Life has been so busy lately. I am finding it a challenge to keep plugged into my creative spirit and inspiration, so I am looking for ways to fill the well again.

Have you ever felt like that? 

This is when I go to my reserve of inspirational books and quotes to see if there is a gem that will turn on the creative juices again. So here are today’s wise words on being creative.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”  ~ Erich Fromm

“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts.”  ~ Rita Mae Brown

“It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”  ~ E.L. Doctorow

” Any creativity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.”  ~ John Updike

“In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must take the time and care to cultivate it.”  ~ Julia Cameron

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.”  ~ Mary Lou Cook

I would love to hear how you replenish your well when it runs dry.

Keeping a journal can provide you with a special perspective on how the Universe continues to nurture and guide you. As I look back through my journals over the years I have discovered some patterns that I really hadn’t noticed before. One is this idea of preparing for creativity. I see it come up over and over as I have moved through various transition periods of my life. I notice that I find myself doing certain things that indicate I am working through a change. Here are a few examples: going through boxes of paperwork accumulated and deciding what will support my creative endeavors and keeping that, then anything that hinders or blocks creative flow can go; letting go of objects and beliefs that no longer have a place or a purpose. And that time is here again to make room for creative growth. Have you discovered similar patterns in your life? 

This got me thinking more about creativity and how it seems to come in seasons for me. So, this month’s Alaka’i News is a collection of my past musings on the topic. 

Finding Flow

In those moments when you are immersed in an activity that both inspires and challenges your creativity you may find yourself in what is known as “flow” – an experience where time flies without you even noticing. This experience can be a one-time occurrence or an ongoing one that you return to for that creative lift. That creative endeavor is where I find both my passion as well as challenge to keep learning, growing, and sharing.

I have found myself returning to many of my favorite resources for inspiration so thought perhaps I should share those with you. As previously mentioned, the concept of FLOW, where you feel strong, alert, and at the peak of your abilities, really made sense to me. In the book, Creativity, flow and the psychology of discovery and invention by Csikszentmihalyi (1996) he explores this in detail. I wish I had permission to quote him but in lieu of that, I encourage you to look it up, even if you just read the last chapter, you will be inspired to begin to search for your own creativity. Another book is The Artist’s Way: a spiritual path to higher creativity, by Julie Cameron (2002), and her concept of “morning pages” and “the artist date”.  Those two concepts keep me grounded as well as moving forward. What tools do you use to keep you inspired?

Filling the Well 

In my quest for inspiration I came across some more words of wisdom that have begun to replenish the well of creativity.

“There are no problems – only opportunities to be creative.”  ~ Dorye Roettger

“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”  ~ Pablo Picasso

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”  ~ Joseph Chilton Pierce

No doubt you might be one of those individuals who has the notion that only a few select people in the world are creative or artistic. That only those exceptionally talented individuals have the permission to step outside the box in their creative pursuits. Or perhaps you are one that believes that like intelligence, creativity can be measured on a standardized test. Research has shown that each of us possess at least seven measurable intelligences, ranging from mathematical to linguistic to musical to interpersonal. Research also has found that intelligence is not only located in the brain but distributed throughout the cells in the body. Your capacity for creativity is much greater than you ever imagined.

So how do we tap into our unlimited creative power and unleash its full potential? One of the first steps is to figure out what you were created for, to determine your life purpose. Each of us were created with a unique package of gifts – your talents, your personality, your dreams. No one else can bring them to life the way your Creator intended. You may have to dabble in a few things until you find the one that fits. While I have little talent for drawing or painting, I have found that I really seem to connect with writing and facilitating or training. Once your curiosity and passion come together you will see progress begin.

Here are a few ideas to help you start to explore where your creativity might be brought to life:

Expose yourself to beautiful music. By listening to the genius of the masters, like Mozart and Bach, you increase both intellectual and creative powers.

Expose yourself to great visual art. Developing an eye for aesthetics helps define aspects for proper proportion, symmetry, and balance.

Expose yourself to the performing arts. Allow your imagination to stretch through the creativity of theatre and dance.

Expose yourself to the world through travel. Take a break from your typical daily activity by connecting with different cultures, foods, sights and smells.

Try one and tell me how it feels.

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THE ALAKA’I BOOKSHELF

Lessons in Wisdom

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. 

We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”   

~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“Having experienced the birth of four children and witnessing the birth of a grandchild, having raised four children and witnessing the growth of others, I can say with certainty that we are created in and with Wisdom. We come into this world as part of that Divine Wisdom, and in our human experience we often have to lose some of it before it returns in its fullness. 

Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age but through moments and experiences in our lives. Although it sometimes takes years to fully understand its place, its value, its meaning. It is often in retrospect that the wisdom is revealed to us, and thus through that expansion of years and age it returns to that place where it began.”

An excerpt from Under a Full Moon and a Guiding Star

Wisdom & Gratitude

“In both native and indigenous wisdom, there is a connection to the practice of gratitude. Robin Wall Kimmerer, in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, profoundly describes an “Allegiance to Gratitude.” She describes the rituals of the Thanksgiving Address, which in the Onandage language is more closely translated as “Words That Come Before All Else,” an invocation of gratitude for all of the natural world. Where you find cultures of gratitude, you will also find cultures of reciprocity. 

So let us begin with gratitude.

Embracing that wisdom and practice of gratitude has become part of my daily ritual and self care. While it may start with just a few words of gratitude, through consistent practice, you will find it becomes a healing foundation and ritual with which to start your day.”

An excerpt from Beyond the Horizon – A Guide for Life’s Journey.

You can learn more about both books at https://alakaiassociates.com/books-landing-page/ 

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