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Will Kill for Cadbury Eggs (Overcoming Creative Crisis in Time for Easter)


It’s been a weird week creatively–my mind a jumble, my thoughts scattered.  And all I’ve really cared about is eating.  Any foods would do, though the more chocolate bunnies involved the better.

When I complained (actually, more like “whined”) to my partner Sara about this creative crisis (begging her, for the love of God, to share her precious Peeps, not to mention an artistic scrap or two), she suggested I search my studio for inspiration, insisting that it offered all I needed.

So, since  Sara was hoarding all hares, even the hollow kind, and since my studio, indeed, offered a lesson or two in creativity,  today I’m posting images of my work space–the before and after messages it offered.

How I felt before I searched my studio for answers:

1. Scattered.

2.  Stuck in my head.

3.  Uninspired.

(Not to mention foul-mouthed--)

4.  Afraid that writing my memoir might kill me.

5.  Like I had nothing to say.

What I realized after:

1.  That art always offers insight.

2.  That I need to dream and hope.

That I will one day be Freshly Pressed again!

3.  That I am blessed with friends (especially in the blogosphere).

Check out my friend Tori's "Very Bloggy Wedding"--one Sara and I will attend in Nashville next week.

4.  That I’m not as dumb as I feel.

5.  That my belief in social justice will take me a long way.

6.  That I should face the future with confidence.

7.  That the answers I need reside inside of me.

8.  That if all else fails, I could kill my hare-hoarding partner for her basket-ed stash of Cadbury Eggs.

Where do you go for inspiration?  Do you have a comfort food?

Peace to each of you this Easter, and may God bless you during Passover!

Note:  If you are new to my blog, you might like to know that, though I’ve been lax of late, I am writing a memoir and blogging about growing up in an organized crime family.  (The post you’ve just read is not part of that series.)  For a list of my  memoir posts, click here.  If you are interested in reading any of my protected posts, please email me at kownroom@yahoo.com  or let me know in the comments below, and I will gladly share the password with you.

86 thoughts on “Will Kill for Cadbury Eggs (Overcoming Creative Crisis in Time for Easter)”

  1. I so love this … it takes courage to dig down, push away the clutter, and reclaim your heart in the center of it all 🙂

    I’m not a chocoholic but do have a weakness for … black licorice. It takes me back to riding in the farm truck with my Dad, taking a load of cattle to auction, and chatting all the way there & back, while eating black licorice of course :).

    Hugs to you at Easter and always – have a wonderful day!
    MJ

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    • Thanks so much, MJ. Glad you enjoyed my efforts to laugh at my own creative craziness. And isn’t it interesting the emotions with attach to certain foods. Your licorice story is sweet–in a number of ways. Happy Easter hugs to you, as well——————–

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  4. After it took all those minuets to download all your inspiration it was well worth the wait. I have never ever been this creative, and your are surrounded by your own creations.

    I don’t desire food when I feel blocked, I desire inspiration, that means getting out of my own way. Take a walk, with the dogs and the camera of course. Go on an artist date, view another’s art work/blog.

    Hey Easter is not until Sunday no chocolate bunnies or peeps or cadbury eggs until than. Plus they will all be on sale the day after.

    Have a great day! Love you!
    Jeff

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    • Oh, Jeff, I’m sorry it took so long to load. I was a little worried about that. Thanks for waiting, my friend.

      And I think you have a good point about getting out of your own way. My dogs are a huge help to me in that regard, as well.

      Hope you have a peaceful holiday weekend. Hugs and love to you from Sara and me!

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  5. Awesome post!!! I loved all glimpse into your creative world!!! I think you must be one of the most creative folks I have met via the blogosphere so I would definitely not worry about losing your edge!!! From all I can see you still got it, baby!!! And chocolate, sweet chocolate…..it makes it all better sometimes, doesn’t it??? Thanks for such a great post today—-I totally enjoyed it!!!

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  6. I cannot contain the excitement. I think I might be hurting Tom’s feelings as I’ve mentioned (complete with happy dances) how much I can’t wait for the wedding… so I can party with Kathy & Sara. Comfort food for the day? This post… and birthday cake 🙂

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    • You are so cute, Tori! Poor Tom! We can’t wait to hang with you on your special day–and actually can hardly believe you are sharing it with us–such an honor, my friend! See ya next week, my dear! Tell Tom we can’t wait to meet him!

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  9. Thanks for sharing the images of your studio. Between the proliferation of color and clutter, I would think you’d have a lifetime of inspiration in that creative space even though it would give a black & white minimalist like me a pounding headache (but I mean that in a good way). For me, just taking a walk with my camera helps me find inspiration. In answer to your question, I’m not much of a comfort food person, but I do have a fondness for dark chocolate although not in steamer trunk sized quantities.

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    • A good kind of “pounding headache?”

      However, let’s be clear here, that when you say take a walk, you mean in New York City. I imagine NYC would inspire me, as well. And that’s why you’re a better person than me–I want a steamer trunkful of most things I like. Wish your good reason would rub off on me, V! Do you offer tutorials?

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  10. I love this, while I’m not artistically inclined I felt like the message was very true to me. I often get into slumps of being uninspired and feeling like I’m the world’s biggest idiot.

    Also, I am all about comfort eating. My favorite of all is this take-out place near me that primarily sells an indian street food called Chaat. And it pretty much makes me super happy when I eat it.

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  11. I love this post! Awesome! I think it’s funny that you hang quotes all around your creative space….I do the same damn thing! Cosmically linked, you and I. Here’s one that hangs over my laptop: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot…reading is the creative center of a writer’s life…you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.”–Stephen King

    As far as comfort food: CAKE all kinds.

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    • OMG, Miranda, I’m all about cake! Cake is my biggest weakness, in fact–especially white cake with butter cream icing! Oh Lord, I can taste it now!

      Also, great Stephen King quote. We are linked, dear Sista–big time!

      By the way, guess what? Sara took Ralph to the groomer and had his hair cut. You would not recognize your boy! I’m sure Sara will share a photo soon. Hugs to you from both of us!

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  13. Every year, about this time, I have this argument with myself. I tell myself that I will NOT buy any Cadbury eggs. Nope. Not this year. I can’t eat chocolate anymore or I get very sick, and we all know that Cadbury eggs are not only chocolate, they are decadent and deeply delicious chocolate. Every year I swear to stay away.

    Right now I’m staring at a little bag of Cadbury eggs. At least I only bought the tiny bag, instead of the half-pounder that I usually manage to work my way through. The bag is still unopened. Help me save myself! I wish I could toss them blogospherically through the air so you could catch them!!!!

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    • p.s. LOVE the photos you shared of your work space. Your studio is chock-full of color and creativity and inspiration. I have to admire someone that can have touching words of inspiration living side by side with saucy expletives, tucked next to paint-stained scissors and origami birds, all keeping company with photographic memories and tiny tchotchkes from the different corners of the world. Your space is filled to the brim with the different colors of your imagination. Beautiful!

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  14. You made me smile, and think about chocolate. I tend to prefer cake and brownie to candy, but exceptions can always be made. Glad you could turn that self talk around. (you probably don’t have to kill for the eggs. There must be a better solution somewhere……..) 🙂

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    • Yes, I certainly don’t intend to literally “kill.” Just a figure of speech. Sara is safe and all is well. Actually, to be honest, I prefer cake, as well, but that seemed so un-Easter-y. How’s that for a word? Thanks for reading. So glad you got a smile out of this!

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  15. I love that chair! That’s full of creativity! Also, that last button, the one about the cat and the chocolate, totally me. I need to get one. I also feel like I need to confess that I have, in fact, killed for a Cadbury egg. The jury understood. He was taking the last one and it was chocolate with chocolate filling. Need I say acquittal?

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    • Ha–your comment made me laugh out loud. I know how it is to kil for chocolate. Sometimes, it’s the chocoholic’s only viable option. And, of course, juries appreciate these things.

      So glad you enjoyed the chair. I created that one several years ago. Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope to hear from you again soon!

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      • Of course! Your blog is really neat. One of my cousin’s is an artist. She painted a child’s chair (her own from childhood) so that the bars on the back of the chair looked like Crayola crayons. She showed that to me years ago and it stuck with me. Your chair reminded me of it.

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  17. How lucky to have a place to retreat to and draw so much inspiration from! When feeling scattered, in a funk, or overwhelmed, I tend to retreat. I kinda shut down and just don’t want to be around anyone. Instead of a craft room, a hot shower and a good cry tends to do the trick, or a day in bed and pasta…lots and lots of pasta!

    And yes, I saw your comment to Mark about the Velveeta mac-n-cheese. You bite your tongue! 🙂

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    • I’m with you when it comes to bed and pasta. I love pasta, and I can eat a lot of it! It seems Italians understand food in a way others don’t.

      Speaking of food–so sorry about my mac and cheese comment. It was wicked of me, wasn’t it? Thanks for stopping my, Tara! Hope your packing is going well.

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  18. I think we all have these feelings, but you do such a wonderful job of putting it into words (and pictures). I really enjoyed reading through “Very Bloggy Wedding”. The bloomin’ boots are awesome! How fun that you get to go!
    Hope you have a great Easter as well! 🙂

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    • Oh, thank you! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this post, as well as reading about Tori’s wedding. She’s a brilliant writer. Can’t wait till next week. I appreciate your reading–and happy Easter to you, too, my friend. Hugs to you!

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    • But, good God, Emily, you are very creative. Look at your blog; you write incredibly well. In fact, your humor is brilliant. Do you not see that?

      I’ll send a few eggs your way, dear heart! Hugs————-

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  20. Hmm, I think I’m inspired by a lot of things. Pictures, books, stuff in the fridge, cloth, paper, plants, the sea, the mountains……..i can go on and on. But this makes me think…..is it necessary to ‘do’ something creative in order to be ‘inspired’…or is inspiration a certain positive ‘feeling’ in one’s brain that makes your mind go off on strange tangential journeys…..which may or may not trigger some productive activity on one’s part. Can it be enough? These days I’m too lazy to channel my creativity into something productive, though I welcome all kinds of positive feelings just to stay buoyant. Sorry for rambling! 😀
    I think food is very inspiring too! My favourite? Chips!

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    • Yes, I, too, love chips! Yummy. Food is always inspiring. Sometimes vegetables, especially, can be gorgeous–and fresh herbs.

      I don’t see why you have to necessarily DO something to BE creative. But, gosh, I know what you mean about feeling too lazy to be creatively productive,in terms of output, that is. That could be exactly what’s going on with me. At any rate, I love your “rambling,” dear Mun! Thanks for helping me think in new ways about all of this! Hugs————

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  21. Kathy, I feel so inspired! “Behind every successful woman is a cat and a fridge full of chocolate”! I need to keep more chocolate in my fridge! Yes!!!

    You are so blessed Kathy. And I am so pleased you have your greatest blessing, Sara, to remind you that you had the inspiration within you all along.

    PS. I joined blipfoto, have befriended Sara there, and it is proving to be a very enjoyable site to be a member of. Thank you for the lead! xxx

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    • Ha, I was just commenting on your last post as you were commenting on mine! Sara told me you were her new Blip buddy. She has enjoyed getting to know you there. So happy you now blipping, as well! I need to check out your photos there. I have not had a chance to do that yet. Hope you have a lovely weekend, my friend! Hugs to you—————–

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      • This is a conversation that was meant to be Kathy (and not a coincidence either!)

        Happy Easter weekend to both you and Sara (((hugs)))

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      • Exactly, dear Joanne–no coincidence. Gosh, I LOVE your Blip photos! And you kitty is so darling. Goodness, what a sweetie. And you made the same kind of eggs Sara did. What a hoot! Hugs—————–

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  22. Inspiration is wherever you find it, my friend. It can be in the tiniest of moments and gestures. Savor each and every one.
    May you and Sara have a wonderful weekend filled with chocolate bunnies!

    PS – can’t wait to read about your and Sara’s trip to Tori’s wedding!

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  25. Oh goodness the Peeps are my undoing. And those Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, oh my!!

    I’m glad you’ve found a way to push through your barriers through creating. Your memoir is going to be remarkable, I just know it.

    Have a beautiful beautiful weekend!!!

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    • OMG–those peanut butter eggs are awesome! My mouth is watering just typing this. Thanks for the memoir encouragement. I need it–I really do! Hugs and happy weekend to you, as well, my dear————-

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  26. I love the look of your studio ! I wish I had space for one 😉
    I hope you have gotten over your writers block … If not I suggest red wine and chocolate – it works for me 😉
    Xx Kel

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  27. Love it. I recently heard that Easter is an even bigger candy holiday than Halloween..

    I’m glad you found some inspiration and I too hope you get freshly pressed again. 🙂 Wouldn’t it be cool if we both got freshly pressed on the same day? OMG, wordpress would be overflowing with awesomeness if that happened. 😉

    Where do I go for inspiration? I don’t go anywhere.
    My best creative time is in the morning, before I’ve had coffee… so I am still in that sleepy and surrendered space. That way, my ego doesn’t have a chance to but in and gum up the works.

    You’d think there’d be oodles of spelling errors from writing at that time of day. Nope….. for whatever reason, writing before my coffee has produced my best work.

    However, if I get scared of sharing myself authentically, I find my inspiration in knowing that whatever I share, chances are someone else will benefit from my story… and it never hurts to be vulnerable since in my experience we are all connected… so my healing may inspire someone else.

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    • You know, I hadn’t even thought of Easter in term’s of its chocolate consumption rivaling Halloween, but I bet it does. Interesting.

      And like you, I am most creative in the early morning. It is always my best time of day–though I have to have a hot beverage to accompany my creativity. I love what you say about being closer to a “surrendered space” in the mornings. That’s a great way to say it.

      Finally, I am totally with you that we should both be Freshly Pressed on the same day. That would be perfect. Now–how are we going to make that happen? We need to strategize, my friend!

      Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Hugs—————

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  28. Thank you for the virtual tour around your studio, Kathy! I’ve said it many times before, but I LOVE seeing the creative spaces of other people. I find it so inspiring to see what brings others inspiration! 🙂

    Happy Easter to you and Sara– I hope both of you get to enjoy lots of chocolate!

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    • I’m with you on this, Dana. I totally love to see the spaces where people create–and, actually, I have no idea why. Maybe because it feels so inspiring. Happy Easter to you and Marty, as well. Hugs—————–

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  29. lol! Wonderful post. I enjoyed taking a little tour of your creative space. I go outside for my inspiration. Or eat chocolate. Both seem to work on the brain in the same way. 😉

    Happy Easter to you and Sara!

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    • Clearly, you have lots of outdoor inspiration in the Bogs. If I lived where you do, I’d likely find my inspiration the same way. And hard to go wrong with chocolate, right? So glad you enjoyed this post!

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  30. Kathy, I always smile when reading your writing–mostly because you write in such a way that we all think “yep, been there, have felt that.” Are you listening to confessions? I ate a huge pile of chocolate chips with a huge pile of almonds while sitting at the computer typing my blog yesterday. The most awful part was that I was so preoccupied writing the blog that I.did.not.even.taste.the.chocolate. How awful is that? So of course, I would like some more. To taste properly this time. Happy Easter to two of my favorite Kentuckians!

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    • Oh, I’m always taking confessions, Kathy. I hear your sin. You’re forgiven–I’m sure. Caretakers always benefit from chocolate–even when eaten unconsciously. Hope Barry’s feeling better soon. Hugs to you, my dear!

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  31. It’s wonderfully ironic that this post is very inspiring. I loved looking at the colourful photographs.
    Cadburys is synonymous with chocolate in my world. (I don’t think I could cope with America’s usual lack of it!) I accidently inhaled an entire egg before dinner today. I had mostly succeeded in ‘going off’ chocolate for lent!

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    • So glad to hear you found the post inspiring, Fiona. There’s nothing like chocolate to inspire me. Glad, as well, to hear you had an egg for appetizer–perfect. However, we, fortunately, aren’t lacking for chocolate here in the US. Thank God for that this Easter! It was great hearing from you today. Happy Easter!

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  32. Wow, Kathy. I love the photos from your studio and am soundly impressed by what you do when you you feel creatively challenged. Nice suggestion from Sara. You turned it into something quite amazing. I love this. Thanks for well wishes. I’m going for a walk on the beach in your honor.
    Tori

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    • Oh, I hope you enjoy your walk on the beach! That’s one of my favorite activities during a beach vacation. And I’m happy you appreciated this post. It was actually fun to put together. Thank God for helpful partners!

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  33. Kathryn, if this isn’t creativity at its best, I don’t know what is! Thank goodness for Sara’s suggestion that you look in your studio. It appears to be a treasure trove of ideas! The pictures are wonderful and have given this post a unique twist! I love it! I find chocolate and coffee, sometimes apart, sometimes together, do wonders to help me find my muse. Other times, I grab my furry friend, Roxy, and we wander in the forest. It not only places me in the present moment, it also calls out to my muse and provides me with the best ideas for blog posts. And when all else fails, I sit down on one of the park benches and people watch! 🙂

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    • Oh, Bella, what a sweet comment. So glad to hear you appreciate this post. I think there’s a lot to be said for caffeine–both chocolate and coffee. But my dogs are incredibly important to me, as well. And people watching is great, too. Thanks so much for reading, my friend! Hope you’re having a good week!

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