my first posting

Inserting creative flourish into the everyday

In my many years working as an artist and teaching workshops, I have heard so many people say "I'm not very creative." Of course, we're all creative. It's part of being human. But maybe, underneath that comment, is discouragement that his or her creativity has never been noticed or encouraged. There isn't a child in the world who doesn't love to sing or dance or imagine stories. So what happens? We get caught in jobs and situations that don't lift us up. Close to three years ago, I left a secure job for exactly that reason. I felt that my creativity was slowly being depleted. Creative expression has never failed to prop me up during difficult times and give spiritual meaning to my life. It's given me a way to make sense of things that otherwise do not make sense. I've raised my children with a creative spirit and I do my laundry with a creative spirit and I approach everything I do with that same spirit. So when I feel this energy waning, I know it's a huge wake-up call to make a change, to adjust something... to open that window up again.

When we're children, that window is always open. Coming from a large family of nine, I was always surrounded by imaginative play and music and the outdoors. My eyes were wide open, just as they are in this old photograph of myself so long ago. I hope to never entirely abandon creative expression. I now remind myself to insert creative flourish into the everyday. And perhaps I'll be able to share some of that inspiration of the day-to-day with those who read my blog.