Creativity... just what is it?
I've entitled this article, 'The Art of Living', because living is a form of art. That is, we each and every life form on this planet is evolving, emerging and constantly transforming. That is creativity. Each and every life form is creative.
The beauty of this fact is that we don't have to be any good at it either. In fact, the less pressure to be something [that we aren't] the better. So, here's to free-flow living, but as I have heard many times in the past, mostly out of frustration, 'How!?!?!'
The easy answer is, 'let yourself go and do it.' And this approach can, and has worked for some, but I know how difficult this approach is for others, especially for those in relationships... seemingly impossible. Hence my work, writing and therapies... 😉
So, here goes:
1. In the spirit of Edith Cavell who was born on this day, many many moons ago... live without discrimination. Discrimination is a limited form of discernment borne of favouritism, insecurity, fear and uncertainty, all very real aspects of living. However, when those very real aspects of living become embodied, contained, protected, buried, locked away, the result is a limited, discriminating life that either struggles to evolve or stops evolving.
2. You can't learn to be a better you. Learning is fine for developing skills and deepening understanding. However, you cannot learn how to be you. Instead, you live, experience, emerge and sooner or later you begin to be yourself in your own skin, activities become holistically self-circulating, interactivity more meaningful and free-flowing, and others less problematic. Well, that's the theory. Oh that it were that simple! Yes, that is the ideal, reality is far more fraught, resulting in a mixed up bag of goodness knows what doing the best it can.
3. The dark side... your shadow. As a mixed bag of goodness knows what, should you find yourself having thoughts, wishes, desires, dreams and imaginings of doing harm to others then do seek help. I got this all wrong. I really did think that I could learn to be a better me. I was an okay sort, relatively generous, conscientious, quite personable with a good handle on right and wrong. On the other hand, I had some deeply serious issues around life and living... but who doesn't, right! Exactly, who doesn't? I reiterate, when your thoughts and feelings begin to turn sour, get help.
4. Get help. Easier said than done, right? I needed help to untangle the mess I was in around life and living... I still do and no doubt always will. The problem for me has always been, where to go for that help. I have assumed, been dissatisfied, looked elsewhere, searched out, experienced, 'found', thought I've found, all to no avail. Now, wherever I am I'm open to all the help, support and encouragement that might be there... and this approach is beginning to work... I am now getting a better handle on the form of life that helps me best... the upshot being is that I need people, real people in my life for me to be holistically me. Amongst many other things, my attachments to specific people had kept me bound in limiting living patterns. The tighter the attachment, the more difficult the experience. So yes, the freer of attachments the better. Pastimes can help free the tangle.
5. Take up pastimes... something that floats your boat, free of attachment. I was brought up to 'be useful', so, pastimes for me was always coupled with an, 'okay I am doing this so that I can...'. So much extra unnecessary effort! As an example (out of oh so, so many), joining the Samaritans coincided with me volunteering at our local city farm, Stonebridge. Oh my goodness, I can't begin to spell out all the attachments that clung like limpets to those two very different and oh so fulfilling activities! It's crazy... truly crazy. So yes, a good question to ask yourself, without need for an answer, that's right, with free-flowing active encouragement, is, 'What floats my boat?' Then allow that particular whatever to reveal itself in its own good time.
6. Free yourself of attachment. No matter how much help, support, encouragement you might think you have around you, if this help is hampered by attachment, it will become a lifelong hindrance. You must step into different worlds, and step into them well. Grounded, well centred, relaxed and breathing freely, loosen your senses, intelligences and attachments to free yourself, your body, instinct, intuition and authenticity.
7. Your body wants this anyway, it can just be a little tricky to let yourself go with this transformational flow.
8. Be honest. Loosen your tongue. I've always been quite gabby, so this has been easy for me, but I understand how easy it is to be silenced, because for a long time I was... hence the gabbiness now! All told, I think the voice, speech, communication must be one of the most difficult aspects of living to be free-flowing, for everyone. The point is to be honest, totally honest with yourself, open yourself to be with those who are of the same or similar spirit and go there, be safe, to be with them. Be open to what you experience, that way, you can begin to be your honesty in the open and evolve from there.
9. In life nobody and nothing is perfect... and humour, free-flowing humour helps no end to bridge those many, many gaps.
10. Last but by no means least, let yourself be free to get over yourself. Gosh, the ego does play games with us doesn't it... and then there are those of others too. The ego is an important aspect of everyone's life, and as with everything else it does need to be nurtured, self-nurtured. Our identity, presence, influence, legacy all rests with the person we are every moment we live and breathe. It is both a massive responsibility and a huge privilege... let yours be free to live and breathe as fully as possible.
We only have one crack at life and living you know... every moment is worth our while...