30-Day Blogging Challenge | day 12 | "I got it from my mama"—Is creativity genetic?The million dollar questions: Is creativity genetic? Did I inherit my creative abilities or is that all a myth? Is creative thirst from from learned behavior? Is creativity a result of nature or nurture? I decided to finally do some research and find the scientific answer to those questions since the opposite of art is science. According to John Paul Garrison, a clinical and forensic psychologist in Georgia, his research pointed to personality traits such as being artistic and creative being tied to genetics. does indeed point to personality traits and variables being tied to genetics. But James T. Arnone, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Biology at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, says pinpointing the actual genes that determine creativity is complex and that creative biology isn’t cut and dry. “Take music creativity and talent, for example,” Arnone says. “Anyone who has played an instrument has heard the old colloquialism, ‘practice makes perfect.’ This is absolutely true.” So take photography for example— practice makes perfect so my skills in photography have naturally gotten better since holding a high-end camera for first time at age fourteen. But that still doesn’t answer the question, did I get it (creativity) from my mama? My granddad, my mom and my mom’s sister all seem to portray characteristics of the right-brain (intuition, creativity and free-thinking). My granddad, Dr. Fred is a retired doctor of 60+ years turned oil painter, my mom, Sue, is a retired nurse turned restaurant connoisseur and acrylic painter and my aunt, Hope is a real estate agent and interior design fabric expert. So essentially the whole maternal side of my family has got a whole lotta artsy fartsy. The introduction into the creative world likely began with my granddad. He taught me how to paint at 7 or 8 years old in he and his wife's home in Aulander, NC. One of the first paintings I ever did with him was an abstract watercolor painting of goldfish swimming underwater. Apparently it won some kind of award, but I think the judges were biased because everyone loves Fred and it was obvious he had a strong influence in the painting hah! That painting embarrassingly still sits in my parent's house today with the ribbon perched on it. My mom and I used to go with my granddad to painting workshops in Beaufort, NC back when I was in middle school (2000's) and we both watched Granddad’s magical acts with his paintbrush and felt inspired to work with an empty canvas. My mom considers herself a dabbler and amateur artist but if you want my (biased) opinion, I have five framed paintings of hers in my husband and I’s house. That’s not amateur, that’s talent! With some help from her interior designer friend and my dad, she managed to also redesign an entire building that used to be a franchise restaurant, Western Sizzlin and turned it into Rooster's Southern Kitchen on the Outer Banks. Let me tell you, it's a whole new world in there. These black and white photos are from 2004 with one of my first Nikon cameras I worked hard to own after bussing tables all summer! On the left, my Granddad is painting a waterfront scene of Beaufort and on the right, my mom is the long-legged lady with her blank canvas that eventually became a work of art. I genuinely tear up thinking about the power of Icloud today because it has saved these fourteen year old photos that I will treasure forever. ![]() This is my aunt Hope and I on my wedding day and behind us you can see parts of my mother-in-law and parts of the outdoor porch that Hope designed from scratch using the space she and her husband had in their backyard. Even from the little bits of this photo, you can tell she knows what she's doing. (I spy a Carolina blue ceiling)! My aunt Hope used to work in a custom fabric store helping customers design aspects of their home, whether it be pillows, curtains, bed skirts, headboards, you name it, she knew how to do it. So it should come to no surprise that she helped me design my husband and I’s first headboard and bedskirt about a year ago. It was the most grown-up purchase I had done but I was proud to work with my aunt on it and see her creative genius firsthand. So is it learned behavior or genetics? I think it’s both. You can’t have one without the other. If you want to be creative and don’t have a inherited bone in your body, then go do something creative anyway. Go get lessons and inspire yourself. Limits only exist if you let them. In tomorrow’s post, Day 13 of the 30 work-day blogging challenge, I will talk about 13 things that I hate about being creative (or rather the downsides and humor behind having a full-fledged creative gene). And yes I just made a reference to the Julia Styles + Heath Ledger movie 13 Things I Hate about You. Now stop reading my nonsense and go enjoy this weird Wednesday.
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Wedding Date: Saturday, December 3, 2016 Wedding Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico Wedding Venue: Zama Beach Club Let's start with the reality of this: Sheldon and Alex's wedding was the first wedding I've ever been in as a member of the bridal party. I've been a reader and greeter in times past and while it's very special— it's not anywhere near the same kind of participation as being right by the couples' side. But maybe this wedding was a little different because I was so involved in the planning process—I felt like I was getting married too. I wanted everything to be perfect for my big sister and when the day finally arrived, I was hiding the fact that I was a nervous wreck because butterflies can be contagious. Here's how my mind was going through the ceremony: YES I didn't trip walking down aisle. Thank you baby Jesus. Oh jeez, the photographer is right there, do I look stupid? Wow are all these people looking at me...Do I have a hunchback? Shoulders back Helen. Wow, Sheldon's bouquet feels like a ton of bricks. Don't fidget with that dead petal. Oh jeez, Sheldon's voice trembled. Don't cry. Don't cry. The tissue is soaked by the flower stems. Don't cry. My big sister is getting married. Wait, did I stage the train of the dress? What's Alex feeling right now? Is that sweat or tears on his face? Haha, my brother winked at me. He is sweating so hard right now poor thing. How are Mom and Dad? Dad's focusing hard on the two of them. How's my sweetie? Smile at him. It's his birthday today. Is he enjoying himself? Jeez I don't even know what he's wearing—haven't seen him all day. Wait Helen focus. listen, because after all, this only happens once. The mind is a crazy thing. Not sure if this happens to every bridesmaid, but I vividly remember thinking about all this. Then after the wedding, that's when the photographer gets to work with the formal photos. The sun was setting so there was maybe 15 minutes of good light—that meant family photos PLUS photos of the bride and groom by themselves. I was trying to not be that person to micromanage the photographer, but also help with things like ("Hey guys, put your hands in your pockets.") When it was all said and done though, we realized we forgot photos with some very important people in our family. For awhile I blamed myself, because I was in charge of finding the photographer, but in the end it wasn't anyone's fault. We were all in the the chaos of getting through the photos and there was only so much time. So here's seven things that I learned: 1. Organization: Weddings are being planned till the last possible minute sometimes. Sheldon and Alex's photographer was asking for the wedding day itinerary almost four months in advance. While we appreciated the organization, it was a little overwhelming considering we still hadn't even mailed out the invitations yet. Even with all the organized conversations the photographer pursued, we still forgot photos with family members. What I learned: I will try to always be lenient with my couples about the wedding day itinerary. I understand that the only constant is change but itineraries are a way for us to know what will be happening when and to not miss anything under a crowded tent. One thing you can also control, is the list of family members that you know you want to have photos with. Not only does a list help avoid awkward lag time, it helps avoid awkward family dynamics. 2. Details: The photographer was told to get photos of the guests getting on the ferry that went to the wedding ceremony site. (The island was too big to be able to get to ceremony quickly by walking, but too small to have enough taxis to take everyone to ceremony). We basically paid the photographer to be in a car for about 30 minutes because we wanted this ferry detail. In hindsight, it may have made more sense to get more photos during reception. What I learned: I am continually going to recommend my couples to think about the in-between time, otherwise known as my travel time between getting-ready places, wedding, and reception. Once, I photographed a wedding where the bride and groom were getting ready in places 15 minutes apart and I only snapped maybe 20 rushed photos in each place before needing to get to the wedding venue. Perhaps that's enough for the couple, but there's the added stress of making sure my car doesn't break down, my GPS doesn't falter, getting the boys dressed two hours before the wedding, etc. Forty photos could be a little better so you can get those family photos you could potentially miss after the wedding, or that sweet laugh between the groom and dad. When you're rushed, you have less time for candid moments. 3. Leave Plenty of Time + Pay Your Vendors BEFORE Wedding: So it was three bridesmaids, the bride and the mom and we started getting ready at 9am on Sheldon and Alex's wedding day, and we still arrived at the ceremony site 15 minutes before wedding (not planned). We also had to figure out payment for the makeup and hair ladies while we were trying to get out the door... adding unnecessary stress to the bridal party. What I learned: Hair and makeup people will tend to relax more when there is a smaller bridal party, so they take longer per person sometimes. Regardless, I will now recommend brides to communicate a finish time very clearly to leave time for photos before wedding (if desired) and traveling to ceremony site. There is nothing wrong with being ready too early. Gives you time to get that fireball whiskey shot to calm your nerves. Ole! 4. Expect something to go wrong/or not according to plan: Like most weddings, we had a rehearsal the morning before the wedding day at a certain waterfront location. When we showed up 15 minutes before the wedding, I was trying to set up a video camera and realized our ceremony site wasn't where it was supposed to be. The wedding planner made a last minute decision to set the chairs up at another location nearby, albeit a better place, it still led to one of those "holy crap, where are the chairs?" moments. My sister was trying not to panic that she couldn't get her engagement ring to fit on her swollen finger and my mom was about to hurl from car sickness from the bumpy drive over. What I learned: I learned how nervous you get regardless of what role you play in a wedding and this allows me to empathize even more with my bridal parties even more. I can tell them that something will go "wrong" ahead of time, but it's all about how you respond. I'm going to try to communicate that it WILL be okay. Everything will be okay. You will get through that gospel reading or that walk down aisle without tripping, and you'll be husband and wife before you know it. 5. Smile: Sheldon did a wonderful job smiling because it was natural for her. This was it for her...She knew she was gaining a new family in a few short moments. Alex gave her a big 'ol smooch at the end and had the biggest grin afterwards. (I only know this based on looking at photos afterwards. My view of them was blocked a bit because they were turned away from me.) Then there's me. I kid you not, there is not one single photo where I'm smiling. In fact, I look like I was blackmailed to be there. Some others in bridal party did the same. It's actually quite hilarious.... What I learned: Whether you're a bridesmaid, groomsmen, or the couple in the spotlight, don't forget to smile. Don't forget to hold hands. I've actually photographed weddings where the couple is a foot apart the entire time. That may be what you want, but most likely, you aren't going to frame those. Most likely. 6. Hire an Event + Floral Designer + Wedding Planner: Okay, I know money is factor for a lot of weddings. We all have budgets, it's just a matter of what you prioritize. But here's what I still can't believe....My type-A mom actually enjoyed getting ready with us in the condo room. I love that she's a hard worker, but I was so happy to share this memory with her. The groomsmen weren't setting up the venue hours before the wedding. We didn't have to worry about where napkins went and silly details like that. Goodness gracious, it was a day to be enjoyed and it was made possible because we had an event and floral designer and a wedding planner. Renee Landry + Cindy Smith. We literally didn't have to do any set up, clean up or micromanaging with vendors. These women did EVERYTHING. They even sent a staff member to go buy rice in town when a guest dropped their phone in the water. God bless them. What I learned: Encourage couples to hire event designer +coordinator. Skip out on those party favors, or extra tables to pay for an hour of help even. I have gone to weddings early to check out venues and I'll see the maid of honor and the mom up to their elbows with tape trying to put that last decoration together. I've also seen couples stay behind after reception to help clean up. Is it worth it to save the money? Do you want your last memory of wedding to be cleaning beer cans? 7. Be thankful + Keep Perspective in Check: Even though we forgot some photos, and I wasn't smiling during wedding, I keep thinking one thing. We're so lucky to have all of it captured. Our parents generation maybe only had 20 photos of the whole day. Susan Pacek did an amazing job capturing all of the details and emotion that poured into the wedding. What I learned: I couldn't believe how relieved I was that someone was there to capture this whole day. I felt so thankful for her documentation. For all my photographer friends: Never capture a loved one's wedding day. Enjoy it. I have too heard one too many times that they get suckered into capturing a loved one's wedding —They might say they enjoyed it, but really though, the pressure is on them. Congratulations again to Sheldon + Alex! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this special day. Thanks for reading... xoxo, helen |
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