Men, This One's For You.

I've been thinking recently about men.  And how they express themselves creatively.  As I've been travelling around the blogosphere, I've come across plenty of creative and artistic blogs written by women who are sharing their creative and artistic endeavours with others.  It's tremendously inspiring.   

But I haven't come across too many blogs written by men about how they express themselves creatively.  This could be because men are being creative and not writing about it.  Or that I am just not finding blogs written by men because I am drawn to blogs written by like-minded women.  I shall have to ponder this further...

I also received a message today from a man, who writes for an online magazine, asking what kind of articles I would like to read, based around creativity.  He has read my blog.  He noted in his message that he thought my blog was "quite girly but my partner loves it." 

This got me thinking.  I know my blog is pink.  And I have an unhealthy pre-occupation with cupcakes.  But is it really all that "girly"? 

I looked at it tonight with objective eyes.

Who am I kidding? 

It's pink.  Covered in cupcakes.  Has lots of pictures of pretty things. 

Hmmmm.

I guess it could be judged as "girly".  I shall call it feminine.  No, I won't.  That word makes me dry heave a little bit.  I think I'll just settle for pink and cupcakey.  

Once I get going with a thought process, I tend to run with it.  So, I found myself wondering if there were any men out there reading my blog who were struggling with the pink, cupcakeyness of it all.  I have received lots of positive feedback from creative ladies.  But only from two creative men.  And one of those creative men was my Significant Other. 

So, in honour of all the creative men out there who might be reading this blog and struggling with the pink cakeyness of it all.  

This one's for you.     

I've been expanding my creative boundaries.  I've had a busy week.  I've been to Abbey Road Station.

I then visited several other lovely places

Here.

Here.

Here.

And here.

I've been to a model railway show!

It was wonderful.  Rooms full of creative men.  Fantastic.  

I am not being sexist when I say this.  I made sure I counted the ratio of women to men who were displaying model railways whilst I was there.  There were over one hundred men.  And three women.  (All of whom were accompanying their husbands who made the model railways.  I know this because I asked the ladies.)  Which gives me a ratio of 3:100.  (Sometimes, I impress even myself.)  Not very many women, that's for sure.

As a child, I was mesmerised by miniature villages and model railways.  They were magical worlds where I was a giant who could peep into tiny windows and see how tiny people lived.  I was enthralled by the creativity of model villages and railways then, and still find them magical now.

So when I recently got the opportunity to visit a model railway show.  I leapt at the chance to take a peek into the magical world of creative men.

My Significant Other and I have discussed the possibilities of building a model railway that somehow runs the length of the hallway, through the lounge and into the kitchen.  With practical capabilities that somehow mean the train can chug past the sofa bringing cups of tea and plates of bourbons. 

At the Model Railway Show, I learnt that this was no mean task.  This lovely gentleman started his model in 1976.  He still hasn't completed it.  And not even a sniff of a bourbon or custard cream...

Here are some close-ups of his creative genius.

Amazing.

The model of Abbey Road and the connecting station really made me smile.

Do you recognise who is crossing?

But for British creativity at it's best, my favourite model was this one. 

Check out the attention to detail and humour.

(The man in the green shirt has spilled his paint and walked through it.) 

After leaving the station, the train ran past a village store...

A fair ground, farmers' market and fish and chip shop ...

The essential village pub...

With beach and bathing beauty...

Then past the wee naturist corner! 

(Although the man's Significant Other doesn't look too impressed that he's misplaced his undercrackers.  *Squinting to look more closely at picture*  Is he waving them at her?)

And a barbecue!

It was fantastic.

And my favourite model maker was this lovely gentleman who wore his engine driver's hat with pride, and smiled and laughed to himself each time his engine passed where he was sitting.

Creative Men.  Lovely.