creativity—what we long for—food for the soul

Sometimes I am dying for that cabin in the woods. Or something special to chomp my teeth into.  It is almost a painful longing that says, when I get it I will be ever so happy. And what I have found out is that this longing is for creating. Once I get busy writing or rearranging furniture to create a beautiful space, or finding the perfect flowers for my garden, the longing subsides and the content returns. Our true path is there hidden behind this roadblock of resistance. There is some kind of pain associated with breaking through the resistance.  Why? because we resist change. It is the creating that causes change and it is the creating that scares us.  What if it turns out to be less than I am capable of? What if there is scoffing, laughter, dismissal after I have bared my soul with my work of creation.  These fears can be erased by forging ahead. It takes courage to make yourself vulnerable, but in the courage to act we find our muse. CREATE. It is food for the soul.

About five years ago, my niece Colleen started painting. She began her dips in paint with funkadellic furniture and then began painting pictures. Her work is astounding. She sets her paints out on the kitchen table and works on a piece throughout the day. This painting below is a real place owned by Debbie and Bill Downes at Bond Lake. They have made their little nest full of cabin comforts and Colleen captured it's charm.

Dr. Kiona MD trained as a family physician several years ago.  Dissatisfaction with the status quo of medicine caused her to forge a new path.  She studied functional medicine by attending many conferences and networking with other doctors. Although she is not practicing these days, she is a true healer and offers medical expertise to her family and friends when they ask. She knows how to explain complicated medical things so even I can understand. Did I mention Kiona is my oldest daughter?

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline.

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Creativity can come in all flavors. Tessie loves ruffled bowls so she collects them and puts them around her house, then she puts pretty pictures on her blog. She also sews, refurbishes furniture, and explores all the things you can do to be a creative home-maker. Her blog has step by step instructions on how to make the coolest things. Including hand-made dolls, purses, masks, and rehabilitated furniture.  Look here to be inspired by some very creative and pretty stuff: TessieFay.com  Did I mention Tessie is my youngest daughter?

Sunlight on My Shadow: A Memoir

Creative Stories Help Kids Learn Math

The story tells about Bart who gets a job at Burger King so he can save enough money to buy a 4by4. After he gets the money he buys a truck and loves hang gliding because he no longer has to hike the glider up the hill to fly off.  He just drives to the top. But the catch is that he has to wait till he is 16 so he can get his drivers license.  Once kids picture this story in their head they remember that you have to be 16 to drive a 4x4. So 4x4=16.

Are you dissatisfied by your creation because you think it could be better? There is always the practice which is good for the soul, even if it doesn't meet our standards. If we can leave the judgement behind and focus on the process instead of the product, we can find joy in our efforts. Sometimes, we don't allow ourselves the luxury of creating. We believe that we should be productive in a way that generates cash or our work is less valuable.  But the way to increase the currency of the soul is to create. It is what many of us long for. Why don't we do it more?:

Judy's Writing Playlist