(April 13, 2020) — It all started in the backyard of my family home when I was just a wee little one… I would play for hours with my mom’s old pots and pans concocting all kinds of delectable, but non-edible creations made from twigs, grass, berries, and anything else I could get my hands on in my backyard. Even then I had this love for creating recipes from scratch!
I grew up in a four-bedroom house with seven people and many critters running about. My Pennsylvania Dutch Grandmother, Anna, lived with us and she fostered my love of cooking and taught me to make the best apple pie, among other yummy treats. Soon I began taking various ingredients from the cupboards and creating my own concoctions, some edible, some not so much. I cherish the time I had with my Grandmother, spending so many hours creating in the kitchen together.
At least a few times a week, my mom would have a fun craft project set up and waiting for us when we got home from school. We had a tiny little breakfast room with an old Formica top table and built in cabinets that were somehow filled to the brim with arts and craft materials. My mom exposed us to so many different mediums and encouraged us to be creative, not caring so much about the end product, but more about the actual process of being creative. Little did I know what a gift this would become that I would carry with me through life!
For me, school was not a happy place. I was one of those kids that was super hyperactive and had a couple of what they now believe are learning disabilities. I was regularly placed in groups for slow learners or with others who had behavioral issues. It wasn’t until high school that a teacher singled me out and asked me to stay after class. I will never forget his words “You don’t belong here!” I put my trust in him and every day he worked with me after school. Had it not been for him, I am not sure I would have ever graduated.
Honestly, I did not want to go to college, I had had enough of school, but with my parent’s encouragement I pursued a degree in Early Childhood Education. It was there that my professor discovered that I am a visual learner. I did not test well on paper, but put me in the classroom with the children, or ask me verbally and it was evident I knew my stuff. It was in these early childhood classrooms that my creativity could soar and I would create magical learning centers and activities for these little ones. Here I discovered my gifts, the power of the creative process, and honed a philosophy for life…
EXPLORE, DISCOVER, CREATE, PRACTICE, REPEAT, LEARN
My early childhood career ended some twenty years later, overseeing 47 schools and operating a twenty-million-dollar division of the fourth largest child care company in the US. I loved my time in this field and being able to make a difference in the lives of so many children and their families.
On to the next chapter, my son was born and it was my time to be a mom. As you would imagine, I shared my love of creativity with my little one at every opportunity. I set up a play space in our home where he could explore, discover, create, practice, repeat, and learn. By the age of two, I had him on a stool at the kitchen counter helping mommy to create all kinds of yummy treats. By the age of ten he could make his own meals and now as an adult, he has two babies of his own and is quite handy in the kitchen!
When my son was grown and I took on a full-time position in the corporate world, I lost a bit of that creativity and its absence was greatly missed in my life. I wasn’t even sure what was missing until I picked up some art supplies and started creating again. It very quickly became my therapy, a way to destress and get into a meditative zone. That PROCESS of creating has this wonderful, soothing effect on the brain that many find through yoga, breathing meditations, and sometimes through music, but for this gal, it’s either art, designing in my gardens, or experimenting in my kitchen.
With so many of us being at home right now, many of you with children, I encourage you to dig through your attics, basements, closets, and in your kitchen to find materials to explore, discover, create, practice, repeat, and learn. Unleash that creativity vibe and you may be surprised just how wonderful it will make you feel inside and out!
In Wellness, With Love,
Janet
Simple Salt Dough Clay
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
Water to make a dough like consistency
Mix all ingredients. You may need to use your hands to fully mix it. You can roll it and use cookie cutters to make ornaments, or simply create little critters. You can air dry it over a few days, or bake it on a lined cookie sheet at 250 degrees until hard, but not brown. Once cool you can paint your creations.
Food Art with Children
I love taking healthy foods and creating food art with them. They enjoy the process of making it and then eating it. This berry bunny was done for a larger group of children, but you get the idea 😊
Janet E. Verney is an Author, Artist, and a Healthy Food Chef who resides in Higganum and loves helping others to “health-up” their lives! She works as a Community Coordinator at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in their advanced courses, Gut Health and Launch Your Dream Book. Have a burning health or nutrition question, write to Janet at connect@roots2wellness.com. To learn more, visit her website at roots2wellness.com.
