creativity and taking the piss of your sister

Hey, anyone notice the new banner? The blog is now named 'blueprints' where I hope to debrief bits of my life and map out activites and techniques with tutorials for creative people (I mean you). At least that's the hope. I will try not to spend all your time alternately worshipping and bitching about my children and stay on the creative side of things.

Hey, speaking of children!

Yesterday the children and I went on a little picnic to our friendly neighborhood green space. Well, by 'picnic' I mean I chopped some fruit and smoked tofu into baby size pieces, threw them into an old butter container and made sure I had a hand left to carry a large coffee.

Why am I telling you this? Here's how it works in with creativity. I spend stupid amounts of time thinking about creativity. Now just how to do or achieve it, but the actual defintion. It's almost a hobby. What makes an act/thought/relationship creative? Have you wondered about this?

This is what I think.

Creativity is a process. Creative efforts do not necessarily yield a product or end result.

Creativity is universal. The creative medium need not be what is traditionally thought of when you think of creative expression – paints, canvas, the handmade. There are creative thoughts, creative acts, creative solutions, creative relationships. Creativity is not intrinsically beneficial. It can be used with equal finesse by good and evil.

Creativity is purposeful. It is making something with intent. You can not be accidentally creative.

Creativity is desire. To achieve a desired effect. The bringing about of new beings, pregnancy, birth, creation, is not creative in and of itself. But when a pregnant woman thinks ahead of her baby, imagines it’s face and the smiles it will bring with, then there is creativity.

Creativity is original. Though it seems that history repeats itself and that the same idea can crop in many parts of the world all at the same time, this repetition doesn't erase the creativity a person has when they have a thought or an action that is completely to new to them. We all invent the wheel.

With this, admittedly suspect, definition in mind, I come back to our picnic in the green space. I am blown away by the creative lengths my son will go to harrass his big sister.

Here he is in action, with the goopy fork poke:

Awww, lookit the little smile! Stabbing his sister and making her scream, what a happy little fellow!

Have I mention he pulls hair, bites, pinches, kicks, and whines with aggression. These are fairly standard tactics, sure, but he also turns off the tv, goes after his sister's lovey (to chew on it's ear), and stuffs her shoes full of toys. All to get her attention. Because he loves her.

I would say that Birdie Boy puts a lot of thought into how to get his sister's attention and that he is displaying creativity.

Okay, now I need some creativity to be used for good. My goal is to take this desire Birdie Boy has to be with his sister and turn it into an activity that they both enjoy. Does anybody please have some ideas or games that the two can play together. We have a 8 hour car trip next week to, so you can understand that I'm feeling the need to have my children behave peacefully towards each other with urgency.

I would be most grateful for any ideas!