As we move into 2022 – I’d like to share some recent reflections on the power of creativity.
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post.
This past spring, my creativity was flowing, and I was writing and sharing reflections on my life, my struggles and spiritual journey, a Trickster God, and telling a story of a heart in transition from grief and heartbreak to hope and courage.
And then – I took a break from my personal reflections because I got busy with other important work – the creation of a new nonprofit with a friend.
Recently I shared a presentation and slideshow on “Creativity as a Superpower” and I decided to repurpose the conversation into a creativity blog and share it with y’all.
By the way – please stay tuned! I’ll have some exciting news and fun things to share coming up real soon. In the meantime…
Sometimes the divine energy of creativity is unleashed – and you will flow. You will step into grace of the flow, and the genius and brilliance of your God-given gifts will just shine through with every stroke upon the canvas, each word on the page, and every expression of your heart. You are on fire!
This happened to me in the spring of 2021.
I stepped into a divine state of energy. I was painting. I was writing, I was standing in the heart of the expansiveness – a term I created to describe the energy where my inner world of spirit was wedding the outer world in which I lived and worked. All that was familiar suddenly became unfamiliar as I journeyed through the earth anew – untethered, raw, and vulnerable. I felt simultaneously lost and found.
I became disoriented on old, familiar walking trails – I felt bewildered but was discovering nature and new wonders as I walked. The river felt sacred, and it became my church for several months. I felt true communion with the natural work.
I found it hard to sleep and eat. I had so much energy – I was in the “zone.” I felt a little crazy, but luckily good friends watched out for me and allowed me the space to simply work through it.
What an amazing time and experience. When the dust settled, and my energy state leveled out, I had new perspective on myself as a spiritual and human being. It was also a very productive, creative time for me.
It wasn’t always that way….
I’m really grateful to have had that experience. I love to write. I love to paint. I haven’t always felt the flow like that though. I’m certainly not in that state now.
Creativity for me – most of my life – has been work. I’ve read somewhere that the notion of the creative, genius artist has been a myth and about 5% of artists can be said to have that level of genius. Many people will experience a gift of flow sometimes in their life. But that flow isn’t always a given for our everyday, creative experiences.
In another blog elsewhere, I spoke of the notion that the real art is in the process, not the finished product. The process itself isn’t always easy. To get proficient at creating art, whatever the medium, takes intentionality, repeated practice, and discipline.
And the artist needs to expect disappointment, setback and dissatisfaction. The artist needs to realize that there will be criticism – both internal and external. This can often be discouraging and the end of the practice for some people.
It’s with all this in mind then, that I posit that creativity is a verb and an action. It is simply the exercise of your mental and creative muscles. If you want to unleash the superpower of creativity in your life – then you need to constantly be exercising those muscles.
Funny story – when I was a young adult, there was actually a time in my life that I thought I’d reach a peak physical condition. I don’t recall how long I actually believed that. Silly me! I remember how heartbroken I was when I realized that exercise and diet and disciple would be a lifelong endeavor.
Creativity works the same way – intentionality, practice and discipline. In the section below, I offer a few prompts that help me get started when I need help getting into the flow. These practices work for me when I’m stuck. If you have prompts that work for you, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
Five slides from my creativity presentation to help get your creativity flowing…
#1:
#2:
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#3:
#4:
and #5:
With all my love and heart….