From the time I can remember, I have had a driving, insatiable curiosity.
My time spent wandering through the woods and along the shore, communing with Nature, observing light, motion, people, birds, and life, in general, have all been about one thing – how can I connect with and express this Beauty, this emotion, this Truth?
How can I capture this moment in my own unique way?
In a way that matters, in a way that serves?
The creative process is one of the most intimate perspectives we have of ourselves. It bridges our inner and outer world, and inherently cultivates the human powerhouse – the world of our imagination.
This is where realities, art, and connections of all kinds are made between the brain, the heart, and the rest of the Universe. When my father said “No” to a knife for whittling, at ten years old I sharpened a screwdriver and began to carve out a branch of driftwood.
My mind went to work innovating, problem solving, and exploring the various possibilities, while my hands and eyes helped me to ‘feel’ my way to the finish. Years later, as I tried to understand my own process, I came to learn that this combination of intuitive and analytical – right brain, left brain activity develops new neural pathways, increasing and harnessing the neuroplasticity that contributes to innovation.
When I am using my creativity I feel better, emotionally, physically, spiritually. Thirty years ago I put down alcohol and picked up my long forgotten paintbrush. This has been the soul to my own personal journey.
Painting brought me back to my center and reconnected me with the environment and the peace and beauty of being in the present moment.
Writing has unfurled the twisted sails of my inner world and helped me to process life’s lessons.
This creative energy is not separate from the love that I feel or the thoughts that I think, they are my visual prayers. The creative process is a synergy of all that makes us unique.
Every single human has this inherent ability within them. I believe the world needs our collective creativity. We need to honor one another in our personal expressions of being.
Art is subjective
It is a vehicle for expressing one’s own perception of beauty, emotion, and resonance. The energy, intention, and point of reference is unique to an individual’s experience, culture, and authenticity. Art is as open to interpretation as there are humans in the world. If you only use the intellect to explore the value of the creative process, well, you’re leaving out the creative process!
Showing up for our own creativity nourishes the soul, feeds the intellect, and provides us an emotional outlet.
It builds self confidence, self efficacy, and is an amazing stress reducer. The creative process brings together the subconscious, conscious minds and connects these unique energies with the outside world, via whatever medium is chosen.
Once we remove the expectations, the judgement, and the cultural mind set that only certain people are artists – this untapped resource ca be as densely nourishing as the breath we breathe. And, perhaps, can collectively be the guiding light for restoring our Humanity, by drawing upon our own true nature.
The mysteries and gifts of the right brain, the imagination, and the creative process are all happening now, culminating all that is, to create the future. How much more powerful can it get? Einstein knew this power.
Watch a child selecting colors and moving them to paper. They are engaged in the process of making, uninhibited and free to explore and learn. This freedom is accessible to anyone, no matter their age.
Don’t get hung up on comparing – nurture your own progress and allow your curiosity to take the lead. Some suggestions to light that spark of creativity might be to walk through a music store, an art store, write a poem, plant a garden, take a cooking class, go to a play, sing out loud, dance, and pay close attention to what lifts your spirits and brings you joy.
As I begin to paint I set my intentions, I pray, and prepare to be inspired. I allow what technical training I’ve had to merge with my intuitive aspects and set out to invent the world – a world filled with color, with truth, peace, and beauty.
This is how I find nourishment – through this innate gift we have all been blessed with.