Art Walking!

Nothing brings home the beauty of the world we live in than walking through it. Hand in hand with the Great Creator, we take a walk through the woods, the desert, the mountains and along the shore, moving our bodies through a great "body of work". Stretching our legs, mind, body and soul, we see the moving art exhibit around us. We stop to notice a blooming wildflower or the sun exploding behind the desert hills much as we would pause to observe a great painting in a gallery. The treasure hunt is endless, there is no lack of subject matter. The clouds leave patterns on the hills below, the grasses on the prairie wave in gentle motion, the snow on the mountain tops is in sharp contrast to the deeply shadowed crevices. And, no physical disability can limit our walk....it is the spirit that moves us through this Universe, unencumbered by any frailty.

Creativity requires action!

I have learned so much from my son and his wife Mark and Jerri Lisk about how much action is required to be consistently creative. The old message, "You can't make a living at art", is such a lie and they are living proof. They are prolific artists....sketching, painting, photographing and exhibiting every day. It is a commitment to action and a lifestyle!

Creativity thrives on small, do-able actions....which really helps me dismantle procrastination. I no longer wait to have a studio, but paint on the kitchen counter. There is no excuse left to wait until we feel creative. That logjam needs to break by just getting started. The feelings often come after you've begun to sketch, or paint, or model clay or take a walk with your camera. Many artists are blocked by having too many ideas....where to start? When the mental gears are on overload and clutch up and freeze, it's time to slow down, breathe and unclutter the mind. Clear your calendar of distractions, and choose to fertilize the soul with your chosen creative activities. Dreamy vagueness will not get you going.....piercing desire and committed clarity will. Easy does it...but do it!

"Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries." Corita Kent

Why use your creative energy?

"Why should we all use our creative power.....? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compassionate, so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money." Brenda Ueland

Perhaps the antidote to using our power destructively is to choose to use our creative energy to contribute to this planet's well being rather than to contaminate it. It is a radical leap of faith in today's environment to believe that we can all make a difference. But as artists, our creative expression is necessary to the big picture....don't discount your contribution....we are all a piece of the giant puzzle that colors and textures the shape of the Universe. Our creativity is central to the human experience and our birthright. We are an expression of the Great Creator as we intend to create.....not our mere ego, but a way to touch the divine and allow it to touch us. Creativity is an act of faith.....a commitment to make things and in so doing, make something better of ourselves and our world. Our graceful ability to embrace this faith is what sustains a creative life.

Creativity in constant collaboration!

It is impossible for me to separate creativity from the spiritual depths of my beliefs. Creativity is God's true nature and our own, in my view. When our God-given gifts appear, how do we react? I love Nelson Mandela's remarks that we do no one any favors "hiding our light" and pretending to be "smaller than we are." In the name of humility or modesty we often try to play small and sometimes stay small. When the creative power moving through us asks us to expand, we would rather contract, stay in our comfort range. But as spiritual beings when our spirit grows larger, so must we....there is no comfort in staying in our definition of yesterday's smallness. As God the creator is always expanding, exploring and experiencing through nature, may we collaborate with all creation. Being a part of this Universe does not invite us to play small and we are better off cooperating than resisting. I call it the path of least resistance. The size the Great Creator has in mind for us is none of our business and we shouldn't meddle as we use our creativity to expand and explore. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Creativity responds to nourishment and warmth!

Our creative energy must not be squandered, but nurtured...this energy is sacred. Festive celebration breeds creativity, rigid perfection breeds frustration. Do not straightjacket your creativity in the name of discipline or another's approval. Your imagination is the spark that needs to flicker like a new ember and then be fanned into a flame with a careful supply of encouragement and warm acceptance. Your considerable creative energy that you do not encourage will be channeled into resistance and indifference to your gifts. The Universe is alive with energy, with fertility, humor and abundance and so are you. Life is not dreary and difficult unless you choose this attitude and neglect your child-like playful, creative nature. Our creative energy is divine inheritance....sacred ground to be vigilantly nurtured.

Nurturing your imagination!

Nurturing your imagination is not just whimsical thoughts of fairies and viewing the Universe through rose colored glasses. It is seeing with a changed perspective...those things which may seem impossible in our present belief system. It is where great ideas come from....music, art, science, philosophy. Rational thinking, empirical evidence will never require you to go beyond your present reality into your imagination. Nurturing your imagination requires like Alice In Wonderland, diving into the rabbit hole.....making a place for the unexpected visions and new realities. The world of your imagination is a wonderful playground....not to be feared, but embraced with the joy you felt as a child watching the clouds. As an adult, this playground of the unfamiliar my be threatening.....many have lost their child like ability to naturally create out of their imaginations. One time I was helping pre-schoolers in an art session. I say helping rather than teaching because they often were my teachers. One little girl brought her creation to me.....delicate little blue slash marks with big brown circles on the bottom of the page. I made the mistake of asking her what this was and she put her hand on her hip and with disgusted tone of voice said, "It is meatballs in the rain, of course!" Meatballs in the rain was not familiar to my reality, but it made perfect sense after she showed me her imagination. So since it is Easter weekend and rabbits are in style.....let yourself dive down the rabbit hole and see what worlds are waiting for you in your imagination.

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.