Wednesday 27 April 2016

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


15 comments:

  1. Oh love this post SM. You are lucky, my 2 are too old for potterworld now. bedtime and long journeys always had the sound of Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter floating around - it was fab. Also I am a born again knitter and after a bit of a stressful day had the thought - can't wait to get my knitting out! Rather than must open a bottle of wine - feel that's progress.

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    1. Knitting is a great one as it keeps your hands busy and mind still. Awesome x

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    2. Sharon how old are your kids? My younger one is 20 and still loves Harry Potter. She went to Japan at the beginning of the year (having worked to pay for it) and went to Universal Studios in Osaka which had a Harry Potter World which she LOVED. I have really enjoyed holidays where we were in a mini-world -eg cClub Med. I think it is the escapism at least in part.

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    3. They are 18 & 20. I think perhaps secretly they would go. My daughter would really enjoy Japan, its one of the places she really wants to go to.

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  2. Inspiring post! My #2 just picked up the first Harry Potter book last week. After a full year of his big brother begging him to get started. I am thrilled because he is now reading at every opportunity and I get to watch the movies all over again! When my first one got seriously into the books, I bought him a commemorative wand. That wand arrives today for #2. As for me, I never thought of myself as creative yet I'm blogging daily and highly involved in starting my new business building a web site feels much more creative than I have ever been!

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    1. I bought them each a wand too! #1 has Voldemort's, and #2 has Dumbledores! They love them. I am constantly being turned into a frog ;-)

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  3. Since I quit I've made a "fairy garden" with the kids from a piece of MDF we found in the garage... and painted up pebbles so the fairies and elves can come and live at the bottom of the garden.The kids have loved this project (nearly as much as me) !!

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  4. I can't wait to see what's in store for me. Today is only Day 4 and I'm definitely in the pink cloud phase but, I feel so positive about what the future has in store. I look forward to hearing more about what you all (that's y'all and all y'all in Texas, where I live) are going to create

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    1. This WAS great post, Dana. I, too, am looking forward to seeing what the rest of this year has in store. I'm glad to hear someone else is in the pink clouds with me as well and I am also on Day 4! We can do it! HD

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    2. HD, glad to have a freshman to go through this with! Please feel free to reach out any time!

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  5. I can't wait to read your Novel!

    Go to florida to universal studios. The Harry Potter worlds are AMAZING. We have been twice.
    My husband even got a death eater tattoo.

    Love Harry Potter.

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  6. Loving your blogs I'm on day 22 and yiou are a real inspiration. I'm reading and watching loads of films in my spare time and enjoying the peace in my brain. Looking forward to getting more creative x

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    1. Variations on that 'peace in the brain' come up so so often in this blog, and others, and in comments. For me, it's been like the top, or second best, benefit. Calm where there was chattering chaos; gratitude in place of guilt. Love, love, love it!

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  7. I LOVE having the return of my creativity! When I was working in writing jobs and drinking, writing was difficult. I could barely keep awake long enough to finished assignments during the day, and then wrote with unusual enthusiasm after a few drinks. Alcohol gives you a false creativity because it makes you feel like you are doing something when in reality, your just altering reality. On another note, when does the drive kick back in? I am suffering from a real lack of focus. (But I'm only on day 28.)

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  8. I used to work with jk Rowling when she was writing her first book. Ah if only I'd known then how famous she would become!So much time and energy for doing other stuff and to be able to get through each day without the nausea and alcohol fumes running through our bodies. I had a memory of that doing the school run this morning. How sick I used to feel and could smell alcohol from me! Yuck. Then it's home and am powering through a distance learning degree course and loving it! Excited about what I will do once it's finished but it will definitely include picking up the paintbrush. Oh and I want to learn guitar. And I want to try zumba again without a hangover x

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