I'm a photographer as well as a writer. I really wanted to be a film director, so I did quite a few plays. I directed them, wrote the screenplay and I'm ashamed to say, gave myself leading roles. I turned out to be a really good actress, always had a standing ovation, but the stage fright was just too much for me. I was accepted to the music conservatory, opera singing, but I emigrated soon after so none of that ever happened. But I did sing in a few bands over the years, nothing big, just some indie stuff. I can also cook really well. Everyone I feed ends up trying to talk me into opening a restaurant. But I hate cooking, because my mum used to make me do housework, including cooking, since I was very little, so I hate housework now (thankfully, I can afford a cleaner). And I never ever iron. I used to sow, don't have a machine now, but I'm pretty good with designing my own clothes, and generally, have a talent to wear whatever becomes the fashionable thing the following season. So when I was younger and a popular girl in my town, I was a bit of a trendsetter. And I have a curse-talent of an extremely expensive taste. I am instantly drawn to the highest quality, especially fashion, jewellery and antiques, and I can never afford what I really want, or perhaps, only rarely. A good talent for an antiquarian or a collector, though
um fixing stuff, drawing, football (its not called soccer!!!), piano and guitar (badly), flying, pretty decent at cooking, oh and not bad at most things DIY. I'm a smart lad (or so I've been told ) so I'm pretty creative with most things. Rules are boring.
I've been playing guitar since I was 12, I used to be in a band in high school and we even had a gig. We were not good as a group, as we knew it, so to compensate and make that first gig a good one we all wore silly hats while on stage. I tried to get one of those big ladies hats with the fake fruit, but sadly couldn't. I did get a big cowboy hat though. I also like to experiment when I'm cooking, I have a signature pasta sauce using chopped tomatoes and feta cheese that I usually have with meatballs, yum yum!
I can cook quite well and love to experiment on the stovetop. I completely eschew European or American cuisine. French cuisine doesn't do a thing for me because too much of it is nearly identical to dishes common in the Spanish world. Chicken Fricassee? Beef Bourguignon? Where I come from we call both of those dishes guiso and we make them twice a week. Give me from India and southeastward from there. A lot of my grocery shopping is done online because of this. Galangal is not exactly something you find in your average Puerto Rican grocery store. I've experimented with Thai - Puerto Rican fusion dishes and wanted to open a restaurant that would have been called Thaino, which is a portmanteau of Thai with Taino (the native people of Puerto Rico prior to the coming of Columbus... who no longer exist because of the coming of Columbus and his syphilitic crew). Panang curry with a ball of mofongo instead of rice as the starch is awesome. But restaurants are really hard to make happen and I knew I would spend my time telling people no, it's not called thigh-no. It's tah-EE-no. And also having local Puerto Ricans tell me I had spelled Taino wrong as they sniggered from the backs of their hands, and then never came back anyway because the PR palate is generally not amenable to spicy foods. Or vegetables.
That's probably because you aren't listening to the right piano players. I have a CD with nothing but piano music on it, and there's one song on there that really sets the mood. I don't know the actual name of the song, however; I just call it "Panty Dropper."
@thirdwind, I'm afraid even that wouldn't work; she's just not that kinda gal. In our case, to set the mood, the music to listen to was Arch Enemy. I forgot to add one thing although it's tied closely to drawing: sometimes we draw / write comics together. Our process is the same as with writing: we both have our own characters we write and draw and we come up with the stories / plots together. Our comics just tend to be very, very lowbrow, but it's a fun past-time on those 4-5 hour train rides when we're visiting Kat's parents. ETA: @Wreybies, screw PR palate; give me a good, scorching hot curry and a couple of naans any day over some fancy, bland concoction that looks like an exotic bird took a shit on my plate.
There is a right-brain left-brain divide there, but the only reason I can think of for them being exclusive is that you're dividing your time between two different disciplines. Then again, maybe some people who are decent at something might be better if they quit their day-jobs to pursue it. There are some webcomic artists that do both writing and drawing quite well. I used to be able to draw, I should learn again. I also want to learn how to sew because of a variety of reasons that mostly have to do with a disdain for the current fashion industry. As for other hobbies that I still have the equipment for and want to mess with again, or that I want to learn and have the tools... beading, embroidery, knitting / crochet / tatting, dollmaking with cloth or sculpture, papercraft, small woodcarvings, wire and found object jewelrymaking... (alright, that list is getting ridiculous with the crossover potential.)
i've been a clothing designer and seamstress; an architectural designer and home renovator/construction overseer/contractor; interior designer; gourmet cook; carpenter/woodworker; paralegal; landscaper; and probably a few other things i can't recall at the moment [understandable, i think, at my age!]... writing-wise, i am/have been a poet; lyricist; playwright; screenwriter; novelist; short story writer; essayist; columnist; advertising copywriter; journalist; editor; ghostwriter; and writing mentor [plus whatever i've forgotten to add]...
Apart from small periods of writing, I'm pretty much a bum. I am a part-time philanthropist, full-time bullshitter. I am an alcoholic, a whiner, a shit-stirrer. I have no poetic instincts, very little talent in comparison to my ego, I can't write songs or novels. I can't write much beyond 10,000 words, so then I'm not much of a writer. But I can send text messages at an alarming rate. I can cut my front garden the best you ever did see with a lawnmower, watch TV like a champion, and be pig-ignorant at the best of times. I am really not all that talented, to be honest.
I'm a good cook, I do studio nude photography, pencil sketch, CGI art and animation, photo retouch and manipulation (digital).
It's not connected to 'that side of the brain' but people say I'm a good public speaker, it helps that I was trained in rhetoric at university. I've also been told by former lecturers that I show promise as an academic - writing scholarly articles and essays requires creativity.
Besides writing, my current hobby is designing and making vintage clothing for Tonner dolls. I love vintage clothing, and was inspired by these beautiful, lifelike dolls. I've got quite a collection built up, but unfortunately nowhere to display them.
Well, I've stopped buying the dolls altogether. They were available second-hand, very inexpensively, on eBay for a couple of years, and I nabbed every one I saw that I liked—especially the character dolls. They were often sold nude, for around $30 each. Shipping charges came into play as well. Suddenly shipping charges AND VAT (value added tax) have shot up. I have never bought a Tonner doll new, and I've cobbled a few of them together as well. Sometimes just the head would be for sale for around $10, and if I liked it, I bought it, and waited for a 'body' to appear. I 'fix' their hair also, and grit my teeth and cut it, too. I want the hairstyles to be vintage, to go with the clothing. Lately, either people don't have money for dolls or the demand has dropped, but the eBay offerings are now too expensive and/or the shipping charges are horrendous. And the dolls on offer are not nearly as interesting as they used to be either. (Nu-Mood? Don't get me started...) I haven't bought a doll in over a year, but I make clothes for them. I have a friend who is a professional dress designer/dressmaker, and she gives me LOTS of yummy material scraps. In fact, I got a load of lovely red cashmere from a coat she was making for a client. I'm scared to cut into it, but I fancy a 50's style swing coat for one of my 50's style dolls. Maybe a Dior-type outfit, with a red swing coat and black sheath dress? I have the idea in my head, anyway. I have 1920s dolls (as shown), 1930s, 40s and 50s dolls, which are the eras I enjoy making clothing for. I have a few modern ones as well, but they're mostly clothed in 'bought' clothing. If I had to get rid of any of these, it would be the modern ones. I've always loved 'miniatures' and these are miniature people. Miniature people with perfect figures. What I've never had myself. This is me, the vicarious fashion plate!
In the past I have *tried* guitar, sax, piano, violin but I can't read music! which is a big thing if you want to play an instrument so I may as well just say, I can't play an instrument - the only keyboard I'm happy with is a qwerty one so I have a massive amount of respect for anyone out there who can play any kind of musical instrument. I do some photography - I did a C&G course when I was a young un and still dabble from time to time although when I did the course there was no digital photography, everything was done using SLR's and we developed and printed our own stuff. Gingerbread reindeers coming your way now ... (when I can sort out the error)
I am creative in speech and debate. People are constantly arguing views back and forth at my school and I always find it important to chime in for a bit. When I see an opportunity to express my opinion, I find it important. Whenever there is the chance to make a speech I take it, and whenever someone needs someone to talk to about their problems I offer myself up as a pawn in their needs. I find it pleasant to help others and help myself and my speech is one way to do that.
So much talent in this thread! I'm probably most envious of all you chefs, lol. The only creative talents I have outside of writing are photography (started with a good old Pentax K-1000), occasional acrylic and watercolor painting, and pyrography...mostly leather, some wood. I was a dancer from 3 until 19 but quit after my first year in college. I also used to make jewelry for sale, both original designs and just setting gemstones, but that's more of a by-request hobby now. I'm capable of sewing but don't really enjoy it and while I like to pretend I'm musical, I absolutely am not!
That'd be an awesome skill to have. Alas, I have no understanding of photography, lighting, editing, any of it. Or enough money for a decent SLR.
Don't be so hard with you. We are just human, with our own strength and weakness. I agree with you, Smoke Z, been good to writing and drawing, ask mainly time and practice... and that why you cannot be excellent at both. Personnaly I am good at drawing (with my own style), coding video game and other experiments. I currently trying to produce some SM and horror themed artworks for my new site. For video game, my work allow me to develop software used by millions of people (most of them are browser and portable phone games) I also run my own anonymous forum, where people can exchange images, links and chat without any account or nickname.
