Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Courage to Create



You know how it is. Sometimes we plan a trip to one place, but something takes us to another. 
~Rumi

Now I am revealing new things to you
Things hidden and unknown to you
Created just now, this very moment.
Of these things you have heard nothing until now.
So that you cannot say, Oh yes, I knew this.
~Isaiah 48:6-7


Happy New Year! I hope that your holidays have provided you with some small unexpected blessings and cherished moments. This is a juncture where we are called to pause, reflect and appreciate where we are in our journey and to begin to decipher our direction in the months to come. I really appreciate this opportunity to look more broadly at my life and consider the convergence of time--past, present and future--in this particular moment of my personal history to discern my next steps. 

I am not one for making resolutions nor do I tend to be motivated by lofty goal setting. It doesn’t light me up or inspire me to action. Instead, goals and resolutions often feel like dressed up obligations that we “should” make into priorities in our lives. The intention of resolution is usually good, however, so I believe that it is better to stick with intention setting and move from there. So what is truly alive for you beneath the resolutions? As I consider my own intentions and desires, I am aware of a longing for simplicity, beauty, and ease. When I am lovingly honest with myself, I am able to cut through all of my mental complications and see clearly that my heart’s desire is to create art in new ways each day. That’s all I really want to do. So I signed up for a year long mixed media art making class called Life Book. Each week, for the entire year, I will get to learn more about art journaling (one of my passions) from some of the best artists in the field. I recognize that my longing is connected to a larger vision for my life that continually meets me when I am willing to step toward it. I have no idea where it is leading me but the more I follow my bliss, the more my faith in the unfolding journey deepens. And what I have always really wanted is to live a life that is in alignment with the purpose and vision for which I was created. 

So what do you really want? What have you always really wanted? 

In addition to setting an intention based on your own heart’s longing, I invite you to consider another inquiry as this new year begins. It is the one that I am committing to and I would love it if you would join me as a companion on this journey: 

What would it mean for me to grow spiritually in the next year? 

If it speaks to you, begin to carry this question with you as you walk through your days and pay attention to what it awakens inside of you. A great start would be to take some quiet time with your journal (yes, you must have a journal!) and begin with a prayer or silent moment. Ask for guidance, hope, clarity, truth, new paint brushes, or a fast writing pen. Ask for what you really want. Rumi says, The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. . .don’t go back to sleep. . .You must ask for what you really want. So go ahead and ask! Take the verse from Isaiah (above) or choose one from a spiritual tradition that speaks to you and write it at the top of the page. This exercise comes from a wonderful book called The Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Painter. She recommends it as a Lectio divina, or “sacred reading” practice. After you have written the passage read it aloud. Listen for a word or phrase that beckons you and repeat the word(s) to yourself in silence. Give it some time to unfold in your imagination and to dance with your feelings, thoughts and sensations. What do you notice? How does it connect with your life at this time? Journal your findings as a way of beginning this new quest with a sense of love and devotion. Tuck it into your heart this month and allow it to ripen within you.

If this particular inquiry about developing spiritually and engaging with the creative process speaks to you, I invite you to some of the upcoming workshops that I am offering in the new year. The first is called HeART and Soul and serves as an introduction to the transformative nature of the creative process. No art experience necessary! Specifically for women, the themes of Intention and Inquiry, Embodiment, Intuition and Spirituality are introduced and touched upon. In it I share a bit of my own story and together we will explore a few expressive arts activities such as journaling, free drawing and collage. I will be offering this workshop twice in January: first on Saturday, January 10 at Harmony Yoga Studio (for those of you in the Orlando area) and again in Clermont on Sunday, January 25th at One Yoga and Fitness and the link to register is here: HeART and Soul

Next, I have developed a six week series for women called “The Courage to Create: Awakening to an Authentic Vision for our Lives.” It is meant for those of you that want to deepen your connection to creativity and more thoroughly explore the ideas introduced in HeART and Soul. Beginning Saturday, February 21, 2015, we will meet each week at One Yoga and Fitness to explore the subject of calling and creativity for self-discovery and transformation. A different theme, along with creative exercises, supplemental reading and journaling exercises will be offered with the intention of opening to a larger vision for our lives. I see this workshop series as a modern day vision-questing experience. In all spiritual traditions time was taken for soul work and to attend to the true excavation of our higher selves. Often it was undertaken alone and in the wilderness: Jesus in the desert, Muhammad in a cave, Buddha under the Bodhi tree (where were all the women?!). Most of us are not able to leave our everyday lives in search of revelation and yet we are called to carry out the full potential that lives within us. Soul work isn't about self-improvement, it's about self-discovery and beckons us to unearth the real treasure within. It isn't about manufacturing a perfect life, it's about fashioning an existence based on our essential values and inherent gifts. We need to make our soul work a priority and my hope is that these workshops provide such an opportunity and blessing. Registration will open soon! Feel free to stay connected via my Facebook page for updates. As they say in the Native American tradition: may all of your journeys bring good vision this year!