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!