Image by Jason Jacobs on Flickr
When you think of the word "creative," what comes to mind?
Painting a picture? Writing a book? Playing an instrument?
All of these are wonderful ways to express yourself while connecting with others (it's so satisfying to share our creations with others) AND connect with something outside of ourselves—God/source/spirit—whatever you want to call it.
But that's not the only aspect of creativity.
These are what I would call "creative expressions," but really, everything we do is creative expression -- our words, our actions, our state of being.
Now, I often hear people say, "I'm not very creative." I've even said it at times.
But in truth, we are ALL creators.
And once we embrace and embody this fact, the possibilities are endless.
We now have freedom from expectations—real or imagined. Freedom from the limitations others have placed on us, or that we have placed on ourselves. Freedom from the self-imposed prison of "should"s.
Of course, with freedom comes responsibility. We can no longer blame our discontent on others or outside circumstances.
But when you see the life before you as a blank canvas where you can paint in literally anything you want—a serene landscape, a swirling ocean of epic emotions, or a vibrant collage—isn't it worth it?
As I said, though, it's easy to forget that we're creators.
This is where traditional creative processes like writing, art, and music can come into play. Because when we create something, it reinforces our inherent creativity.
I came across this piece of wisdom the other day:
I'd never thought of it this way, but it's true, isn't it?
Nearly all religions have a creation story. Whether or not you choose to interpret them literally, they speak to the miracle at the heart of all creation—making something out of nothing. This applies to works of art as well as life itself.
Here's another way of putting it. Years ago, my creative writing instructor—Aimee Bender—who has had a huge influence on my life path—told our class about a story that one of her past students wrote. In the story, a girl turns into a giant and starts stomping on people and crushing skyscrapers.
Her point: you can do whatever you want in fiction.
The same principle applies to life. Of course, we are constrained by the limitations of physical reality, plus we really wouldn't want anyone going around crushing cities.
By the same token, I'm a little skeptical of those people who say they can levitate across continents and order up mansions at the flip of a switch. And truth be told, that reality seems boring to me.
Because as much as it's gotten trendy for spiritual people to say that life here in a body on Earth is so miserable and painful and can't we just get to 5D already, we are here, having a physical existence in a body (now, at times we may identify too much with the material, but that's a post for another day).
Even operating within these constraints, we can still make our lives a masterpiece. Yes, we may still experience dramas/challenges/struggles (and often masterpieces have plenty of these), but at the same time, our life story can be enthralling, enriching, and exuberant (yes, I adore alliteration).
It's fun to look back and see how all these past experiences we thought were miserable or pointless do in fact weave together to make one big, beautiful tapestry.
Most importantly, by embracing our creative capacity, we step out of victimhood. We see how we always have options, no matter how dire the situation seems.
When challenges do arise, we see them as opportunities for growth. We see how we can spice up even routine activities so we can start having more fun and feeling more alive.
What does being a creator mean to you? And what do you want to create moving forward?
