Use both your creative extaverted energy and your introverted quiet editor in the creative process!

I have learned that there are many facets to the creative life and personality. One of me is the right brained, enthusiastic, passionate artist that thinks through things out loud and expresses as I go without stopping the intuitive flow by editing too quickly. Forget about trying to put things in order or stand by with analytical tedious critical attention. No, this side of the creative personality needs to let things flow, words, emotions, feelings, thoughts and paint brush. The intuition and inner vision comes to life in this space.....it is inner wisdom unblocked by the editor or critic. It provides the raw material for the creative process. You cannot put this flow on a schedule or rush it with deadlines. The editor side of the creative process must stand still and quietly, patiently listen and watch. The generative flow does not need a critic until later in the creative process. There will be time to make that shift from the creative flow to conscious crafting and correction. I don't mean that editing and crafting isn't creative....it just comes from a different, more analytical side of the brain. I put space between the two phases of a painting.....putting the work away for awhile and when the passion dies down....make important decisions about making it a better piece. The pause that refreshes!

The seasons are changeable, fitful and sometimes maddening when we are not ready to change with it. But change they do and change we must, to stay in the precious flow of a creative life. As artists we cannot afford to keep dammed-up ideas, sacred images or unshared gifts from flowing gently into expression. Vague dreams and plans come into clarity as we take steps toward them, breaking loose the clogged arteries and cluttered debris of our seasons. The freed channel allows a clean flow when the weeds of self-doubt and the tangled underbrush of our life, relieves the backed up pressure. Creativity is always an intimate dance with change and clarity and the willingness to keep the flow going through the channel.

Creativity in Community.

Finding a healthy community to create within isn't easy. Knowing who we are in the creative process with a firm grip on ego and sensitivities is essential in saying yes to showing and sharing our work. The isolation of our creative process can stunt our growth. When we are barely hanging on to a sense of our creative gifts the last thing we want is to be thrust into a community that may or may not understand or help us develop them. Find a mentor or mentors that may be two steps ahead of you that will listen and observe with respect.
A sense of creative community can energize our imagination, help us develop our skills and increase our awareness of products and marketing methods. As important as it is to find that quiet sweet spot of inner beauty, it is equally important to find the community that is good for you, encourage you and build your confidence. You may not find it where you expected it.....your family or friends or religious organizations.....but find it you will where it actually is, books, galleries, classes and workshops and hanging out with other creative souls. Many times it is in studying and relating to art works when the artist has been long gone. Choose to participate in a creative community that inspires and encourages you.

Sharing your creativity brings up vulnerability.

The sensitivity that is so much a part of our creativity is a double edged sword. It sharpens our awareness to color shape and form and ignites our imagination. The other side of it is being sliced open by critical opinions, approval and judgments. Bringing your creative work into the world is much like exposing your soul and can be terrifying if you have been subjected to creative injuries that often happen early on in our expressive life. As artists, there is a collaborative process with the Great Creator....a spiritual journey to our most sensitive center. Like rejection from a loved one.....our creative hearts get broken and vulnerable. But, like real life, we mend and heal and reach again for our creative dreams and partner up with Divine Design. The books that were lying in drawers, continue page by page, the paintings stuffed in the back of the closet come out to be finished, the music that still plays in our heart is written down. The fire breathing dragons and muttering ghosts that hide under our bed are invited out to dance in the light.

"We will discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or to other people's models, learn to be ourselves, and allow our natural channel to open."

Shakti Gawain

Don't downsize your creativity!

No art blooms without an artist blossoming! And like beautiful things that bloom, it begins as a tiny seed, a pinpoint of light, a spark of creativity. We are made by the Great Creator and we are intended to be creative. It is with that tiny inner message that our artistic path begins and changes and grows. The fragile tendrils of creativity expand into sturdy stems that shoot up to the light....growing into a unique destiny. Some of our friends and family may not get this and begin to downsize us with criticism or discount our efforts. We get this at a very tender young age often. My message as a young girl was, "Put that away and get your work done." But as I grew, other negative shrinking meassages came......"Artist's don't make a good living, that's la-la land....get a real job." There is no comfort in believing words that downsize us to fit another's view of us. The size the Great Creator wants to make us is none of our business and certainly no one else's either.

"If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies, and so does a man." Henry David Thoreau

Creativity lies in our authenticity.

From Julia Cameron's book, Walking In This World. "When we surrender to becoming what we are menat to be instead of trying to convince the world of who we think we are, we find our proper creative shoes and can walk in them comfortably. Not surprisingly they sometimes take us far. Moving comfortably and at a less driven pace, we also enjoy the journey, finding pleasure in our companions and our 'view' each step of the way."

If you haven't read Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way or Walking In This World, they are a must for the creative soul.

It matters not which way the wind blows and what is the latest storm, or fashion or fad. Things are always changing....opinions, desires, attitudes, alliances and enemies. What matters to my artist's soul, is roots that grab the richness of the earth while tangled branches reach toward the heavens, swaying in the wind, bending in the storm and absorbing the light. Perhaps we need both roots and branches to be whole....land and air, gardening boots and gossamer wings? I love Pablo Neruda's poetry and this quote: "Two things make a story. The net and the air that falls through the net." The human heart has more than one dimension and we are free to find ourselves with abundant joy whether we delight in our roots or wings.

Creativity is exploration!

Perhaps exploration and revelation is more of an accurate description of the creative process than "self-expression". Exploration goes beyond the self, and is driven by seeking the authentic truth even at an unconscious level. Struggling with how a piece is evolving and participating in the process is to develop personally through creativity. Developing and sharing that exploration and revelation is not separate from the environment or community. Even when our creations are disturbing and we question their value, they will be more likely to heal rather than damage society. Choosing to participate in creativity is to trust the process of exploration and allow the flow to lead. It is just my opinion that we are never meant to control the process, but to be a willing participant.

Creativity is connected to the deepest part of ourselves.

The deepest part of myself....that peaceful, clarity of soul....is where my creativity lies. I love the quote from Saul Bellow, "In the greatest confusion there is still an open channel to the soul. It may be difficult to find because by midlife it is overgrown, and some of the wildest thickets that surround it grow out of what we describe as our education. But, the channel is always there, and it is our business to keep it open, to have access to the deepest part of ourselves."

There have been life events and circumstances that flood this channel, leaving debris behind and it has taken time and effort to clear away what clogs the creative flow. The freshness of flow and connection to the Source of our creativity is our poetic purpose, our artful essence, separate from our education, our pedigree and our circumstances.

Creativity cannot be put on a schedule!

Finally, I am content with knowing that life isn't about being scheduled! The light chasers know this one......the raw materials of nature, the subjects of our creative expressions cannot be organized according to our whims and plans. I learned this one following my photographer son on an early morning shoot in the mountains. We froze our butts off, climbing, setting up the gear and waiting for that streak of gold to hit the mountain top.....and it did that morning....for a few seconds....maybe a minute....and then it flattened out. We showed up....and I think that is the secret.....showing up! Anticipation....whether it happens or not at our predicted moments is where the creativity begins. Just show up and let the raw materials of the environment combine with your talent and skills and see what happens. We'll be freer to do whatever we need to do when it comes. The magic is in consistently showing up whether it is behind the camera, at the easel, on stage, or writing down our poetry!

The light chasers!

Artists are light chasers with an awareness that the darkest part of our composition (life) is needed for contrast. Contrast is an excellent teacher. Often painting is a way of saying the unsay-able, speaking the unspeakable, and expressing what cannot be expressed any other way. Authentic growth as an artist gives as much importance to the depth of darkness as the glow of the light and the glint of highlights. As in life there really are no strict lines of demarcation....only light and shadow to shape and contour......soft edges of blurred boundaries and lost and found distinctions, values and colors that hint at substance. We are willing to search for shape and subject, ideas in the poetic landscape, romantic figures, impressionistic still life, pop art and abstract expressions...but no matter the style of our art, we are light chasers.

Creativity is a deep well of ideas, words and images!

"A dynamic struggle goes on within a person between what he/she consciously thinks on the one hand and, on the other, some insight, some perspective that is struggling to be born. The insight is then born with some anxiety, guilt, and the joy and gratification that is inseparable from the actualizing of a new idea or vision." Rollo May, The Courage To Create

Creativity thrives on adventure!

We only know little of what we will love.....how deeply we will care and what expanding adventures await. Human nature is adventurous and our imagination triggers a lust for exploring. This requires an open mind. The soul thrives on adventure.....it is a nutrient that we cannot ignore. I grew up with messages that repeated, "Be careful....don't go too far!" Thank God, my imagination was bigger than the messages and the curiosity larger than my instilled fears. Adventure courts, woos and romances our creative selves. Whatever feeds your sense of adventure....a trip to the florist shop, a hike in the desert, scuba diving, climbing a mountain trail or photographing wild horses......let exploring entice you into playing with your desires. One adventure leads to another....and another and soon your scenic journey leads to an optimistic anticipation of each day.

Even the trees see!

Even the trees see the beauty of nature....I took this photo in the Colorado mountains and was surprised when the aspen tree didn't say, "I see you!" Seeing things through the eyes of an aspen tree took hold of my imagination. Their quaking leaves were dancing in the sun and wildflowers bloomed at their base....there were no arguments about who was the prettiest....no jealously between the pine trees and the aspen. The grasses tickled my leg and made me giggle, the snapping of a dead limb told the deer that I was coming....they watched me with a wary alertness. The summer clouds floated lazily by....blue sky supporting their feather weight. I was not alone.....but accompanied by the best friends.

"I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the dek of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now." Henry David Thoreau

There are no creative emergencies!

Except for deadlines! Letting our creativity unfold easily and leisurely is the ideal, but the reality is often a push for exhibit deadlines and our own expectations of how long things should take. Watercolors are quick to dry, spontaneous and surprising and they were my painting medium, until I picked up oils this last two years. They have slowed me down and given me lessons in waiting for things to dry. Pushing them to fast is "haste makes waste".....or I would say haste makes mud. There is a vast spiritual wisdom in slowing down and enjoying the process and easing into a painting with passion. No creative process benefits from a harried pushing forward....kind of like life perhaps.

"They do not know that ideas come slowly, and that the more clear, tranquil and unstimulated you are, the slower the ideas come, but the better they are." Brenda Ueland

The soul's story is at the end of your creative fingertips!

Angel unaware is the title of this watercolor donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation auction in Lexington, Kentucky once upon a time. It came from a deep soul place within that believes we are all connected to one another and one soul story affects another. Creating is soul work.....it speaks to the hearts of others regardless of the barrier of language, time, gender, political leanings or social standing. From the ancient pottery shards to petroglyphs painted on stony cliffs.....to Calder's modern mobile's and Pollack's paintings.....we are connected by our creative souls. Dipping into our well of creativity is personal...we cannot tell another's story....only our own. Drawing up those stories, our traits, experience and personal perspective is our creative journey.....flawed, but authentic.....skewed by our upbringing perhaps, but perfectly legitimate. Embracing our sacred story and that of one another is the open door to expressing our creativity perhaps.

Walking through your creative day!

Whether we are walking on the edge of a canyon, a walk to the mailbox, or simply observing on the porch, you will never run out of ideas for your creative work if you pay the least attention. That's not only about what you're seeing, but what you are feeling inside. Openness is essential to having a creative day. Everything in this day is in vivid color and I want to notice and descirbe all the colors, what they did, how they shaped my response and what they meant to me. Everything in this day makes a noise, takes a shape, has a fragrance, a texture and a taste....I want to notice. The emotional landscape is worthy of walking through with awareness as well. And when you step up to your easel, you bring it all with you....the prayers, the laughter, the tears, the responses to your creative day.

Art snobbery is not my favorite thing!

Whether our work hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, a small town cooperative gallery, or on our own wall, our creative efforts are valid expressions. Perhaps a creative saboteur might be the art critics or the collectors and art investors that look for your pedigree.....where did you study? It's like only wearing designer clothes or eating gourmet meals or collecting rare wine..... art snobbery is interested in the prestige and image making value. Dead artists may fare better than the living....and at auction....bring many more dollars. Mere enjoyment and appreciation is secondary. Surviving an art snob or a creative saboteur is getting your insecurities under control and validating the joy you feel when you are creating. And when the delicate sensitivity of your creative nerve endings are hurt.....put some distance between you and the critic. Buck up baby! Cowgirl up honey! A creative injury is a spiritual issue and an excellent opportunity to dance with your dragons. It is after all, the act of creating and making art that heals and nurtures....not whether or not our expressions hang in a prestigious gallery or end up on a collector's wall.

Keep your sense of humor!

I know this isn't a painting and will not add to your cultured amazing self....but I love signs that make me giggle. I must admit that giggling has become as important as painting. If I put off doing either one.....I get grumpy and a pain in the neck. Artistic anorexia is a term Julia Cameron uses...the avoidance of the pleasure of the creative process. Instead of making art, we make trouble. Showing up at the easel and going full steam ahead makes me happy and it keeps me from raising hell in other parts of my life. It is the place where the ego-ridden grip is put aside...no fear exists.....nothing but a sense of scale and balance.....perspective. I have finally broken the code of avoidance.....stopped conning myself into distracting relationships and events, wrapping myself around other's lives. I have sharpened my focus and channeled all that creative juice into scratching my creative itch. What a relief! Ta dah!

Gathering images!

There is ecstasy in noticing and paying attention! Although my drive home from Boise had many such moments....it doesn't make for highway safety. Still, the wheat fields of Pendleton with the golden grains about to be harvested, the lavender and yellow lupine blooming along the mountain roadsides, and the desert ridges covered with silvery green sage, gave me a head full of images. I get into a Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thoreau state of mind with an openness to the world when I travel....and still cannot take it all in. Everything says to me, "You are a compassionate witness to the essence of natures sacredness.....a sign that God is implicit in all of creation." So many images to collect....so little time!

Don't Fence Me In!

Creative awareness is removing the fences....the old messages.....the old beliefs and worn out patterns of thinking that have blocked our vision. Once we have recovered our awareness, we recover our free will to choose. Becoming aware is about being responsible for our own life and the choices we make. Removing the fences may mean trusting our own agenda and saying, "No, I can't, because I'm working." It may mean saying, "Yes, I'd be happy to," because our heart is saying yes. There are many crazy makers....the pointless drama of another's life rehearsed in your ear, the endless demands to solve the world's problems, and burying ourselves in lives that are not our own. Creating your own space, your own time frame, your own art....is like making love to life without fences.

"I am still learning." Michaelangelo

The creative high!

There is an altitude that comes with creativity....that higher view of things....we become bigger. Our dreams are bigger, our senses are more keen, our vision takes in more. Julia Cameron in her book, "Walking In This World", calls it creative flight. I found, especially when painting my view of outer space that sometimes I didn't want to come back home.....and when I did, things of the ordinary didn't live up to the magnitude of my journey. Reentry has its let down. Perhaps that is why astronauts undergo debriefing.....and why artists, after a creative flight, need to hide out and take a nap. Ahhhhh.....the grounding will always come after the flight. A book that explains it best, "After the Ecstasy, The Laundry". I have learned to land gracefully after the intense energy of creative flight.....make a pot of soup and do the laundry.

Be kind to your creative self!

The creative process allows your soul to focus on something grand. It is impossible to be in the creative flow and be self-conscious at the same time.....a beautiful shift from ego to soul work. Even though the weather outside may not be suitable for plein aire and the people around you may not be the most pleasant.....the creative process encourages a brighter view. The neighbor bending over to pick her flowers seems more interesting....the way the light hits the foothills.....an apple takes on a glow that you didn't notice before. You are in the now, a passionate observer...loving life more....interested in more...open and receptive to the curiosity that takes your imagination to the scenic route.

Don't worry about creating a masterpiece!

Sometimes we stop the creative process when what we are working on doesn't turn out like what we envisioned. That's no reason to quit...or take a recess for any length of time. Every creative project does not lead us to the pinnacle of our skill....we are a work in progress. I remember when my son was in second grade and when he didn't bring home any "refrigerator art", I paid a visit to the teacher and asked if she wanted me to help with the art projects since I hadn't seen any. Actually they had many art projects and my kid just wasn't bringing any home. When I spoke to him about it....he burst into tears and said, "I can't bring any home....they aren't good enough." Many hugs and reassurances later and a little motherly speech about how much I wanted to see his projects....he began to bring them home and post them on the refrigerator. Lots of validation and approval continued as he brought home his work.....and today he and his wife own an art gallery and he is a top notch photographer married to a successful painter. And by the way.....he has given me the same lecture!

Feeding your creativity!

The well fed artist notices all sorts of beauty, wonder and intrigue....it feeds their creativity. Fun and inspiration are everywhere and don't feel you have to do it alone. A single stem is not as interesting as a bouquet sometimes. Being an extrovert encourages me to join a community of creative souls when I begin to feel isolated in my pursuit of painting. The practice of getting together with other artists whether it be a walk in the mountains, plein aire expeditions, or a trip to the local art gallery, offers connections that quenches my thirst for creative companionship. Solitude is necessary....and so is connecting with others. A gathering of encouraging friends is a gift.

Sharing our creative soul work!

The sense of elements coming together.....strands of material that engage with one another and blend their colors, shapes and lines is an incredible gift as I paint. And thanks to technology, the connection to many other works are available to enjoy and study. Each contribution is a sacred story and strand of an individual expression, but set in the universal community of art. Each colorful thread of expression is a part of the giant tapestry....shades and subtle tones of pain and joy, renderings of fragments of life, stories that are drawn into our dreams and experience. So today I thank those that share their creativity, that mentor and learn together, that express themselves with an open vulnerable courage.

The scope of our creativity goes beyond recording what we see!

Our memory nor our perspective is neither pure or accurate....and their purpose goes far beyond recording and recalling what we remember or see as artists. Subconsciously, we pick and choose the details of what we wish to create....layering over the reality of what is actually happening. The layers of the Smokey Mountains or the layers of cliffs and ledges of the Grand Canyon, or the desert foothills with changing cloud patterns traced upon their face, can be compared to the images that dance across our memory. Memories are laid down in layers....the top layers easier to access...but the deepest ones we sometimes don't reach at all. The creative process helps us connect to the layers and often lifts our memories to conscious light. It is in this light that we can create healing and deal with the shadows of our perspective. It serves our soul well....brings us out of hiding and rummaging around in the basement of our psyche and frees us to create from the freedom and freshness of the present perspective.

Where flowers grow and planets bloom

Blooming planets….hazy fields,

Clouds roll by in lazy reels.

Grass and flowers share the hill,

With birds and bees in noisy thrill.

Fragrance of the tendrilled earth,

Celebrates the splendid birth.

Of pastel pinks and hues of green.

Colors of an artist’s dream.

Blue of sky and clouds of white.

Parade of angels, taking flight.

Seen by those who view the planets,

Writing poems and singing sonnets.

Know the music of each sphere,

Is simply Love becoming clear.

Angel whispers true and real,

Validating what we feel.

If you hear the angels sounding,

Listen to sweet joy abounding.

Wings unfurled and softly flapping,

Sound of heaven’s rhythmic clapping.

They often stomp and shout with cheers.

To hear the music of the spheres.

Sing and dance with flowers adorn,

Celebrate the pleasant morn.

Be prepared to laugh and gaze,

Next time you see a springtime haze.

For you have heard an angel’s tune.

Where flowers grow and planet’s bloom.

Our creativity is supported by creation!

As a tentative, budding artist we are always seeking support.....much as the soft tendrils of new plants shoot up their new leaves to the sun. This need for approval lessens as we get more confident in our creative power. We notice that we are supported every moment by creation itself. There is the earth beneath our feet and air filling our lungs. There is sunlight coming through the silence of the dawn and rain that sprinkles the dry desert to make the flowers bloom. Nature supports us in its seasons of change with the never ending panoramic view. But, isn't it wonderful to face a friend and feel how good it is when she/he says, "I love your work." Believe this support as you believe the floor that hold you up and the chair you sit in. Letting in the support is like polishing your soul.

It is the creative heart that uses all of its senses.

Our physical nature as well as our spiritual nature is involved in the creative process. It is our physical senses that bring to us...the music of the spheres, the fragrance of the sage wind, the taste of a kiss on our lips, the view from distant horizons, the touch of kindness. There is a powerful connection between the physical gift of creation and the soul gift of creation. No matter how many degrees we have, there is no teacher like the gift of our physical senses that forms us from birth and expands us as we journey toward death. How dare we sleep walk through this life not listening to the cacophony of sounds, not taking the adventurous scenic route, not feeling the touches of love or breathing in the fragrance of the day. If you are sensual enough to be creative, I suspect you have experienced the heightened degrees of emotion that equip us to feel the joy of noticing, tasting, seeing, smelling and touching life as it passes by. Our senses are the raw material of the soul....whispering their message of being a passionate witness. Today's blog is to remind myself to take it all in.....experiencing more than I did yesterday.

Creative space!

I have learned that being creative has nothing to do with space....and taking lessons from my artist's kids, it is better to be one back pack away from a place to paint than yearn for a wonderful studio. The less stuff I have the better.....the kitchen counter is fine....a place by the river bank is fine. Not having the "right space" is a foolish reason to neglect your gifts. My favorite brushes, the tubes of paint I can't get along without and the current canvases I'm working on fit in a very small space. Comfort items make it more enjoyable.....a small cooler of something to drink, a comfortable stool that folds up and a straw hat to keep the hot sun from baking my brain in the desert. Really what do you need to be creative? I need inspiration and light and that's usually found outdoors. Summer is here and so my old Dodge Sport Caravan will get me where I want to go.....the adventure begins. Although I dream of the perfect studio with state of the art lighting, I'm not going to wait. Just keep painting! Just keep painting!

Our creative call!

The larger Creative Call comes...and if we are listening we can be assured we heard our name. Don't be shy, don't be afraid and DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES! Get happy, you have work to do, places to go, people to see, gifts to share. Answering the creative call does not mean you have to get entangled in a consumer culture....it simply means creativity calls you to be an integral part of life. It is not up to us to decide how important it is or how much we have to contribute. The question is always, "Do we dare participate in something that is beyond us?" Are we willing to be a participator in a dialogue that communicates to the larger world and is also influenced by that world. As you participate in the creative process, it will work you over, teach you about yourself, heal you many times and grant you the opportunity to see and feel the magic of great beauty. It is inevitable that when you witness and do not resist your own creative power, your life changes, your perspective changes, your heart's desire changes and you are free to be your best self.

Creativity helps us remember!

The term dry river bed may be an oxymoron, but in the Western desert, as sometimes in our lives, we have forgotten the flow that brings abundant life. Using your creativity gets the flow going when we have forgotten to be a compassionate observer/participator. I love the quote by G. K. Chesteron, "We are all under the same mental calamity, we have forgotten our names and who we really are. All that we call common sense and rationality and practicality and positivism only means that for certain dead levels of our life we forget that we have forgotten. All that we call spirit and art and ecstasy only means that for one wonderful instant we remember that we forgot." Recalling our creativity is like retrieving our spirit and letting it flow in the direction or remembering who we are. Today I'm going for a walk by the Columbia River and visit and art gallery that is at the water's edge just for fun!

Creativity is a continum of community!

Creativity is our calling and although we all respond differently with our particular gifts, vision and energy, the contribution we make adds to the entire design. Whether it is a sculpture in a public park, a mural on the side of a building, a photo of places we have been, the blended voices of a choir or the graceful dances of diverse cultures, we are drawn to participate in a creative ensemble that brings together separate talents to invent something that is much greater than the sum of its parts. I used to feel that painting was isolating and I love playing with others.....then I remembered that their are voices, images and phrases joined in creative work....somewhere, somehow....in a wonderful connection of communal contribution. The chemistry bubbles between cast members in a play, a dance troupe, a jazz band.....and even though I may be the only one painting in the room.....there is still communal chemistry. We share our work, mentor another, put down the words to be read by others, splash color across a canvas that stimulates the creative powers in another. I have a theory that our creative efforts....our life sustaining joy is like a giant tapestry and we are but one thread. If we withhold our thread, it changes the design.....the pattern changes, the colors blend differently, the dimension is altered. The participation in this larger tapestry lends more power to our individual creativity. There is no competition, no envy, no jealously....simply, the knowledge and appreciation that in this cosmic community of creativity there is room for every gift. Every creative work enhances and is enhanced by the work of others.

Creativity doesn't mean being "weird"!

Artists, writers, actors, passionate creative souls are often portrayed as a little weird, a bit crazy, unpredictably passionate. That always makes me smile when I go to art in the park in Boise and see all the different forms of creative souls....kids finger painting, photographers with their year's work under glass, painters, crafters, potters, jewelry designers, weavers and Mom and Pop vendors carving wooden figures or metal sculptors making something with nuts and bolts. They look pretty "normal" to me! When the creative soul makes peace with self-rejection it creates a bridge to his/her innate gifts. Shared expressions and passions become a gift to the world. The idea of self-rejection comes from feeling we just aren't good enough....we aren't perfect....we have no right to share our flawed talent. We have trouble as sensitive hearts forgiving ourselves for what we wish to be perhaps? When we get over ourselves.....and let our passions flow, forgive ourselves for not being perfect.....we are free to create and claim our birthright. Telling ourselves we aren't enough is like saying the color red is not red enough, blue is not blue enough....how silly. We are enough as we are created.....just the right form, color and texture....waiting to use our creativity to make the world a more diverse, colorful and interesting place.

Sometimes the canvas just isn't big enough!

Perhaps the canvas is not big enough, the page isn't long enough, the photo frame does not encompass what your heart holds. Whenever your heart opens up to embrace the view, it is often overwhelming.....how do you capture it, how do you do it justice, where do you start.....and that is the point of do or die! Those are the moments where the rubber meets the road and either you begin, or procrastinate, make excuses because things are not perfect or just start, feel inadequate or give it all you have. Starting and showing up with your creative soul is the biggest step. When the canvas isn't big enough to hold the joy in your heart......just begin with part of the view, a fragment of your vision, a piece of the puzzle. I have often experienced the wonder of the scenic route at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or watching the ocean storm against the rocks....and most of all watching Gracie tenderly handle a new baby chick. Sometimes it is hard to breathe it is so awesomely beautiful and wondrously made. As artists, we try to capture it....make a mess.....learn some more.....make another attempt and still the canvas cannot hold your soul's joy. Although we will never be able to see the entire picture, the lightness of seeing and the joy of being a part of it all as a passionate observer, is the journey that graces. The eye tends to see what the mind already understands.....so as an artist we stretch our canvas, not wanting to miss the miracles that are too big for our understanding. Just keep painting....just keep painting! The creative life is about stretching that canvas to meet our joy!

Your creative soul tells a story!

The creative soul is like a deep well....a well that is situated firmly in your life, your family, in the region and culture that shaped you and the history that produced you. The creative side of you hauls up the material out of this well....the images, memories, emotions, beliefs out of the mysterious dark well that is your subconscious and beyond conscious. This process is rooted in your intuitive, spiritual self and there is much more that you don't know about the well than what you do know. As the small bits and pieces of the picture unfolds, put aside the fear, rules, judgments and censors. The truly creative process is not something you control. When you try to control it, you short-circuit the creativity. Allowing the arrival of whatever comes out of the well may surprise you, some will disgust or even frighten you....but it is all material for you to work with, even if the work involves throwing something back. Not only is your soul bigger and wiser than your conscious ego, it knows the story better than you do....it has all the pieces to the picture. The well contains the composition, the third act of the play, the prize winning photos, the end of the poem and if you let it flow it will come up within your grasp. When you choose to participate in your soul's creativity by trusting the process and allowing the flow to do what it will, you make a huge step as a creative person. We aren't meant to control....just to participate.

Creating from adventures!

Human beings are by nature adventurous....the soul thrives on adventure and exploration. Using your creativity is a nutrient, not a hobby or pastiming. Your imagination is fertile ground for adventuring, even if we never get to travel into outer space or ride a horse into the mountains. Our childlike dreaming and imagining is the cornerstone of our playful, adventurous spirit. It is often squelched early on in life and buried under the rules and duties imposed by authoritarian parents, teachers, and ministers. I can remember wanting to "color outside the lines" very early on and playing dress up and pretending to be many things. My sense of adventure could not be contained by the warnings, "Be careful".....or, "You must get your work done before you can play." Playing was always on my mind, even while getting the "work done." I flirted with the clouds, romanced the wild flowers and risked what was lurking in the woods. The creative adventuring artist is wooed by a colorful enticement, not by an aggressive assault or warnings. Start venturing slowly out the door, break the habit of staying in your comfort zone....an adventure should whet your budding interest and not overwhelm you at the start. Stop worrying about playing in the big leagues....it will prevent you from playing at all. The adventure of creating is not about perfection or other people's perception.....it is about the play of ideas and the joy of exploring those ideas. It is the scenic route on a wonderful trip!

Creative energy is like electricity!

Creative energy is like electricity. It will flow whether we allow it to flow or not.....it is a life force that we can choose to let flow through us or bypass us. As we open our circuitry to conscious collaboration with higher forces, we are shaped by the energy that moves to be a part of the dream we can become. There is a graceful faith to every artistic encounter and often we do not plan them. They are like a bolt of lightning out of the sky into our psyche. There is a mentoring hand in our creativity. What looks difficult to us or we shy away from as impossible, does not appear difficult or impossible to the Great Creator. As we set aside our egos, our fear, our perfectionist judgments and allow that creative power to work through us, miracles are routinely accomplished. I have begun to see creative flow as spiritual adventures that shape me, one brush stroke at a time, trying my luck at new things, wandering into territory that I have not traveled before, and realizing my insecurity was a lie.

"My business is not to remake myself, but make the absolute best of what God made."
Robert Browning

What you really are is a creative life force!

What we really are is energy that is a powerful creative life force that makes it possible for your whole mind and spirit to dream and imagine without limits. There is life passing through our body, passing through our mind and soul. As an artist that life is expressed in images that appear on paper and canvas, in clay and bronze, photos and wood.....and it is the force that makes planets spin and hummingbirds fly from flower to flower. You find out that you are in every rock and tree, every cloud, every animal and vegetable. You are a vital part of a living Universe.....and we are endlessly co-creating with the divine dynamics called life. The relationship we choose to have between ourselves and nature, ourselves and others, is a creative expression of life itself. I do not intend to sleep walk through it, but mindfully be a compassionate witness and participator.....creating as I go, expressing as I observe with deep gratitude for this journey's experience.

Using your creative time and space!

The biggest lesson this year is understanding that we have limited time here on earth and we have no way of knowing when this time and space will end. It is when we get in touch with this reality that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. My darling daughter-in-love has taught me how to get the most out of each day and my busy paint brush has acknowledged it. I have walked on the edge of my talent and skirted using the gifts long enough! Thank you dear heart!

Our creative energy is our divine inheritance.....not to be squandered or drained by ignoring it, but to be invested in the dynamics of the Universe. If we put our life and our planning on hold to accommodate the static of life, we will often feel tapped out and exhausted. When we reclaim our time and energy and create in an atmosphere of encouragement and validation, we open the door to a house that has previous been locked. As artists, we are a partner in a genuine dialogue that expands the time and space we are given. Just begin now, where you are with what you have and make your time count.

The dark side of creativity!

When the sky boiled up and the darkness chased away the light I was on the front porch watching the action until the tornado warnings reached my ears. So this photo tells us that even nature has a dark side. Life is no exception, for suffering is a fact of life and saying YES to it and finding a way through it help us become a trusted escort of compassion to those who also suffer. I love the paintings of a friend who was going through breast cancer treatment....women clutching their breasts, women with just one breast and figures with none. She was finding a way through her suffering with strong statements that expressed her anguish. And, now that she is cancer free, she is the compassionate escort to my beloved daughter-in-law in her battle with ovarian cancer. There are distressing voids in life where the cheerful words of hope and promise may interfere with the process of what is happening. Sometimes it is more helpful to express the angst than to ignore or gloss over it. It is saying YES to sitting with what is personally true in the moment that we honor our creativity. Anything else is resistance which drains our creative energy. An unconditionally embraced event or predicament becomes a threshold to what comes next. If we do not jump into the unexpected territory of pain and suffering with the banner of hope to gain control, we get to dance with the dragons instead of shove them under the bed to grow even bigger. It is this beautiful contrast that makes and shapes our composition.

"For we must be clear that to live or love only where on can trust, where there is security and containment, where one cannot be hurt or let down, where what is pledged in words is forever binding, means really to be out of harm's way and so to be out of real life. And it does not matter what is this vessel of trust...analysis, marriage, church or law or any human relationship." James Hillman

Happy Earth Day!

Thank you to the poet Wordsworth!

Nature......can so inform
The mind that is within us...
That neither evil tongues...
Nor the sneers of selfish men...
Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith that all which we behold
Is full of blessings.

The artist as a creative witness!

Exploring the images that pass by us each and every moment requires a mindful presence.....it is like being a witness to the energy around you. This dedicated presence and engaged focus takes practice.....noticing. The witness in us has to be careful not to edit too quickly....putting our ego's judgment on hold. A contemplative presence involves listening, seeing, and attending without the diversionary mind-sets of fear, desire, control, judgment or projection. Seeing the current reality without the heavy wardrobe of ego.....clothes us in trust and leads to creative curiosity. The alert caring witness of a creative mind pays naked unedited, attention......like walking through a garden, walking without trampling any of the flowers, without blaming anyone for the presence of weeds, with great appreciation for all the time, pain and growth it took to be the way it is. When our judgmental ego is put aside, we can be enlightened witnesses.....being a vehicle of light instead of a roadblock to it. We give up the need to control, the need for perfection, the angst of fear and become the compassionate witness that records and shares the gifts of creating.

Creativity uses contrast to shape life images.

Contrast is a wonderful teacher! It allows us to mindfully witness and choose that which serves our highest purpose. We are attracted, we are repulsed, there is dark and there is light, there is love and there is fear, there is laughter and there are tears. And we don't have to choose which is better.....but say YES to observing the evolution and impermanence of our present reality. It is contrasting light against dark that creates and shapes our paintings as well as our life. It is noticing and choosing in our given circumstances that which contributes rather than contaminates.....increases rather than diminishes our composition. Demanding that things stay light or perfect or in a fairy tale existence of a positive state is a state of spiritual immaturity. I remember an art therapist/artist in a workshop in Sun Valley critiquing my offering of the day saying......"That is very pretty....now paint something ugly." I was aghast, but she wanted to see the range of my emotion and it helped me get unstuck from what I call my "Hallmark card" stage. So, over the years I have learned not to shy away from contrast.....but simply sit and notice my desire to draw near of withdraw from any event or circumstance with mindful choice. When we hold on to perfection, changelessness and rigid expectations or play the powerless victim, we are missing the contrast that helps our creative life grow.

Creative imagination is using the reality at hand in a positive way!

Saying yes to reality....to the things we cannot change is like choosing to sit in the saddle in the direction the horse is going. Sitting that way makes the ride smoother and is a mindful way of honoring the here and now without the distraction of fear. We can enjoy the scenic route. Using your imagination to say yes to the present events and circumstances is creative living at its finest. We face our issues without protest, without anger, without bitterness and this attitude releases our creativity to embrace life. An unconditional "Yes" to reality circumvents the ego and frees us from control, judgment, complaining, dreamy expectations and we meet each day with openness, curiosity and kindness. This is not a numbing, stoic surrender, but a courageous choice and a respectful place where spiritual surprises happen. When we are in this non-resistant state we discover unique inner gifts, our energy is vibrant regardless of the events and circumstances, things work out in peace and harmony and the creative juices are not blocked. The creative process accepts life on its own terms without shaking our fists at heaven or demanding an exemption or taking refuge in a belief system that muffles our sense of authenticity and power by portraying us as victims. In reality, our fear of and struggle against the givens are the real sources of our pain. Saying "yes" is like my favorite cowboy saying, "Make my day"!

Getting side tracked with our creativity!

The creative process is passionate and comes with an exploratory nature. That curiosity makes it possible to get easily side tracked and lead you away from your true authentic creativity. Julia Cameron in her book, "The Artist's Way" talks about events and situations that can be toxic to your creativity. Creative spiritual attentiveness offers guidelines and boundaries that are necessary for a chosen creative life. The little irritations that keep your thoughts imprisoned need to be eliminated. The idle negative critics that amuse themselves with your creations rather than their own work can stop you dead in your tracks. Ms. Cameron talks about "crazy makers"....they waste your time, intrude on your space, require demanding favors, and are often envious and subtly undermining. There are things we cannot change....but there are daily practices that are of our own choosing. Today, may we practice living creatively with loving attention to believing in our creative powers and weeding out those beliefs, relationships, and activities that distract and confuse. May we easily distinguish what contributes to and what contaminates our creativity.

Restlessness is a sign that creative expression is about to happen!

I have learned that a bout with restlessness can best be met with curiosity rather than cranky irritation. Usually it is a flag waving that creativity is about to explode and I have to be patient for its unfolding. Restlessness is full of mixed signals....first we feel one thing and then we reverse it. East looks good....but then the sun setting in the West looks better....and we are fragmented, volatile and changeable. It is when our course is in the midst of change that we cannot seem to depend on ourselves.....and really, we don't need to.....it will become clear as we open ourselves to change and the invasive energy of creating something new. Being open to change with the curiosity of a student, will open our eyes and ears to the signals of the Universe. We ask with restless irritation...."What the hell is it?" But when destiny knocks we say, "Ah-hah! That's what!" It is colorful and expansive as we patiently allow it to come into full view. Inspiration comes and we are irrationally, intuitively and insistently inspired to create beyond our restlessness.

"I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now." Henry David Thoreau

Creativity is always changing form.

Creativity as life itself, is a constant changing collaboration between what we are made from and what we wish to make of ourselves. Opening our hearts to the inspiration and instruction is placing ourselves on the launching pad. The trajectory of our growth will be an adventure in changing scenery. In our changing patterns of maturing and learning we experience the unchanging support of the Universe....a Divine Dynamics that cradles us in our shaping. Like the Universe itself, all life is in the throes of shifting identity.....the unfolding saga of creation on all levels is one of constant transformation. When we cooperate with our need and desire to grow, we are cooperating with a universal spiritual law. One of our greatest problems as artists is assessing our growth accurately. Are we off on another tangent? Are we crazy? Can't we stick to one thing? And, often when we are feeling uncomfortable we ask our friends their opinion. Many times they only know a part of us and mirror back to us fragments and miniature pieces of the puzzle. Our changes may be uncomfortable for them too and they may try to keep us in a familiar pattern. There are no predictable certain routes....only a change of scenery as we travel our own unique itinerary.

"No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings." William Blake

The window of wonder!

Our imagination is the window to the world of wonder. As artists it serves us well to find our own particular window to wonder that opens us up and lets the fresh air in and allows us to breathe in the wonder of our Universe. It frees us from our busy claustrophobic lives and the limits of our self-imposed boxes. What triggers your imagination is uniquely yours....perhaps a visit to a fabric store, a walk along the shore, picking a bouquet of flowers, buying art supplies or reading a fascinating book. The imagination is not linear but steps beyond time and space into an extraordinarily freeing center. This place serves our soul, not our ego. When your imagination ignites, it is contagious...like laughter. When we share our imagination it gives voice to our true nature and gives others permission to do the same. I have never forgotten when a successful artist that was teaching a workshop asked me if I exhibited my work and I said, "No, I'm not that good." She crossly was in my face....."That's narcissistic.....you have to share who you are." And, she was right....that what we came for....to share who we are with one another.