Creating with a handicap...

I am not talking about being permanently handicapped amd being creative. I am talking about when something changes either with your body, or your environment that makes it impossible to do the creative work you normally love to do.

I have spent the better part of a week feeling sorry for myself because I can't make jewelry or practice cello (or swim, or do many other things I like to do). I am an artist and a maker. I have to always be making something. I can't just sit around and wait.

 My left arm is in a cast because of massive over-strain with tendinitis. My doctor said absolutely NO to any of the creative things I normally do and to try to minimize how I use my left hand and arm while at work. I could hardly stand it. I am thinking to myself, "I can't draw....at all. I don't plan my designs, so there would be no point in forcing myself to do that." It seemed like I had no options.

Then, I thought, photography! Yes! I'll take pictures. I know very little about photography, but manage to do a decent job taking pictures of my jewelry. So, for now and the forseeable future, taking pictures is how I am going to express myself.

And if anyone has any ideas of artistic things I can do mostly one handed, please let me know. It is looking like I may be wearing this cast much longer than the two weeks the doctor first recommended. Also, I am using PhotoFiltre to edit my photos. If there are any online tools that are free to use, that you think would be fun for me to try, please send me the links!

And a word to anyone else going through something like this. There are always going to be ways to create. You just have to find them.