Hi CharmLotta! The last answer to me tends more towards an emotion than an activity: what does a "homely atmosphere" mean to you? The heat radiating from the oven while it's baking? The idea of sharing a tasty piece of food at the family table? The smell of baked goods spreading through the house? This can mean a lot of different things to each individual. I think in retrospect, creativity is to help our minds see beyond the obvious: a baking cake = action of baking = a cake. And so if you go beyond and look at the idea of "homely atmosphere", then this is when you step away from the obvious and let your imagination wander...

I've always approached my art with lenses of connotation. What you just said, however, makes me wonder: as artists, it's easy to get so enthusiastic about our projects that we kind of rush into them. I've seen it time and again with some of my students, and also in the comments of other people when they find out that I put a lot of thought into something - as if they couldn't be bothered with doing the research or the thinking. Even now I don't think I put so much thought beforehand when I work on new ideas - a lot of those thoughts come during the creation of the finished piece and it always makes me wonder how much better it would have turned out if I had just taken my time with it. At the end of the day, it's a very personal balance: allow yourself to savor the creation process, but don't let it stop you from creating... I find that these exercises will be just what I need to achieve that balance! How about you, Kristy?