CAN CREATIVITY BE ENSLAVED?

Would you believe that my creativity quotient has touched an all time low for the past so many days? Laughably I’m being wedged in the maze of dust and dusting? Rightly you’d respond, how silly and confusing! To be frank and precise, my wits are miles away from the ideas stage, why? Because of the onslaught of the paraphernalia you are surrounded with, when you finally plunge into million times postponed venture of renovating your house.

In fact our house was crying hoarse and showing its displeasure through tell tale signs of chipped wall paint and minor cracks in the floor chips for quite sometime. Probably you’ve seen the SBI debit card TV ad showing its annoyance via crinkled nose, for being used only in the ATM and not for shopping and eating out. Similarly via a tactful move our house ensured the end of the overdue rot.

The nemesis came when the kitchen hob, which has served us loyally for more than three decades, suffered a gas leakage, which was beyond repair. It was really an alarm bell for our dithering decision making. With a heavy heart and patting our limbs before they could express their inability to confront the heavy handedness of the labour force and face sundry hitches and glitches which are unavoidable in such situations, we took the plunge.

With all my apprehensions intact we’re in the throes of the elephantine exercise of restoring the lost glory to our house through a make over of sorts. It is like being skinned a wee bit every day.

Just as one feels scared even before a minor operation likewise I balk every morning before the brigade arrives. Anxiety, tension and inconvenience were daunting when the new hob was being installed on the kitchen main counter where a new granite slab was also put in place. Imagine the unenviable task of improvising the cooking process in the lobby and utensil washing in the back verandah by a snooty part time help.

With my mind overflowing with these ‘must happen inanities’, no more do I assert with Descartes 'Cogito ergo sum’. I’m just being mechanical. Not only I’m unable to squeeze any time for the luxury of thinking thoughts with the masonry scattered around but ironically enough I’m also unable to assuage a nagging minuscule part of the brain, for being deprived of its pleasurable pastime. I know you know, what am I referring to? May be you’ll say smiling, what a bundle of contradictions this!

Actually restoration work is a lot more cumbersome than building a new house. Here your fully operational house is turned topsy turvy and your movements are restricted. This apart you’ve to be at the beck and call of the workers for meeting their demands of fridge cold water and cups of strong tea overloaded with sugar. But your patience boils over when at the end of a hard day; you find a lousy job done.

So friends howsoever much I tried to put some thoughts together yet my brain did not budge as if the creative sap has been dried up in retaliation of its neglect.

In fact missing my morning walk is a dampener for my spirits as well as for igniting the creative spark. I deliberately avoid going near my computer, imagining the blank screen giving me disparaging looks. Hence no new posts. Today however, I had made up my mind, took a chance and dragged myself to my study lest I should face a drought like state. I egged my mind to offer at least a little bit of inspiration to break the writing impasse. Thus here I am with this short piece underlining my tight spot in a self created situation.

I think this is the dilemma every one faces at one time or the other.

Do you agree?

Pl. give your comments.