Alcohol and Creativity

#2 is obsessed by Harry Potter. He's seen all the films (several times), and the books have been the only thing that have managed to ignite any interest he has in reading.

(I thank you, J.K. Rowling, from the bottom of my heart).

So, as a special treat, I took #2 and #3 to the Warner Brother Studios to do the tour of the Harry Potter sets.

It was extraordinary.

It's amazing to think that from one single mother, on a delayed train, having an idle thought (wouldn't it be interesting if a young boy were to discover that he had magical powers and was going to a school for wizards?) came a set of stories that have entranced millions around the world.

The Harry Potter characters are an intrinsic part of our children's childhoods. Dumbledore is more real to #2 than President Obama. He knows more wizarding charms than French vocabulary.

And that spark, lit by Rowling, inspired thousands of others to create incredible costumes, sets, animatronics and so on, much of which we saw.

At any one time, over a ten year period, there were around two thousand people at the Warner Brother's studios, working some kind of personal magic on the Harry Potter project.

Alan Rickman, who played Snape, and tragically died last January, said "a film, a piece of theatre, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world."

And the Harry Potter stories did. They gave children around the globe a common language. They inspired them to read, to believe in magic, to value bravery and loyalty....

.....and all of that from one person's imagination.

Creativity, imagination, storytelling - they are what make us human. They're not just about survival and reproduction, but about nourishing the soul, and bringing people together in a shared experience.

I've found that one of the things that happens when you stop drinking is that your desire and ability to be creative is ignited. It's as if our all our soggy neural pathways are dried out and fired into action.

I believe that we use alcohol to transport us away from our humdrum lives, and when we no longer use it, we discover that creativity can do the same.

Listening and dancing to music, going to the theatre, reading a great book, painting, writing, dressmaking - all of these things have the ability to take us out of ourselves in the way that booze once did. And in a way that's life enhancing, not self destructive.

(See my post from back on Day 119: Blowing Your Mind)

Since I quit I've taken up writing every day. I've written one novel, and am planning another. Anne (ainsobriety) has written a book on meditation. '69 has rekindled her old passion of designing amazing hats, Wine Bitch has just finished her book, and filmed some fabulous podcasts. Jen Flowers has launched a jewellery business, and there are many, many more examples I could quote.

So, if you haven't already, quit now, and find out what your brain is really capable of....

Love SM x