Creative Surprises

Several pieces of writing about the joy and importance of creativity have crossed my desk this week. To my delight, this theme so dear to my heart is being nourished by many sources.

I’m being reminded that creativity isn’t so much a particular act as it is a mindset, a way of living. This week, I want to share some of the ways in which creativity has shown up in my life, and sometimes even surprised me.

I spend a lot of time at my computer playing with words. Sometimes it is a real struggle to translate my “sense” of what wants to be expressed into words that flow and reflect that meaning. After a period of wrestling with the words, I step away from the work and do something with my hands or do something physically active to reconnect with the energies of my heart and body. Unloading the dishwasher or shovelling snow off the driveway often help me loosen the intensity. It is not unusual for that to be followed by a bit of dialogue in a TV show or a couple of sentences in a book that nourish the writing, and even expand it beyond what I expected.

Back in January, I found myself deeply moved by the singing resistance gatherings I saw in social media. I commented aloud that if such a thing ever happened near where I live, I would “so be there”. Literally four days later, I found out about a spontaneous event happening within the week. I showed up by myself (which is not something I’m typically willing to do) and spent most of the hour moved to tears by what I felt in that gathering. There was such a heart-mending sense of community, solidarity and even hope as our voices mingled ever so imperfectly. I had forgotten the creative energy generated by singing in community.

Not long after that, I learned of a knitted hat pattern drawn from hats worn by Norwegian citizens during World War II as a form of silent resistance. I bought yarn to make one for myself, and once it was complete, found myself continuing to knit additional hats just because the yarn was available and it somehow felt good to use my hands to engage with a symbol of hope. I am also looking forward to taking these hats with me to the next singing event to give away to anyone who wants one.

Recently a loved one bought me a package of 100 butterfly stickers, and I have had so much fun playing with them. Every few days, I find another place where I can add a sticker or two. I’ve decorated my agenda book, my computer, a cabinet and a magnetic board that also displays magnets from my son’s travels. The butterflies feel like little bits of joy which catch my eye throughout the day and lift my heart..

Once a week, I meet with several other writers for an hour and a half of “silent writing” time. We meet on zoom, and after a brief meditation, we each work on our work in progress. There is no chatter while we’re working, but there is a sense of community and enhanced creativity in doing our work together. At the end of our working time, we share briefly about what we wrote, and sometimes about a particular struggle we’re having with our work. Very little advice, and absolutely no critique is given. We’re just creative souls encouraging one another through our presence. 

I’m continuing to watch for other ways on which my creativity wants to express itself. I believe that paying attention to “little ways” helps grow our connection to the larger expressions. I would love to hear from you how creativity is showing up in your life. Any nourishment we give our individual life force is nourishment for all of us.