Creative Inspirations

The quote below is located in the restroom at the Horses Mouth Bookstore and Internet Cafe in Buffalo, Texas. If you were here, as I am (far from my home in Bothell, Washington), you would not need to read it backwards because it is located on the wall directly across from the mirror, so of course it is reflected backward, which is forward to the reader.

How amazingly clever is that? And what a great example of creativity. And how did Laura St. John, the owner of this absolutely charming establishment (that I would frequent daily, were it only located in my part of the country) come up with the idea? She was in her car driving, thinking about the bookstore when the movie The Shining popped into her head–specifically, the part where a little girl writes the words “red drum” on a mirror, which of course, when read backwards, is murder. Leonardo da Vinci often wrote things backwards. And so the whole thing flows together perfectly, beautifully.

I love this story because it shows how the experiences of our lives can inspire creativity. Something you see, do, feel, learn, or experience in one sphere of your life can be the beginning of a creative idea in a whole different part of your life.

This means that one great way to facilitate creativity is to have a great many and varied experiences and to give your kids that same opportunity. So, go to the zoo, the museum, or the bookstore. Travel, read, ask questions, walk in the woods, try a new recipe, learn new things, and on and on and on and on. Creativity is everywhere, even, and, perhaps especially, thousands of miles from home.

Cooking with Kids