Creativity is Essential

…Me, Elizabeth Gilbert, and some decorator crabs

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[image 1] I’ve been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. In it, she writes about her friend Eileen, who gets a tattoo whenever she feels like it. “My body is temporary,” Eileen says. “I decided I would decorate myself as playfully as I can, while I still have time.”

I love this idea. It made me think of one of my favorite animals, the decorator crab.

Why are they called decorator crabs? Well…

Decorator crabs take a look at their surroundings to see what’s around. Then…

THEY DECORATE THEMSELVES!!

With whatever’s around! Rocks! Plants! Sandy bits! Even other animals! Sea anemones! starfish!

[image 2] Script: Our crabs are just like Eileen, right? Except—Eileen is decorating for the sake of decorating, which…