots of fun! I completed my project and did another one over the next couple of days. I am now collecting old books. Evidently older editions of Reader’s Digest condensed books are the best to use because of the quality of the binding and the thickness of the paper.   

My friend Amy who is an avid reader was not happy about the fact that we were cutting up books, so I tried to soothe her by saying they were being up-cycled and given a new, decorative and rejuvenated existence instead of being thrown on the tip! What do you think? 

To find out about free workshops at Eaton and Dardanup Libraries, please go to the Shire of Dardanup website by clicking here - Shire of Dardanup Library and then go to "what's on".  
 

I enjoyed these workshops immensely and they have opened up so many more creative paths I could follow. 

But I think I need to think on Jenni’s advice - “Listen to your heart and watch what you are drawn to”.  
My friend Marguerite thinks I should publish a wildflower photo book. Perhaps I will. 

Have you taken up a new pursuit since your retirement or in your spare time? Perhaps you would like to tell us in the comments. 

 
Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
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Lifestyle Fifty Monday Linkup 
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Through My Lens 

Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Worth Casing Wednesday
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Travel Photo Thursday

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