Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Challenge: Creative Outlets

For the last two years, I've been taking part in the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge over at Long and Short Reviews. The first link will take you to the list of topics; the second one goes to the homepage, where you can find a post with everyone's responses each week. Feel free to join in! 

Today's prompt is "creative outlets I enjoy" and I flatly guarantee that everyone responding to this is going to include some version of "writing" in their answer. Prove me wrong, I dare you!

On second thought, don't. Writing is awesome. I mean, sure, it can be work; but can also be a lot of fun. For most people it's not hugely profitable, but it can be a source of income. Plus, it's cheaper than therapy -- and you don't have to schedule an appointment! So, yeah, definitely writing. 

Weirdly enough, another answer used to be "work". I used to do web design, back in the day when that meant designing your own layout and editing your own graphics (and building things in static HTML with just a little bit of javascript or some Flash). It was an odd mix of artistic and technical, and I really enjoyed it. 

The really big one anymore is Dungeons and Dragons. It's a nice mix of social interaction, storytelling, improv acting, and writing -- and for many people, also art or music. (I never had much talent for either, and I've let slip what little skill I once had.) I do a lot of DnD-related snippets of writing here on the blog -- including game notes from campaign, which probably aren't of much interest to anyone who isn't playing in it. 

So those are my major creative outlets. How about yours?

18 comments:

  1. Your D&D posts were what first got me interested in that game! Did you know that?

    I'm still a total newb, but it's fun to learn more about it.

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  2. I've learned from my kids how fun and creative some gaming can be. They make fun of me because I tell them the last video game I played was Pong in the mid-70's, and that was boring.

    But with only so many hours to each day, and sleep being necessary, you have to draw the line and pick and choose what you spend your scant "free" time on. Creative outlets you enjoy is a great choice--as is physical exercise, a necessary evil which I do but don't enjoy that much.

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    1. I've always had to get my exercise by accident -- I need to do things I enjoy that just coincidentally happen to involve physical effort. (Back in the day that was gymnastics, martial arts, climbing... none of those are as easily accessible as they used to be.)

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  3. Thanks for stopping by! I've never played D&D but I bet it would be fun. I have recently started playing Jokers with friends down at our beach house... so much fun!

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    1. Regular gaming is a lot of fun, too; I just don't often manage to get together with people for that.

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  4. Writing is a very creative thing to do.

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    1. It is, but it wasn't until I was writing this that I realized just how much it's become my only major creative outlet over the last couple of years. I'd like to work on that.

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  5. I played a little D&D and other role-playing games in high school (so long ago, the dice were chiseled from stone...) -- it's remarkably complex and a lot of fun.

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    1. A lot of that depends on the specific game, too. DnD isn't the only one out there anymore, and a lot of the current ones are deliberately designed to be easier to learn and play. It also depends a bit on the group you're playing with, since it's very definitely socializing as well.

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  6. Thank you, thank you, thank you for identified work as one of your creative outlets. It makes me feel less alone on that one. Of course writing, but that's why we are writers.

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    1. I honestly think a lot of jobs can be creative outlets, even if it isn't always in ways that are obvious. A lot of creativity is problem-solving, and a lot of work is too.

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  7. I never did D& D but had a lot of friends who were into it. In fact a work colleague of mine wants to start a gaming group when we can all easily meet up again. Might be fun.

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    1. It might! If you do decide to try it, I hope you enjoy it.

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  8. Writing is pretty much my only one these days, I admit...

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    1. It's a weird time. I'd like to be working on some larger projects and with everything else I just can't...

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  9. I've never played D&D. I've heard of it, but never played it.

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    1. When I started, it was all word of mouth -- like, you learned about it by joining people who were playing it already. Nowadays, though, there are a lot of podcasts where you can watch people play if you want to see what it's like.

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Feel free to leave comments; it lets me know that people are actually reading my blog. Interesting tangents and topic drift just add flavor. Linking to your own stuff is fine, as long as it's at least loosely relevant. Be civil, and have fun!