Part of the process of getting back to the creative life is making time for myself - time to pause, recharge, rest, ponder, nurture my inner self and fill the well of inspiration. It's impossible to be creative if there is nothing left to give or if I am not centered in my own self but rather running around frantic in task-mode, reactive-mode. Not long ago I rented a video titled "Motherhood" in which Uma Thurman plays a scattered, frantic, yet loving mother of two (plus a dog) in NYC. She had been a writer before the kids came along but lost her way somewhere between folding the underwear and dashing between school, errands, parties, activities, etc. The film wasn't anything life changing and definitely did not portray toddlerhood accurately but I found it validating. In the film Uma's husband manages to score a large sum of money and presents it to her as a gift of serenity so she can find the time, and peace to return to her creative self. Most of us aren't fortunate enough to be granted such a windfall (or have such amazingly selfless husbands) so we must find the time in drips and drabs when we can. I know I am not alone in this struggle. I also recently picked up a book called "The Divided Heart: Art and Motherhood" by Rachel Power from the library and just the introduction brought tears to my eyes as the same message resonated deeply (I'll blog about this book more later). Finding the time is challenging as a working mother but I am learning. I've decided to work my way through the book "Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy" alongside my work on creativity as it seems to focus onethis self-renewal.
This week I wasn't feeling well, and neither my job nor my partnership seemed to be working. I stepped on the scale and was back at square one, the small bit of weight I'd lost and gained over and over again had come back making me still 20 kilos above my pre-pregnancy weight. It was obvious that I have ventured far away from my centered, pure self, and am not in my own power. This has to be a turning point I decided. Either sit here feeling sorry for myself or do something about it! So this week I made my way back to my meditation cushion that had been gathering dust, had a check-up at the doctors office, starting taking vitamins and supplements again, made an appointment to see a therapist and decided to listen to my inner-guides that are telling me that I need a break, some nurturing, and some care to find my way back "home". There is no use in focusing on diet trends or other quick fixes, without addressing the root of the problem. It's time to find myself again.
I went looking for a book of affirmations or something on positive thinking and remembered a book my uncle gave me for Christmas many years ago. It was "The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude" and guided the reader through a series of journaling exercises geared towards finding happiness through being grateful. Neither my local new-agey type bookstore or the Theosophical Society had a copy but they did have the Daybook I mentioned above by the same author, Sarah Ban Breathnath, and a used copy at that! When I opened the book and began to read the entries for this week I was amazed! The first spoke about the high price of not having private time. The second again spoke of the necessity for solitude and finding it. The third about discovering what to do in your alone time and the fourth on returning to childhood to find what really pleases us that we have left behind.
Today's entry is called the plie of pleasure and challenges us to ask ourselves where we are blocked. It explains that a hobby is a wonderful way to free ourselves creatively as hobbies allow us the freedom to experiment, to be amateurs, and to take chances without worrying about making mistakes. We can try on new lives, warm up our talents and discover our natural inclinations. It asks us to choose a hobby to pursue and commit to trying it out this week. Like ballet dancers warming up with plies, we can warm up our creativity with a hobbies. So let us begin! Plies away! Happy Creating!
Love and Peace XX
This week I wasn't feeling well, and neither my job nor my partnership seemed to be working. I stepped on the scale and was back at square one, the small bit of weight I'd lost and gained over and over again had come back making me still 20 kilos above my pre-pregnancy weight. It was obvious that I have ventured far away from my centered, pure self, and am not in my own power. This has to be a turning point I decided. Either sit here feeling sorry for myself or do something about it! So this week I made my way back to my meditation cushion that had been gathering dust, had a check-up at the doctors office, starting taking vitamins and supplements again, made an appointment to see a therapist and decided to listen to my inner-guides that are telling me that I need a break, some nurturing, and some care to find my way back "home". There is no use in focusing on diet trends or other quick fixes, without addressing the root of the problem. It's time to find myself again.
I went looking for a book of affirmations or something on positive thinking and remembered a book my uncle gave me for Christmas many years ago. It was "The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude" and guided the reader through a series of journaling exercises geared towards finding happiness through being grateful. Neither my local new-agey type bookstore or the Theosophical Society had a copy but they did have the Daybook I mentioned above by the same author, Sarah Ban Breathnath, and a used copy at that! When I opened the book and began to read the entries for this week I was amazed! The first spoke about the high price of not having private time. The second again spoke of the necessity for solitude and finding it. The third about discovering what to do in your alone time and the fourth on returning to childhood to find what really pleases us that we have left behind.
Today's entry is called the plie of pleasure and challenges us to ask ourselves where we are blocked. It explains that a hobby is a wonderful way to free ourselves creatively as hobbies allow us the freedom to experiment, to be amateurs, and to take chances without worrying about making mistakes. We can try on new lives, warm up our talents and discover our natural inclinations. It asks us to choose a hobby to pursue and commit to trying it out this week. Like ballet dancers warming up with plies, we can warm up our creativity with a hobbies. So let us begin! Plies away! Happy Creating!
Love and Peace XX
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