This month I had the pleasure of speaking with VC Associate member Cole Wellman. When it comes to creativity, Cole practices what he preaches. Instead of primarily focusing on one area, Cole lives a creative life, approaching each daily task with a creative sensibility.
LA.: Greetings Cole and welcome to the interview chair. Please introduce yourself to the VC Magazine readers and tell them a bit about your creative side.
Cole: Good Evening LA. My name is Cole, I am a 25 year old vampire who just recently moved to San Francisco (although I've been in the Bay Area for about two years). Looking back, I have to say my creative outlets have changed considerably with time.
LA.: How so?
Cole: When I was in my teens and early twenties, I would write poetry. I also got involved with sculpting, making little figures out of clay or that plastic modeling stuff.
LA.: And now?
Cole: Well, now I have not spent so much time in anything that would normally be called "artistic". I think that is because my creative energies have been channeled into other areas of my life. Recently I moved to a new apartment. An empty apartment is like a blank canvas, you can create anything you want there.
LA.: That could be, when one uses creative talent it comes thru as an extension of how the person approaches life. So I can very much see you working on that blank canvas.
Cole: I have been channeling most of my energy lately into creating my vision in this new space.
LA.: What does it for you... what makes your creative side kick into high gear?
Cole: It involves searching for just the right piece of furniture to match my needs for function as well as aesthetics, organizing, and I have barely even gotten to the decorating yet.
LA.: In other words getting things to "click" - humm that sounds like basic energy work in a way.
Cole: Art is an expression of energy, a concept or idea or just whatever a person sees in him/herself.
LA.: Oh that is a great way of looking at it.
Cole: I want my home to be an expression of my own personal energy. So it is very much the same... and I try to be just as careful in how I set things up here as any artist would be in creating a painting or a poem.
LA.: That is a very cool way of doing it - like creating your own energy safe zone.
Cole: Yes, indeed. Unfortunately, it has taken most of my energy and left very little for other things. When I get things settled a bit more here, I hope to get back into my other creative endeavors, heh.
LA.: You have also shared with me a bit of your writings; your blog tends to be a personal narrative on the storyteller side. It is quite well written.
Cole: Thank you. I just tend to write the things that are on my mind. I like to write them, because I write much more eloquently than I speak, ha.
LA.: It seems to be yet another one of those aspects of applying that creative side to all things in life.
Cole: Well yes, I try to.
LA.: How do you find the energy to apply creativity to so many things?
Cole: I am not much of an "artist" as it were.
LA.: Yet you live in a creative way.
Cole: I am pretty conservative with my energy. I don't do that much at once.
LA.: So would you say that you only use your energy on things worthy of the effort?
Cole: I only write a blog when I have something I think is worth writing, which isn't every day. That is the goal… I wouldn't say it is always the case, hehe. But I do try to limit my energy use to the thing I care most about.
LA.: Well how do you decide? I mean where do you draw that line so to speak?
Cole: Unfortunately, that is one of the biggest challenges.
LA.: Looking at your creative side from an energy viewpoint how do you find that your energy levels affect your creativity?
Cole: It is very easy to get caught up in trivial things and spend too much energy there.
LA.: Is there an obvious change between high & low energy creativity?
Cole: Oh yes, when I am tired I am much less creative. For example, two of my main creative outlets in day-to-day life are cooking and writing letters. Since I have moved, I have done very little of either, because all my energy is going into other things. When I have more energy I am much more motivated to do creative, new, and experimental things.
LA.: I think I would love being on the receiving end of either - I hear you are a very good cook. But how do you feel since your normal creative outlets are a little restrained? Does that affect your energy levels and how approach other things?
Cole: Yes, because I miss them. So I feel like I should be cooking and writing more, but I don't have the energy. Which does cause me to feel a little "blocked up" so to speak.
LA.: Humm - any advice for someone looking to add more creativity to all areas of their life?
Cole: Sure, find something you already enjoy doing and explore new possibilities. For example, I mentioned letter writing. I have spent a lot of time finding quill pens, stationery, and ink to use. I even made my own personal wax seal, which I use to seal every letter.
LA.: Oooo excellent advice and something anyone could do.
Cole: It makes each letter I write more of a work of art... and you can do the same thing with almost any interest.
LA.: So you use the whole action of writing as part of the creative experience. Great suggestion!
Cole: Yes and I like to think it makes getting them more fun too. I am all about art that serves a purpose.
LA.: Lol I bet ! Well thank you for sharing your time and talents with us here, you certainly have given us all template for approaching all parts of life thru artistic expression.
Cole: Thank you, LA. I don't think of myself as an artist, but everyone has creative energies that need to be expressed.