A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be. ~Abraham Maslow
Creativity and wellness message for today: Be who you are.
Today I’m thinking about the regal white heron. If you live near the water you have witnessed the majestic and stately grace of the heron waiting patiently at low tide, watching in the stillness for its breakfast to swim by. No ripple appears around the heron’s legs, it seems immobile. When the right fish ventures too close the heron rapidly thrusts its beak into the shallow water without hesitation and immediately snatches up its meal.
In today’s world of power marketing and social media we are bombarded with what I call the “all about me” mentality. I’m shifting my focus and learning from the great white heron. It draws no attention to itself, as it stands, stock still keenly observing. Its sustenance comes to it, not the other way around.
As an artist and writer I am guilty of the “See Me!” method of promoting my work for the return of dinner on my family’s table. Currently I heed the great white heron’s wise counsel. I am standing still.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Be patient, silently observe, then strike with precision at just the right moment.
I headed out for my walk this morning wearing a pale yellow sweatshirt, frayed and loose around the neck, with one shoulder partially exposed, Flashdance style. My skin was cool and the air was quiet when I left my house. I felt footloose and fancy free. Taking a route different from my normal routine, I trekked up one hill then down another to reach the water. As I approached Long Island Sound the wind whipped up and I saw tiny white caps.
My morning of life/work balance was already pleasantly euphoric. My sneakers beat a steady rhythm on the asphalt and I thought back to art school. A college professor taught all the students in my Design class to turn every artwork around, to view it from all sides. This way the artist can see and change the composition from every angle. What I learned is that when I changed something from one perspective, it changed the whole piece. The finished artwork was completed by drawing a line or changing a shape that I never would have considered if I had not viewed it upside down or backwards.
Today, the surprise of seeing white caps on a day that started out calm and simultaneously feeling exhilarated by the increasing winds put me in a place of deeper gratitude.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Look at your moment from a different view, break out of your routine and be delighted at how the change affects the whole.
Hello everyone, I’m back to writing my creativity and wellness blog, after enjoying a break from it this summer. If you are a regular subscriber to this blog, welcome back! If you are reading it for the first time, I hope you find something you like and visit again. In once-a-weekish short essays I’ll share inspiring quotes, messages, and revelations geared to enrich your thinking and sometimes soothe your soul.
After having a busy summer, filled with deadline-oriented professional responsibilities and a truckload of personal ones, I’m getting my feet planted in this new season. I was reminded over the weekend how easy it is to slip back into old habits, ones that aren’t good for me. My vulnerability is going into an emotional place that I call the wounded victim. It’s that place in which I consider my glass half empty instead of half full. It’s an old familiar place of discomfort and I see that I have more work to do digging myself out of my own pit. Writing this blog entry actually helped me clarify my thoughts and in turn my spirit lifted.
If you find yourself in an old habit that doesn’t serve you, use the metaphor of going back to school as your guide. Start again changing your frame of mind or commit to applying paint brush to canvas, or hands to wet clay. Pick up your unfinished manuscript and start where you left off.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Just like an artist with a sketch pad full of empty pages, let yourself create a new sketch.
In Twyla Tharps’ book The Creative Habit, she talks about the importance of stopping before you become exhausted. As creative individuals we can get caught up in the verve of our endeavors, and can tire ourselves. Tharp shows the value of stopping before that point. She says that while she works herself, and her dancers hard, she always ends a rehearsal before everyone is fatigued. That way a bridge is built to the next day.
I know a minister who takes July and August away from emails. He responds to emergency calls, but in the summer, he takes everything down a notch in order to have time for reflection and rejuvenation. I feel the same way about this blog. I am going to take a break from writing it this summer. What’s funny is that I am not exhausted or burned out. In fact I have a pile of 26 purple, blue and white handwritten notes in various sizes and shapes on my desk, ready and filled with ideas for this blog. I’m glad to end the season on a happy, fertile note and to build a bridge to September.
During the summer months I will still be working and writing. If you miss me you can follow me on Twitter where I write about creativity, wellness, art, books, writing and reading. Or just tune in when I return in September. Until then, I hope you enjoy your own summer.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Take a breather before you need to.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the creative spark lately. It all started a few weeks ago with social media. Through Facebook I stumbled on The Art Students League. When I was in high school I commuted every Saturday by train and on foot from CT to NYC to attend Figure Drawing classes at the League. I hadn’t actively thought much about it in decades but my recent connection ignited a line of thought.
Over the years I have been an artist, an educator, a graphic designer, a healer, a writer, a speaker and a consultant or you could say I have used my creative thinking and problem solving to express myself and to help pay the mortgage. As an artist my work gives people a glimmer of a different world. As a teacher I fan the flames of my students expressive pursuits as well as teaching them techniques.
When I was a healer clients and students came to metaphorically sit by my fire. My work in personal and spiritual development warmed and comforted them. It helped many go out and be stronger in their lives and encouraged them to pursue new passions.
Now I’m loving being more of a spark. I write about creativity, dreams, meditation and wellness. I also write about literature and writing and reading. Working at a library I infuse the literary, artistic and cultural experiences of my community. When I give presentations my intention is to light the fuse, not give the answer.
There is something profound and freeing about being the spark. I’m happy in my current role. What are you? Are you the fire tender, do you support the artistic work of others? Or are you the fire itself, blazing the trail? I’d love to hear what you have to say.
This brings me back, full circle to The Art Students League. At the League I learned how to be a keen observer and I was taught the importance of mastering a technique. Those two skills have served me throughout my life and the classes there kindled my desire to be a real artist when I grew up.
Creativity and wellness message for today: Consider which aspect of individual expression you support, for yourself or to help others? Is it the spark, the fire tender, are you the wood itself, the air, the match , or the . . . and let me know.