Letting His Creativity Lead
Don Freedman is a man who has journeyed from the frustrations of the corporate world to the peace and assurance of a man who is following his dreams.
For nearly three decades, Don Freedman has been expressing his creativity in ways that he can share with the public. His spacious shop on Centre Street is filled floor to ceiling with colorful tapestries, elegant brass sculpture, whimsical wood carvings, clocks of every size and design, and a plethora of interesting home accents.
Before he made the commitment to follow his creative spirit, he found himself becoming frustrated with the direction of his life. Freedman knew he needed a new approach. He credits his awakening to several happenings in his life. One was in Asia.
“It must have been 42 years ago, I was taking a tiny taxi from the airport in Hong Kong to my hotel, and I saw a woman carrying an enormous load of bricks and a baby on her back. She was singing. I went by the construction site on my way back and saw her again, tirelessly carrying her load and still singing.”
Over the years, the persistence of the woman he had seen in Hong Kong stayed with him, and in reflecting on the scene, he learned “not to give up, to not throw in the towel.”
The other event that finally helped him to reorient his life was some time he spent in an ashram in India.
“It has taken me a lifetime to apply what I learned there: to forget the past, live in the now, and give myself permission to go all the way. You’ve got to let your creativity go....We’re all unlimited in our creativity, if we give it permission...it’s like dancing wildly.” But, he added, “you have to be centered, keep your feet on the ground.”
In commiting to follow his creative impulses, he has also allowed himself see the joy and beauty in life. “When I see an idea that I think holds interest, I let my mind go to other options. I think ‘how can I make that object exciting and not conventional.’ It is this mindset that Freedman credits with the success of his business. “I think of ways to approach home decor creatively...an imaginative approach that will make your environment special to you.”
Now in his 70s, Freedman has also finds fulfillment on island. “Traveling used to feed my creativity, now all I need is the right environment and the creativity churns up...when I walk the dogs at Tuppancy, I am sometimes enthralled—it can be a spiritual experience. Nantucket has a lot of those spots.”
“Never stop exploring,” Freedman advises, “give your creativity your all.”
