The Value of Creativity

 Feeling alive gives me the energy and enthusiasm to enjoy my life.

I find that when I undertake a creative endeavour, be it within the framework of writing, sewing or gardening (just to name some activities that work as my muse to awaken my creative spirit), I can feel a surge of energy stirring within me.

There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than going through the process of creating something that a moment ago was no more than an idea.  It can start with something as simple as a meal.  I see a recipe that looks interesting and ideas about how I would change it to suit my tastes begin to take form.  I look through the cupboards or go shopping for ingredients which come from the image taking shape in my mind.

Not everything works out.

This would be a disappointment if I was only interested in the goal - the finished product.  If I lose sight that I had fun during the process or that I had gained clarity about what I would do differently the next time, then certainly I would call this failure.

But as Thomas Edison said, "The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."  

Writing Prompts - Putting the Perfectionist Aside

I've recently adopted a regular habit of using writing prompts - specific words, phrases or topics - to strengthen my writing muscles.

This may sound a bit odd, but yes, writing, and all other creative endeavours, need practice to be strengthened - similar to a physical activity.

I realized today that I actually practice different things on different days.

Recently, I've been practicing the art of writing without the perfectionist standing over my shoulder prejudging the thoughts that are birthing in my mind.  She thinks she is being helpful; but what I've found is that she often aborts these fragile thoughts in their fetal state before they have had an opportunity to fully form and show her their true beauty or potential.

How do I do this, you ask?

I write whatever pops into my head, even if it has nothing to do with the topic I chose to write on.  I allow my writing to take its own direction.  It is not until I am spent that I allow myself to go back and read what I have written, deciding, only then, what should be done with the diamonds and coal I find there.

There Are No Rules

 What a freeing thought!  THERE ARE NO RULES!

Just like there is no one book outlining how to be the perfect parent, there are no rules for living your life.  Sure, there are society's expectations or standards and your own moral compass or set of beliefs, and some believe you are born onto a preordained path.  My belief ...  "Life is what you make of it".

Come down this path with me for a moment  and entertain the thought that there are no rules.  What would you do differently when approaching a project or a situation in your life?  Would you be more creative?  Would you feel at ease?  Are there rules you live by that hinder your happiness?

What if ... THERE ARE NO RULES ...

Reinventing Myself

When I was about 50, enough changes were taking place in my life that I was starting to struggle with my sense of self and my self worth.   Three major roles in my life were shifting - my role as Mom, my role as worker, and my role as spouse.

The kids were grown and no longer needed me in the role of mother that I had settled into.  Also, I took an opportunity to retire early and become a stay-at-home wife - something I hadn't even done when the kids were born.  It was the perfect opportunity to reinvent myself; although, I didn't really see it that way at the time.  In fact, it was more like I fell into it as I began to struggle with my thoughts and emotions.

It is now ten years since I began writing this particular insight and fifteen years since I retired.

I have discovered that, although there are milestone moments which beg for you to redefine yourself, any moment is perfect.  I am happily asking myself daily... am I happy? ... am I doing things that I love? ... am I with people I love?  My answers to these questions now drive the direction of my life and who I choose to be.

Creative Blocks Don't Exist

I am so excited about sharing an "aha" moment I recently experienced.  It has been so impactful, that I can feel a noticeable change in my behaviour and thinking.  Sometimes it's the little messages that work the best.

Recently, I enrolled in an on-line writing course.  It has two workshop leaders who have been using their own experiences to both inspire and guide a community of writers and would-be writers to create their own messages.  The teachings are simplistic and focus on cultivating an atmosphere of creativity. 

Through this process, I faced down the curse of the Perfectionist - my habit of constant editing.  It has been my life habit to edit my thoughts, ideas, words, visions, etc. long before they ever become anything concrete.  Definition of writer's block - the inability to find an idea or words worth penning.  All those ideas aborted before they were even conceived.  What a shame.

How freeing to be told - just write whatever comes to mind.

Now I am practicing to write/create first and edit later so that it will become ingrained  in my nature.  What fun! 

Here We Go Again

 I began this blog many years ago as part of my own personal journey of self discovery.   My belief that the content was meant for an audience, that existed only in my mind, made the process both challenging and difficult - leading to many starts and stops.  When my writings took a direction that lacked clarity, as I felt it often did, I would consider writing about more conventional hobbies of mine.  Topics about - how to sew - or cook recipes - seemed safer.  Their content and purpose were easier for me to envision.  In the end, I seemed to conclude that I'd rather spend my time doing these hobbies, as opposed to, writing about them.

Starting as early as my childhood years, I have been fascinated by my perception of the mind's enormous potential.  If I have a passion about anything, I have a passion about understanding how the mind works - and not just from a scientific and/or physical viewpoint - I also get totally absorbed when considering metaphysical theories.  This is probably why I keep coming back to restarting this blog.

These posts contain my musings about how certain beliefs seem to demonstrate themselves in my life experiences.  I hope you enjoy reading them.

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Mood

I just finished one of Jennifer Weiner's books, Who Do You Love.

In it, Andy, one of the main characters of the story, handles his moments of extreme frustration by running.  It allows him to cut out all of the negative internal chattering going on in his head by focusing all his attention on how he feels as he runs.

I, too, have found that I can use certain physical activities, like golfing, to distract me from thoughts that I don't think are benefiting me at that moment either because they increase my stress levels or they darken my mood.

Also, in this novel, a therapist suggested a strategy to Andy - to change your mood, change your setting.  Something as simple as getting up from what you are doing to have a cup of tea can be enough in most situations to brake the momentum of negative thought patterns.

We all have techniques or tools we use to manage our moods.  What do you do?