Creativity is engagement!

I have found as I developed a disciplined creativity that everything in the day was in vivid color from peeling carrots to watching the clouds float by. It is in the engagement of noticing how you feel, what is going on and what it means to you that your senses heighten. Not just what you see....but noticing that everything in your day makes a noise, has a texture to the touch, a taste to the tongue and a fragrance to your sense of smell. How does water sound and taste and smell as it runs over your body in the shower? One sense will evoke a memory or a dream, while another will engage a desire, an emotion or an image. What does a trip to the garden to pick a bouquet elicit? Everything that is noticed and appreciated will give you subject matter. It is like life is an exhibitionist waiting for your attention. Like many others I love the line from the movie Avatar, "I see you." And might I add....every day is seen, heard, tasted, touched as we go by in our creative zone.

Our true nature is creative!

Our true nature is creative. Using our creativity is therapeutic, but it is not because we need to be fixed...it is because we need to be expressive. Our inner world is a complex, exquisite and powerful play of colors, lights, and shadows, a cathedral of consciousness as glorious as the natural world itself. Expressing your inner wealth is just gathering up what the Great Creator has already put within easy reach of all of us. ALL of us contain a divine, expressive spark, a creative light that guides our pathway. We are shiny, not tarnished; large not small; beautiful, not damaged. Allow your grace, power and dignity to be expressed.

Creativity needs to flow!

Trust the flow of your creativity....it is the raw material....not the finished product. The flow turned loose and rambling without interruption may be filled with emotion or memories or dreams......perhaps a stream of consiousness or free association. You need to quiet your mind without asking questions, becoming critical or honing the technique. For me color is always an inspiration....so that is a starting point often.....today I feel red, or indigo or Sap green and violet! If this seems mindles, it is! You quiet the mind, let the playful soul come out and just witness what happens with a smile....surprises happen. There will be time for analytical thinking later. But, for this process you are letting the creative flow generate its material. Your intuition and vision and deeper wisdom are your playmates. This is where the creative magic is.

Creativity involves exposure!

Exposure is a part of the creative person's life....sharing his/her gifts opens up the door for comments and opinions, criticism, constructive and destructive. In the early stages this can be frightening, but in the final stages of commitment to your creative work, it is just part of the deal. What holds many artists back is being that naked.....especially if you paint, write, dance or photograph from the soul. That nakedness feels like a loss of control. People see you as you and we may be afraid to be vulnerable with our real selves. Learning to accept yourself and the process of evolving your personal statement as an artist is freeing. Your work is personal and distinctive and it is important to follow your own inner voice in expressing that uniqueness. Other people's opinions, tastes and preferences are really none of our business. Find the support you need and the ones that encourage your growth the most. Be a part of the community that interacts with your creative self in a positive way.

Creativity works with your light, but also your shadows.

When you are dealing with something as soulful as your creativity, it is healthy to respect its inherent power.....for it is the power that stirs up life. Your beliefs reside there and so do your prejudices, your vision lies their as well as your fears. It is helpful to remember that contrast is a great teacher and without the shadow the light is not as vivid. The truth is that light and shadow are side by side and define our composition. It is important to learn how each element effects us and how each one helps us grow. You will always meet your shadow if light begins to illuminate your journey to creativity. You are at the edges of experience and understanding as a creative person and that takes enormous energy. I finally understood the creative surges would be followed by a crash period where I needed to recover. The healthy balance was accepting both will equal tolerance and joy. The flow of intense creative time and space always has a touch of let down when a piece is finished. That's a signal that it's time to restore and re-create by resting and eating well. You may discover that you become super sensitive....uses all of your senses to a heightened degree. The longer you work at your creative gifts the more sensitive you become....sensitivity is a requirement for creative work....don't toughen up!

Your desires will get you in touch with your creativity!

Creativity bursts into bloom when you create out of your desires. Passion ignites your words, your images, your thoughts as you buzz with energy and vivid detail. When you don't block them, but let them flow they go beyond our physical realm into visions that spiritually connect us to our creativity. Let your desires flow onto the canvas, the page, the sculpture, the camera, the dance floor. Your power lies in your God-given desires that ignite your creativity. Fears are the flip side of desire and are often connected to our deepest desires. What if we lose what we desire the most.....or we don't succeed after much effort to attain our desires. The worst thing about fears is that they slam doors all over the place. They slam doors between you and your imagination, between you and others and finally they totally shut out your desires. My suggestion is that when fears come up, explore them through your art....your creativity might be the safest place in which to face your fears. Let your fears work for you....rather than you working for your fears. It is powerful to let this emotion be expressed and get it under control.