Nourishing Your Life with Creativity
By Kripa Watts
Sadly, many people assume that they were born without talent and have shut down the possibility of nourishing their life with this invisible food. If this is you, you might ask yourself how many times have you started on a project or idea and then decided to scrap it because your inner critic began reviewing the product of your efforts and judged them as inadequate. Have you told yourself you can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t paint, don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of others. I say do it – be prepared to make a fool of yourself – you might end up having the best laugh of your life and you may eventually accomplish something you never thought you would be capable of. Some years ago I visited a small sari weaving facility in Mumbai, India; I was told that in each of the magnificent hand woven silk sari’s there was a single, tiny almost non-discernable error. Each error was purposely included in the design in honor of the idea that no human being is absolutely perfect. To me, this small error represents the absolute uniqueness of each sari and indeed each human being. In some cases the beauty of a moment actually lies in the error itself!
Another common limitation that stifles creativity is the idea that we are too old to learn something new. Again I am reminded of a meeting some years ago. I was looking for an item on Craigslist and found someone in a neighboring town with just the right thing. When my husband and I arrived at her home we noticed a beautiful Cello, polished and shiny, standing in the corner. This vibrant 65 year old was all to willing to demonstrate her musical prowess and we enjoyed an intimate recital. She told us that, 5 years earlier when she was at a friends 90th birthday, she realized that if she took up a new ‘hobby’ that same year, then, by the time she was 90 she would have 30 years of practice under her belt. It was a lesson for me which I hope I will never forget.
In order to bring your innate talents to the fore, take the time to consider what type of environment nourishes your ability to be creative. For some people a quiet place, close to nature opens the doors of inspiration, others might find their spark when with a group of like minded individuals, and there are probably more than a few who are at their creative peak when surrounded by a retinue of pots and pans – I actually know someone who comes up with genius ideas when she has the house to herself and gets absorbed in the act of vacuuming!! Once you know where your creative flow thrives, give yourself the gift of developing a relationship with that environment, build into your consciousness the idea that your environment and yourself work together to create beauty.
One of the subtle health benefits of creativity is the fact that it usually requires an element of focus. A focused mind is a peaceful mind and this has a relaxing effect on the entire nervous system. It is interesting to consider that a relaxed mind is actually more creative than an agitated mind, so, by allowing yourself the time and space to be creative you actually create a positive feedback loop – creativity requires focus – focus leads to relaxation and relaxation opens you up to creativity. Whichever way you look at it you can’t go wrong – I encourage you to nourish your life and say yes to creativity.
No comments:
Post a Comment