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Rory Clark

Creativity was a bright flame suffocated in my youth by the folly of drink and drug abuse. Rescued in my mid twenties my life was rebuilt only to find myself in depression another decade later. With help I realised that long absent light wasn’t adolescent indulgence but an essential need.

Since beginning to explore creativity again in 2005 personal fears have been quashed and colour has invaded every aspect of my life. Doors have opened, relationships have bloomed and crucially a great sense of adventure has returned. In fact exploring creativity has been like being kidnapped by a mysterious friend. I don't know where I'm being taken and it's a bit unnerving. The mysterious friend is God and through creativity he's helped me understand things about Him and me that have healed wounds and changed the way I look at so many things. Without creativity I simply cannot engage fully with life, more importantly it teaches me about what it means to love and be loved.

My friends and I call ourselves ‘Creature’ and we are closely associated with the founders of ‘athinplace.org’. Together we are exploring how to be creative community and to experience its life giving benefits. We also place considerable emphasis on learning how to stimulate the same in others. Without these people I would be lost.

My wife of 13 years is Hayley with whom I have 3 daughters aged 6, 4 and 11 months.

Rory Clark, August 2010
spknoevl1972.blogspot.com/
www.athinplace.org/
issuu.com/spknoevl1972/


Group statement: Creature - by Sam Piker (beardymonsta)

Why do you feel different about yourself after creating something beautiful?

We are a collective of artists who have chosen a name that reflects why we engage in art and what motivates us to keep doing so. We believe we are made in the image of our creator, the ultimate artist who designed people to be creative like Him, to have the restless desire to create. It is an instinct as fundamental as breathing.

Art is our way of getting close to the creator, of discovering new things about ourselves and the way He sees us. This is why we hone our skills and encourage each other to keep developing as artists. We also like to nurture creativity in others beyond Creature’s community; we turn people’s houses into galleries for one-off gallery evenings, providing a safe environment where people can display their work, invite their family or friends, and have it appreciated.

The artists in Creature currently produce paintings, textile works, photography, graphic novels and pieces of writing. They are husbands, mothers, sons, brothers, daughters and fathers, going to work and walking down the street. They are ordinary people who have discovered something precious that has profoundly affected their lives.