Life by Design: Creativity

“Sun Flair” from my “Sacred Earth Journey” photo album

We are creators – many believe created in the Image of the Great Creator.  Whether predominantly left-brained (analytical, logical, objective) or right-brained (intuitive, creative, subjective), human beings are creative by nature.

I believe that we are like drops of water which can become one with the ocean when in the creative flow.  We tap into something greater than ourselves, becoming a channel for Life Force – connecting to the power of being truly in the moment, in the now.

I feel that when I get into a space of creativity, I open the gates to the flow of love and energy that expresses itself through me in a unique way.  It’s like a refreshing stream that has me totally focused on the present. There’s no space for regret about the past or worry about the future when I’m in that flow.  Instead, there’s a deep peace, a slowing down, a relaxation, a meditation… and lots of play!

I can reach that very fulfilling state of I AM when painting or photographing in nature, filling my eyes and heart with the wonders of the world.  I can also reach that state, however, when I’m designing original lesson plans for ESL classes. I’ve discovered that calling myself a painter is much too limiting. I spent years without painting and was still creatively fulfilled when I was exploring photography or taught in programs where I was completely free to design my own curriculum.

What about you?

Faith is almost the bottom line of creativity; it requires a leap of faith any time we undertake a creative endeavor, whether this is going to the easel, or the page, or onto the stage – or for that matter, in a homelier way, picking out the right fabric for the kitchen curtains, which is also a creative act.    Julia Cameron

There are countless ways to tap into your creativity. You don’t have to be an artist to be creative!  There can be as much creativity involved in getting dressed, cooking, software development, scrap-booking, inventing things, decorating your house, landscaping your yard, organizing an event, making love, blogging, knitting, building a shed, etc. You get the idea.

“Frosty Magic” from my “Frosty Morning Magic” photo album

The important thing is to play, experiment and find your creative outlet.

Even though the arts called to me strongly, I went through my entire high school program without finding a medium that really appealed to me.  It wasn’t until later, when my uncle gave me Christmas money to spend in an art store that I discovered the world of acrylic inks and used them in ways the sales clerk didn’t think “was right”.  Well, I’m still doing it and so are plenty of others now.  I found a mode of expression that brought me great joy, and I’m so glad I kept seeking until I found it.

It’s Worth It!

I’m not sure if I was born predominantly left or right brained.  I sure spent a lot of my time on my own in the imaginary and spirit world as a child. This makes me think that I may be predominantly right-brained.  I’m grateful though, that society trained me very well in its western hemisphere ways, in which left-brained skills are highly valued. I was very successful at climbing the recreation career ladder in community, municipal, provincial, and then national job positions from the age of 15 until I reached my dream job right out of university.  Those skills still serve me very well and will no doubt help me succeed as an artist.  Having my left and right brain work together in harmony, however, was my challenge. They were at war for years – not very peaceful in there…

The cost of favouring my left-brain to the point of completely ignoring my right-brain were pretty high though.  I wrote the article Creatively Becoming Whole for the magazine WhoLife in 2009, describing how I had put my creativity on hold because my left brain was working overtime working for an amazing spiritual photographer who needed a whole team of left-brained workers to keep up to his creative flow. I am grateful for that blessed opportunity – I have no regrets.  But I have learned more about my needs.   It was fun to reread the article this morning – and to see some of my older paintings. At the time, I wrote that creativity provided me with a medium for aesthetic exploration, an outlet for emotional catharsis, and a platform for personal and spiritual growth.  That is still true today, and I pray that I’ll never choose to shut the door on it again.

Where to start?

If you’re not sure where to start, think back to the things that brought you pleasure as a child.  Or walk around an arts & craft store until something strikes your fancy. You can also seek out programs that help you reconnect to your inborn creativity.  I recommend Julia Cameron‘s work.  I’ve used a couple of her books at various stages of my life to do just that.  My favourite is “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”.

“Most of us are not raised to actively encounter our destiny. We may not know that we have one. As children, we are seldom told we have a place in life that is uniquely ours alone. Instead, we are encouraged to believe that our life should somehow fulfill the expectations of others, that we will (or should) find our satisfactions as they have found theirs. Rather than being taugh to ask ourselves who we are, we are schooled to ask others. We are, in effect, trained to listen to others’ versions of ourselves. We are brought up in our life as told to us by someone else! When we survey our lives, seeking to fulfill our creativity, we often see we had a dream that went glimmering because we believed, and those around us believed, that the dream was beyond our reach. Many of us would have been, or at least might have been, done, tried something, if…
If we had known who we really were.”

What appeals to you?  How can you be more creative in your life – both at work and at play.  Creating a Life by Design is one that involves creativity – in your own unique way, with your own unique voice, as you connect to something greater that is calling to your heart and soul.  May you truly enjoy your creative Self!

“Mystic Vision” from my “Frosty Morning Magic” photo album.