We often either forget or neglect the creative aspect of ourselves.
You might think, “I’m not creative. I can’t draw, I can’t cook, I can’t even grow weeds.” I disagree.
Within each of us lie creativity, artfulness, and expressiveness.
Our creativity is our spirituality. They move from within us from the same space deep inside, uniquely. Separating the two goes totally against living wholeness.Creative Juices
Last week, I gathered up my summer collection of annuals to plant and adorn our porch, patio, and windows. I love gardening!
I always purchase more than I have pots for and generally lose a few plants to over-watering or unexpected weather conditions.
However, the joy of immersing my hands in fresh, fragrant potting soil, arranging collections of colorful displays, and caring for our new tenants throughout the summer months brings immense joy and gratitude, not to mention adorable hummingbirds and peaceful butterflies.
There’s something raw and deeply satisfying about getting our hands into something earthy, something primitive, something beyond the everyday tasks, chores, and responsibilities; the senses erupt, the body relaxes, and the mind clears; the creative juices flow and life feels freer, perhaps as it’s intended.
This past weekend, I launched into a project that I had pushed aside for years: striping and refinishing an old rocker from my daughter’s nursery; mind you, my daughter is approaching her 23rd birthday!
The moment that I made the commitment to begin, my mind cleared and my body relaxed; I felt inspired and energized as I gathered up supplies, materials, and moved the rocker into the garage. My creative juices were flowing!
Permission to Flow
Why don’t give ourselves enough of these types of moments and creative endeavors?
Life responsibilities, schedules, and demands take priority.
We settle for routine habits that stifle and block the flow of our creative juices.
Others talk us out of our gifts or dismiss our attempts to risk, experiment, try.
Life and relationships beat our creativity out of us.
Recently, my husband read an article regarding national efforts to possibly remove dams as part of river restoration.
Remove dams, the water flows freely, and the surrounding landscape and ecosystem transforms.
I thought the article was symbolic of how we allow life and relationships to dam our own natural flow.
Stop the flow and we become blocked, limited. Remove blockages, we flow.
Removing Personal Dams
So how do we remove our own personal dams and find our creative flow? A multitude of ways exist, some of which I have shared in previous blogs.
Some you are well aware of how what you need to do and yet, fear has your dam tightly secured.
However, if you’re committed and ready to remove your dam and unleash your creativity, you might enjoy Julia Cameron’s work, The Artist’s Way.
If you’ve read Cameron’s work or other inspirational reads and still feel stifled, spend time meditating and contemplating what is blocking your flow.
For me, it was not loving myself enough to give myself creative time. I had allowed my creativity to drown in the needs of others.
When we risk removing our dams and allowing our creativity to breathe air, we can actually be more available to others because our natural, creative state is flowing more freely.
By removing dams, we shift and transform, and so does the landscape and ecosystem around us.
In other words, removing dams has the potential to alter us, our environment, and our relationships.
Be aware that a creative transformation might not feel okay to everyone in your ecosystem. Change one element of a system and the entire system changes.
You might get looks, comments, or even judgments that throw you off balance. Remember, it’s not about you!
Nonetheless, as it is with nature, care, nurturing, and patience will bring the system back into balance. It’s a practice.
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