Featured

The Story Behind The Name

So it’s a rainy Saturday lunch time and Phoebe and I go out to get a £3 Tesco meal deal to cram in our break before rehearsals continue for the afternoon. Like most Saturdays, Scarlett has decided not to join us because she has carrot sticks and hummus. Its safe to say I will feel even more unhealthy than usual when I return with my two different types of iced latte and an arm full of e-numbers, but this won’t stop me for now. Having skirted around McDonald’s resisting great temptation, we return to the Oxford Playhouse, the venue in which we plan to perform Doctor Faustus by the end of the month and to the stair case that leads us up to the rehearsal room on the second floor. It’s on the way up I rub my abdomen and frown.

‘Are you okay?’ Phoebe asks. I smile and tell her I’m fine.

‘Just a bit of indigestion I think.’

Cut to a bar in York, where I am staying for the weekend, cramming lines for the production of Doctor Faustus while I wait for my partner to join. Its nice to see a message from Phoebe and she’s being super helpful sending me all the cuts that I left on a script back in Oxford. But its even better that she’s always willing to offer advice to friends when they need it.

‘Did you know…’ she says in a text ‘That coffee helps with constipation.’

I think about this for a while. I did know that it happened to be a laxative, but it really wasn’t the did you know trivia that I was expecting.

‘I did know that.’ I replied. ‘Are you, um… having trouble?’

‘no, no. you said, yesterday on the stairs. You were constipated.’
I wanted to make it completely clear at this point that I wasn’t constipated and if I were I’m not sure it’s the kind of thing I would have sprung on Phoebe who was  – at this point – not very well known by me or vice versa. Phoebe was embarrassed and I suppose I was too, retrospectively anyway. We laughed about it. I laughed a lot more than someone should when they are sitting alone in a bar surrounded by York’s finest academics.

None the less, whether that story makes you laugh or maybe want to cry a little, it’s how we came up with our name and how Phoebe and I became the friends we are now. So when Scarlett, Phoebe and I were sitting on a video call, talking about some sort of way to raise money for the Oxford Playhouse, Creatively Constipated was the name we had decided on. Still laughing, and still cringing… just a little bit.

And that really is what it’s all about. The Oxford Playhouse provided such a fantastic space, that when the Coronavirus became a world spread pandemic and all the theatres were shut down, it was a space that none of us would ever take for granted again. We never got to perform Dr Faustus and our life line of creativity was suddenly null and void. Phoebe was back home in Kent and just like that it was all over.

Here at Creatively Constipated we believe that the arts of any sort are so important for so many people. Even if you don’t take part in anything creative, how much time have you spent watching Netflix or Freeview over the past three months of lock down? How many jobs are provided by the entertainment industry as a whole but no less than theatres. Theatres just like the Oxford Playhouse.

So we ask you. Donate. If you have a theatre that is close to your heart, like so many people do, then see what you can do for that venue. But if you are unsure where to look, then look no further than this site. We are raising money for the playhouse with a GoFundMe and your help could make all the difference to our cause.

~Tom~

Tom playing Sampson in a production of Romeo and Juliet

Deadly Mushrooms anyone?

An interview with the creator of this picture.

In a mere direct message on Instagram I asked Georgie if I could feature her post. She graciously accepted and I asked a few questions expecting a few sentences back. What I got instead was something much more and was so interesting it had to be made into a blog.

My first question was not one of the deepest questions or really a question at all: ‘ tell me about your post’

Georgie replied in voice notes, instead of paraphrasing I decided to write what she said and so here it is: ‘It’s hard to tell what they are, I don’t even know what they are, they are a record of a chemical reaction on a photo emulsion, I used urine, vinegar, salty water and lemon, made a paste with deadly mushrooms from the garden, it made a paste that looked quite unattractive I put it onto the photo emulsion, that was allowed to sit and simmer in this jar of disgusting mushroom urine, then took it out after 7 days of it festering.’

While listening I’m sure I was thinking what you are. ‘Huh’.

She carried on: ‘I processed this, and found a chemical reaction between all the chemicals, mushrooms reacting with the urine, etc. and on top of that they’ve been exposed as a photograph. And seeing them out of context they are completely abstract work. And they are almost heaven like, especially the second one, almost like you’re literally looking into heaven. I had no idea what the outcome would be, it was almost like a little test, I was shocked was not expecting this outcome at all.’

No neither was I, looking at the pictures I was surprised to think how something so beautiful can come out of something so… gross! I started to think about it and realised isn’t that the world we live in though? Almost everything beautiful comes from something not so beautiful. But that’s a whole other blog post isn’t it!

My second question was : ‘what does art mean to you?’

Her response is not something I can describe its better if you just read it!

The voice notes continued: ‘The biggest question in the world is what does art mean to you? And in all of my years of studying art I have never been asked it.’

I couldn’t believe that! Surely someone must have asked, but then I guess it’s not a question easily answered, so not easily asked.

‘I think for me, it defines that moment that every artist gets, when they’ve finished a piece, sort of like déjà vu, of like oh my god this is what I’ve been visualizing this whole time, like a euphoric moment and that’s what art means to me. The word art isn’t enough it’s this moment that happens in your brain, that your idea that was in your brain you have it as a physical thing that is now in front of you. I don’t think with any form of academia you can get that, maybe you can get it but I’m not an academic person so maybe I haven’t experienced that,’

Again that’s a whole other blog!

‘But that is the thing that makes me keep going back to art, keep chasing that high but a healthy high, I just want to keep coming back to the moment of omg my brain has come up with something and now I can show people and I can see it in the flesh because in the beginning of making things you cant show other people, its difficult to explain pieces before they’ve been made.’

‘Pieces of art are little peaks behind the curtain into someone’s brain and they’re copies of parts of people brains, and definitely my work shows a lot of me within it.’

So there we have it, it’s amazing what art means to different people, and I’ve definitely never thought of art as a feeling.

So, what’s art to you?

6 Creative Daily Laxatives to Keep You Moving in Lockdown

Me feeling a little Creatively Constipated myself during lockdown

Here in England we prepare for lockdown 2.0. Pubs shut their doors, hairdressers put down their scissors and Mariah Carey pit stops fifty radio stations per day in a bid to let us know that all she really wants for Christmas is you. In fact, it rather feels like we are collectively – as a nation – filling up the kettle, putting on a dressing gown and turning to the rabbit hole that is home entertainment. Whether that is social media, Netflix or good old-fashioned Freeview and Doodle Jump binge.

Creatively Constipated wants to turn that around and become part of your scrolling routine that inspires and motivates. Should creativity be your thing, we have devised a few ideas to unclog your day and get things moving the way they should be.

Create A Vision Board

I haven’t made a vision board since I was a young kid. I had seen my mum do them all the time. Inspired, I decided to figure out what I wanted from my future. It turns out that I wanted chocolate and swimming pools. However, now my life ambitions are a little less shallow, I used the first lockdown to create another. This time it was Nigella’s food creations and houses that have swimming pools. GROWTH!

For the uninitiated, a vision board is a great way to keep you focused on a goal. Think of a portfolio of all your wishes printed off and pinned to a cork board. Then place it somewhere prominent in your home. Every time you lack motivation, you see the vision board and it inspires you once more. Although you should probably dream bigger than I do.

“All I want for Christmas is Nigella’s Bacon Wrapped Chipolatas”

Take Your Book Clubs Online… Or Any Other Hobby for That Matter.

Now bear with me on this one. When we were locked down in March, some friends and I got together and decided to recreate a society we used to run in sixth form. We called it Fiction Writing society and every week we would meet and share what we had written in the past seven days. We all missed our days of laughing and bonding over what we did best, so we used the months of Covid in the summer to pour our selves a glass of wine, sit down with one another once more, and share what we had written recently. A bit like a book club in reverse.

Have a hobby? Share it with your friends!

Write A Letter

What a time to try different methods of communication, especially to those you may not be able to see due to social distancing. I believe letter writing is a long-lost craft. Especially if you are a romantic, letters to a loved one is something we should all try occasionally. Then save them in a file and have them as a pickup for a rainy day.

No partner to write to? I know that my grandparents love to receive letters. Granted, I tend not to as I live with mine, but it was always a talent of my sisters who lives three hours away.

Make a Photo Album

I like to think of myself as a photographer and I have used some of my time off to finally print some of my photos off and compile them into an old album I hadn’t used. Likewise, we all have digital copies of selfies etc from nights out and daytrips. What good are they on your phone? Since digital photography became a thing, we all have hard drives choc-full of unseen memories. What’s the point of that?

Make Your Favourite Cocktail, then Make it Again

But not before Five O’clock! We all have a favourite cocktail (or maybe mocktail) and all the recipes for just about everything can be found online. Mine is Espresso Martinis but it took me until having nothing better to do to make the effort. No regrets! It’s certainly a life skill that will come in especially useful when we are back to hosting dinner parties!

Turn Spring Cleaning into Creative Reorganisation

I’m the sort of person who rarely cleans unless it a form of procrastination. And then I CLEAN! Recently I find myself organising my sock draw for the first time in years. Boring as that may sound, now is the time to try out knew layouts. From categorizing your bookshelf to rearranging the furniture in a room, all are great ways to hit the reset button and start fresh.

So that’s it folks! some of my tried and tested methods that keep my days moving. This Post is part of Creatively Constipated. A group that feel passionately about all forms of imagination. if you would like to find out more, why not follow our Instagram @creativelyconstipated_ for more blog posts, features and more. If you are a creative person, we would love to hear from you!

EVERYTHING is creative. Even Eating!

Katherine herself. From rhythmandgreen.com

This week I spoke to Katherine Comina, owner of new blog site and Instagram influence Rhythm and Green. With a growing trend – and dare I say, a need – for sustainable lifestyle choices right now, Katherine’s seasonal eating and vegan friendly corner of the internet is well timed and well created. As a vegan, seasonal eater with a passion for all things sustainable, it may seem odd that we – creatively constipated – are walking a slightly different path, but rest assured, we have our reasons. I knew Katherine since long before she started Rhythm and Green and indeed watched her while she was building not only a website and an Instagram account, but she was building a brand. Already in just a few short weeks she has found her feet. In creating her empire, she has implemented her writing, taught herself photography and takes to the kitchen almost everyday to try and test recipes before blogging them out to her growing following. Now no one can say that does not take creativity! (Among immense other talents of course.)

As well as visiting www.rhythmandgreen.com and following her Instagram @rhythmandgreen, Katherine’s insights to a world of sustainable life choices are an absolute must read. Whether you’re a keen cook or could burn water by accident, this is a creative mission that is important to us all:

As a vegan yourself, do you find there are many hurdles due to the stigma around the word?

Going vegan was probably the best decision I ever made. I remember when I first decided to commit to doing ‘Veganuary’ back in 2019 I was so excited. But I was also prepared (even a little concerned) about the backlash I might get from family and friends. In the end, there was none but the word ‘vegan’ is almost taboo for some people. I know that when I first made the transition a lot of my friends asked me “will you be offended if I order the chicken?” when we went out for a meal. But not all vegans are going to give you a lecture or force their opinions on you – myself included. I value myself on encouragement rather than oppression.  I think that’s the main hurdle, at least for me – getting over the initial judgement. Even inside the vegan community, if you’re not 100% vegan 100% of the time, you’re often lectured about how you’re “not a proper vegan”. But going vegan is really hard for some people and it shouldn’t be about the labelling – that’s the second hurdle. Labelling yourself is like getting on a bus that only goes to one destination and once you’re on, it can be difficult to get off. We shouldn’t be letting our veganism define us completely. Lastly, I think it can be hard for other people to cater for your dietary needs, and we need to become more patient  and understanding with that. Some people might not know a thing about veganism and feel completely out of their depth when it comes to cooking something for you. As someone who eats vegan, I think it’s vital to be patient in those situations and educate rather than lecture (patience would be my third hurdle, with yourself as well as others – don’t beat yourself up for that one slice of pizza).

Rustic Loaf: http://www.rhythmandgreen.com

What is the most positive impact you can hope for while starting up Rhythm and Green?

I created Rhythm and Green with aims to provide a gentle corner of the internet for people who are interested in living more simply, more sustainably, and more seasonally. But, stemming from that, I wanted my reader’s to then go out and voice what they had learnt from these resources. Raising awareness is ultimately our main focus at Rhythm and Green – we want to speak up about the importance of conscious consumerism, seasonal eating, and sustainable rhythms but also voice louder that YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOO. We are all about small and incremental changes. In the book ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, it is stated that “habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1% better each day counts for a lot in the long-run.” – you can apply this methodology to the core values of Rhythm and Green as well: by changing our everyday habits to greener and more mindful ones, we can live with greater intention and better sustainability. In the end, our most positive impact is going to be what each of our reader’s takes away and acts upon, and that’s going to be different for each individual person.

You post almost every day between your different sites. From the growing of the produce in your allotment to the food it becomes in the kitchen. Is there a part of your creative process you enjoy the most?

I love everything about what I do. My work is so rewarding and so fulfilling, and I enjoy each activity differently – the fun of creating new food in the kitchen, the flare of taking and editing photographs, the sheer joy of writing a blog post, putting everything together and publishing it live online… there’s no greater feeling than stretching at the end of the day and seeing all that you’ve created. I love everything about what I do. But if I had to pick one process, my favourite would be the cooking. I love being in the kitchen, I’m a proper foodie and for me, the kitchen really is my canvas. Taking food from our garden and turning it into something not only delicious but beautiful, that settles everything in for me. I don’t think I would enjoy my job so much if I didn’t have the opportunity to create so much in the kitchen, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Fresh from the kitchen: http://www.rhythmandgreen.com

What would be your top tip for someone wanting to live more sustainably?

My top tip for someone wanting to live more sustainably would be to take it one step at a time. Whether it’s the jump to veganism or just trying to reduce your everyday waste, my advice would be to start small and work your way up. Focus on the next step and not the entire staircase. Because, honestly, the idea of going 100% vegan or being completely sustainable in your everyday life is daunting and it can seem impossible when you’re just starting out. But by simple, incremental changes, you soon get further than you initially think you will. I started my vegan journey with a single month of veganism, and now I’ve created a business from it. I had no idea I would be doing this when I first made the dietary change, because you only need to look at the next step in front of you. Life gets so much better when you realise that you don’t have to go at the same pace as everybody else.

And finally, do you have a favorite meal/why that one?

My favourite meal is hands down, no doubt about it – lasagne. My blood is Italian, and I relate to Garfield on too many levels for my favourite meal not to be lasagne. It lights a little fire in the belly on a cold winter’s evening, puts a smile on your face at the end of a bad day, lights up the dark skies of January. I am extremely passionate about my lasagne and going vegan hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the sheer beauty of the dish either – I make a vegan one instead and IT IS DIVINE. Lasagne any day.

http://www.rhythmandgreen.com

So there we are! I genuinely believe we all have something to learn from Rhythm and Green. Give her a follow, show some support and let’s wish her all the best.

And don’t forget to stay tuned. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Rhythm and Green as both them and Creatively Constipated grow.

Sophia… A Word From A Writer

Writing for me is many things, one of them being a way to get my thoughts and emotions out. To solidify what is an abstract concept in my head into something more solid, more reachable. I started reading because I had books, and these books proved an escape from a daily life I didn’t like. The stories that gave me courage, and inspired me and made me wish for something better. The boy who rode a dragon, the girl who pointed out the hypocrisy in adults actions. The wild ride that were myths and legends from the days of yore. Sometimes they made me smile, sometimes they made me sniff. Some of the best taught me and left a lasting impact. For me, I wanted to eventually create a world filled with things I thought of. To experiment with concepts and personalities. I became invested in it, and sought to become a better writer. And now while I only write for myself I love sharing the things I write. It may be occasional and not often that I write but I will always long to create something. Then I just have to stop procrastinating and start writing. Maybe someday, I’ll be able to write well enough to impact someone the way other books impacted me.

Sophia Dukhota

Check out a piece of Sophia’s writing called “I Grew Up”

i-grew-upDownload