Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Creativity Released from Captivity

There is a lot going on up there, in my mind.  All of the time there are thoughts and ideas milling around, and bumping into each other, and trying to find a way out.  All too often, the busyness of life takes priority, takes over, and squelches all of those lovely creative energies.

What do we do about that.  It really is a shame to have our creative energies rejected.  Like so many of our energies, when squelched and rejected over and over, they loose their will to live, and they slowly die off.  Creativity is a use it or loose it part of our human-ness,  and I can feel when I am not honoring mine!

At first it chatters endlessly inside my head, so excited about the amazing new idea!  Like a small child, it is begging to try, and create, and explore, and give life to the new endeavor!  And then the attempting to be supportive grown-up voice says, "That's a wonderful idea!  We really should do that! But first we need to (fill in the blank)". And slowly, the excited creative voice quiets.  And over time, the creative voice offers ideas less and less often, and grows quiet more quickly with each rejection.  The creative juices only flow, when they are allowed to flow.  When kept bottled up, they get stagnate, like water that is not allowed to reach and move beyond it's containment!

So what can do we do to help open up our lives to our own creativeness?  Start!!  I laugh as I write this, because it really is the only thing to do, and it really is the most challenging!  I started keeping a small note book and pen with me all of the time, so when I have an idea, I write it down.  I don't know about you, but great ideas often come at the most inopportune moments, like when I'm driving on the freeway.  So, the other thing I do is utilize the technology that I already have.  Most cell phones have audio features, and I know how to quickly set mine to record a one minute voice clip, and can quickly talk to myself and record that idea before it slips away.  I can then go back later that day, or even the next day, listen to my voice note, and write in down, then begin writing about what I want to do with it, expanding on it, and listing steps, and building it in my mind.

For me, writing things down helps to make them real.  I feel as if I have now made a contract with God when committing it to paper.  He gave me the thought or idea in the first place, so if I write it down, and see it with my eyes, and commit to seeing it through, then he will help provide the further ideas, and the resources to make it happen.

This works for my creative ideas, as well as my emotional recovery process.  As I work through the pains of my past, I am learning to journal them.  I did not used to.  I would try ... starting as a young girl, remember the old "Dear Diary, today was ... " and pouring our your heart in the small book of blank pages closed with a little hasp and lock?  Then hoping that your little brother or mother did not find it and read your deep dark heartfelt words!?  I did that.  Off and on through my growing up, but I just could not stick with it.  I tried again as a young mother. But I was inconsistent at best, sometimes a year would go by between entries.  When those half filled books were re-discovered so many years later, and I skimmed through some of the entries, I cried as I started to discover why writing about my heart was so difficult.  It was painful stuff. It was ugly stuff. I did not want to be that person.  I also discovered that the things that I wrote about had, or were, resolving!  The things I had not written about were still part of my life!  An epiphany!  Writing about it gets it, whatever it is, OUT of my body!

I had a ceremonial fire, and burned those old journals, releasing those words, through the smoke, back to God.  He had helped me discover a path of healing.  I have now taken up the habit of journaling again.  This time, it is healing.  This time it opens my heart to self discovery.  This time it is helping me to build and nurture my creative forces.  This time, they are words for my wonderful future.  This time, I am open to sharing some of those words, to perhaps help others.  This time, I am not burning them.

This time, the words are helping me to Live Well!!
Love and Blessings to you today!
Love Suzi~Q

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