Creativity.
What comes to your mind as you hear this word?
I used to think, ‘Oh, that is not me. I can’t draw or paint. I am not a musician. I don’t knit. I have never made pottery or designed a dress.’
I appreciate others’ creativity. I love music of all types. I admire pieces of art. I am struck by the artistry of my husband’s woodworking projects. The beauty of a well designed garden fills my heart with joy. I love the beauty of the pieces of pottery I have collected on my travels.
For many years, I did not recognize the creativity present in me. I had a narrow view of creativity. It was a word that described others, not me.
Recently I was introduced to the presence of the ‘Muse’ in my life. I see the Muse as an archetype that has been present in my life even before I was aware of her. She points to beauty in everyday life. She is playful and inspires my imagination. She reminds me of the creative spark that lives deep within me.
Here are the reminders and gifts I have received from my Muse about creativity.
Curiosity is an integral part of being creative. My Muse encourages me to ask questions. What does that word really mean? Why is that person so energizing to be with? What happens when I allow my emotions to flow through me? What is so magnetic about the laughter of children? Why is my heart soft as I gaze at the golden sunset sky? I wonder what led that person to be a playwright? How did it happen that a former financial analyst is starting to draw and paint?
As I reflect on these questions, I am open to new ideas. My imagination is stirred and I feel a sense of possibility and excitement. This is creativity.
Courage is another aspect of creativity. I often hesitate to try something new. What if I fail? What happens if a project doesn’t turn out the way I envisioned it? My inner critic stops me from creating. Then I think of children and how they create. Watch a four year old with a ball of play dough. Suddenly there is a dragon with a cave and a pirate that appears to rescue the mermaid. It doesn’t have to make sense or even look ‘real’ to anyone else. The act of creation comes from a place of play and adventure. The fear of ‘failure’ is a foreign concept when playing with a young child. I want to be like that again!
What is the first thing I ever created?
This question stopped me in my tracks. Then I remembered the fun and adventure of putting on a circus with my friends in the neighbourhood. It was the summer I was ten years old. Our parents were the audience and we put on a fabulous show. There was no worry about ‘getting it right’. The creativity flowed as we followed our imaginations and played together with no worries about the outcome or the success of the project. Creativity at its finest!
Consciousness is part of creativity. So is unselfconsciousness.
How can both be true?
By consciousness, I mean the awareness of my experience and the sense of being present. This is the place where creativity starts.
My flow of ideas as I choose to sit and write.
The deep questions that surface in a conversation with a dear friend or a coaching client.
The joy that arises as I arrange a bouquet of flowers from my garden.
The calm I feel as I slow down and notice the colours of vegetables and smell the fragrance of simmering onions while I make a pot of soup.
These examples are times when I was not worried about how I was doing. I was unselfconscious and not concerned about ‘getting it right’. That is when I am in the flow of creating.
Comparison stifles creativity.
This is where Nature is my teacher. The variety and abundance in Nature reminds me that each aspect has its purpose. The diversity in the natural world is a metaphor for the many ways in which creativity shows up in my life.
I am learning that my speaking and writing, my approach to life and my way of making something is unique and exactly as it should be.
To stop doing something because there is someone else who does it better, means I lose the opportunity to have fun and enjoy my life. Comparison sucks the joy out of my life.
I am choosing to play and be inspired rather than be held back by comparison.
Becoming aware of these four words does not mean I am now a famous writer or painter. I have not suddenly learned the art of design or weaving!
What has happened is that I see the ways I can be creative in my everyday life. I approach my life with playfulness and I am prepared to be surprised as I am open to the magic and wonder of my life.
What was your first creative action? I would love to hear your story and any reflections you may have about creativity.
0 Comments