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Here we are, January 2008 has arrived, and you may or may not have created some resolutions for yourself. No need to rehash here the amazing way that a firm intention on January 1st can too easily become merely a good idea by the beginning of March!
Instead of creating specific resolutions, which are usually about changing yourself for the better (never a bad idea, but sometimes a self-sabotaging one), let’s meditate instead on how you contribute to acts of creation in your life.
How do you feed your creative self?
Are you even aware of yourself as a creator, a being who expresses herself and feeds her soul through creative acts? How do you play and express this on a regular basis?
There can be a lot of baggage attached to creativity. We tend to think that it is only the realm of “true artists,” and that’s not how we define ourselves. It seems essential to have a specific creative form and practice, and hone that form into some state of perfection.
But it can be as simple as arranging the jars and cans on your pantry shelf by size and color, being inspired to add a sprinkling of nuts to a pan of sautéed vegetables for some extra flavor and crunch, or adding some stickers to the envelope of a card you’re putting in the mail, knowing they will make the recipient smile.
Creative action is inherent in our very beings.
Whether we are aware of it or not, creation is happening inside of us in every moment. Cells die and cells are born, food is transformed into nourishment and energy, thoughts arise and change in an instant, images are projected through our eyes and sound resonates through our ears.
When we make creation conscious, without becoming self conscious, we realize that any movement fully attended to is a moment of creation. Any meal cooked with great love and care is an opportunity to offer our deepest creativity. The tone of our voice when calling a loved one, the way we place the pillows on the bed for our guest, all offer opportunities to infuse our spirit and creativity into the moment.
If you were to take time right now to do something creative to feed your soul, what would it be? Spend a few moments indulging in your desire to sing, dance, paint, cook, write or do whatever your heart and soul feel most inspired by doing. A half hour or hour is good, but even five minutes is fine (what would a five minute meal be if you just opened your fridge and concocted something?) If your time and resources are limited at the moment, simply visualize a scene that makes you spontaneously take a deep breath and feel lighter in your heart.
Can you give yourself the gift of expression free from critical judgment or cynicism?
No Wrong Notes
Every week I meet with a few women to tone, chant and sing whatever we are inspired to share. The unofficial name of our group is “No Wrong Notes” and it helps us to remember why we are there – to make sound for the sheer joy of it. To feel what that does to our bodies, the energy in the room, and the connection we have with one another.
It isn’t about having the most beautiful voice, and yet in our openness and willingness to share sound and space each week, our voices sound better and our chorus more unified as the weeks go by. We play, we reach for harmonies we didn’t know were there, and we trust ourselves to listen and respond to whatever is arising between us.
Allow the joy of creativity to percolate in you as the new year begins. Make some sounds, sprinkle an unusual herb into your favorite soup, play a board game the next time you get together with friends instead of sitting around talking. Move your body to music and feel your muscles and skeleton shifting in space and playing with the rhythm. Talk to your cat or dog and allow yourself to receive their reply, eye to eye and heart to heart.
Bring all of yourself to anything, however mundane, and you will find yourself in alignment with the ultimate Creative Force that keeps all of life in motion.
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