Have you noticed the natural world outside your window lately? What’s happening with the Earth where you are? Here in northern New England we are tiptoeing into spring. It’s a time of great fertility and creativity. I can see the endless creations of Mother Nature in motion – from daffodils to peeper frogs to buds on the trees. Flowers bloom, clouds gather and disperse, baby animals are born. New life is continually created.
We, too, are part of nature. We are all innately creative, although we each express it in different ways.
Creativity, for human beings, is a portal to a deeper spiritual connection. It lifts our spirits. It takes us outside of our limited ego-self and into the flow of creative energy and love that propels our Universe.
Yet sometimes it feels like our creativity is far away from us. At a time like this, when there is a lot of uncertainty, illness, worry and loss, it might feel difficult – or even impossible – to create.
But the powerful force that is creativity continues on, always, even in times of crisis. Take a look at a fallen tree for a clear example of how new life is constantly being brought forth, even when other aspects have died away. The tree that has fallen and died becomes a log that nurtures a microcosmic world of lichen, moss, bugs and spiders.
Some people are referring to the changes wrought by this global pandemic as evidence of the fall of modern Western society, of an apocalyptic time. Astrologer and author Rob Brezsny writes:
“The original meaning of the word ‘apocalypse’ was ‘revelation,’ and in the esoteric spiritual traditions of the West, the apocalypse is regarded as a Great Awakening — a marvelous resurrection. I propose that the apocalypse we’re living through applies in both the degraded modern sense of the word — the end of the world — and in the original sense. In other words, collapse and renewal are happening side by side; calamity and blooming; rot and splendor; grievous losses and unpredictable surges of miraculous novelty. Yes, the end of the old world is proceeding apace; but it is overlapped by the birth pangs of a fresh, hot civilization that will be beautiful beyond all imagining.”
Whether or not the current changes herald a great shift in our way of life, for better or worse, or some of each, we human beings are adaptable. We will always be creative, like our Mother Earth.
Luckily, even when you’re under a lot of strain and stress, tapping into your innate creativity is possible, if you know where to look for the portal.
Here’s a clue: The connection to our wellspring of creativity comes to us in the form of play.
Rather than being serious about creating a product for the ages, when you resolve to create, simply adopt the playful mindset of a young child. It is enough just to call upon your creativity. There’s no need to pressure yourself to be productive. The focus here is on the process itself, not on the end result.
The creative connection can be found in the simplest of activities: dancing around the kitchen to your favorite song, preparing the soil in your garden, doodling on a piece of notepaper, building a new compost bin, singing as you do the dishes, cutting out and decorating paper dolls or making a new dish for the evening meal.
Creativity and spirituality are deeply intertwined. As you delve playfully into your creativity, just for the sheer fun of it, you’ll unearth a deeper connection to others, to Nature, to our beautiful planet, to the entire cosmos, to the Divine.
You’ll feel relief, respite and even joy.
You might release emotions you weren’t aware you were holding, allowing your fear or rage or grief to emerge through your art. You may even find yourself shedding tears; and yet after the storm will come the peace of sacred connection.
I encourage you to find a delightful, easy, fun way to access your creativity in the coming week. Invite your family to join you so you can share with and encourage one another in your creative play. Creativity is for all ages, talents, abilities and inclinations.
We are part of the natural world. Let’s acknowledge both the bountiful fertility of the Earth and the vast, unending creativity of our own imaginations. Allow the creative connection to that which is greater than ourselves to open, to flourish and to dance.
