It’s not that parenting isn’t creative; it’s the opposite. It rinses me of creativity just to keep up with the kids; and to get through the day with everyone still alive.
But at the end of each day I just want to sit in front of a mind-numbing episode of a box set; preferably eating chocolate, nuts and raisins. The opposite of creative.
If I don’t go to bed by 9:30pm then the next day with the kids is a nightmare. And on days when I don’t have them, I spend most of my time looking at the videos and pictures I have taken of them.
So I have decided to pause the book writing for now – and to start doing something more practical – which I can do with them.
We’ve begun to plan a bike trip from Devon to Glasgow – so that we all arrive for the international climate conference in November.
The idea is that we will all fit in a tricycle like this one:
And then cycle along the quiet roads – for about 600 miles – over a couple of weeks – to arrive for Cop26.
When we get there (if we get there!) we will join with anyone else who is asking world leaders to take more drastic measures; rather than their current efforts to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.
This feels like something that we, as parents of young kids, can do to take a stand for their future. If anyone else fancies joining, either on the road or in Glasgow, do give us a shout.
I will post occasional updates about how we are getting on with planning the trip – as well as on-the-road updates in Oct/Nov.
I am not giving up on the idea of writing about creativity in public life. I just think that I need to wait until I am bit more immersed in some sort of public life to help me write about it.
Our eldest starts school this year and our youngest starts nursery – so I need to start looking for a job to earn some £ – so if I manage to get a job, then I will revisit the ideas then.
Categories: BOOK scratches - Creativity in Public Life
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