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Connecting with your Creative Soul
by Ami McKay |
Many of us have lives
filled with deadlines and daily routines. Tapping into
our creative energies is often the last thing on our
minds. Perhaps you think that you don’t have a
creative side, perhaps your wild sense of imagination
left with your childhood, perhaps you don’t even
realize what’s truly within you just waiting to be set
free.
Why choose a creative path?
Fostering your sense of
creativity can give you feelings of freedom, delight and
passion. It can help you see your life in a new light
and help you to tackle situations that you thought were
hopeless. When you express yourself through creative
action you find gifts such as: happiness, self worth,
healing, and inner joy. Don’t let society’s picture
of the ‘artist as virtuoso’ scare you into not
trying. Self-expression comes in many forms and in
varying degrees of ability. We all have a creative
artist within. Whether or not you choose to call on
these amazing gifts is up to you!
Some examples of Creative
Endeavors
1. Music hath charms…
How many of us like to sing in
the shower or in the car during rush hour traffic? You
can take this idea a step further and use music as a way
to find creativity. In this age of CD’s, we have
access to any type of music we desire. Try experimenting
by listening to various types of music. Find out what
soothes your soul, what gives you energy, which music
sets your thoughts free. Keep pen and paper nearby and
write down any thoughts that come from this experience.
Before long, you may find yourself writing an essay of
inspiration or simply dancing around your living room
with abandon.
When my son was four, I started
hearing music from his bedroom after I had tucked him
in. I was curious as to where this sweet music was
coming from and peeked in to see what was going on. I
discovered that he had started his own evening ritual.
He was singing the events of his day to himself. With
great passion he would sing of his disappointments,
accomplishments and joys. I’ll admit that I have since
tried this myself and found it to be one of the most
freeing experiences I have ever had.
2. Art of Expression
You don’t have to have a
professional set of oil paints or be schooled at the
finest art institute to express your artistic soul. I’m
talking about art that comes from the very depths of
your being and isn’t meant to be pleasing to anyone
else but you. ‘Dharma Art’ is a kind of artistic
practice where you begin to gather things from your
surrounding environment and rearrange them in a creative
and artistic way. There are no rules, just simply
collect what you find interesting and then create
something new. An easy way to experiment with this idea
is to make a collage from magazine clippings. Take an
hour and create a collage that truly reflects your
passions in life. Incorporate favorite quotes and
sayings that inspire you. Who knows, one day you may be
gluing old clock parts to a worn out straw hat as a
personal commentary on time.
An old college roommate of mine
recently sent me a small mixed media painting as a token
of friendship and thanks. Here is what the enclosed note
said: "this is what I did the night I talked with
you on the phone. You were inspiring. To me, it looks
like something a teenager would do but it reflects how I
feel these days…whatever that means." It meant
the world to me!
Creativity helps us unlock our
inner selves, but it also needs to be shared.
3. The ‘Ellie’ Poem
One of my favorite poems of all
time is affectionately known as the ‘Ellie’ poem in
writing classes around the world. Although I have never
found an accurate and detailed description of how this
poetic form came about, I can say that the original ‘Ellie’
was written by a woman named Eleanor Wait in 1967. It
was titled: "Ellie: An Inventory of Being." In
the lines that follow she states in the fumbling
eloquence of young womanhood her ideas about exactly who
she is. She writes it for herself and lists her dreams
alongside her fleeting thoughts. In my opinion, everyone
should try to compose their own ‘Ellie’ at least
once in their lives. Here is an ‘ellie’ I composed
while living in Chicago as a single mother. Although I
have experienced many changes since then, my deepest
beliefs are the same.
A quick response from my being
to yours
I am Ami (how can I keep myself
from noticing how the letters are the same yet ordered
differently? I-a-m A-m-i...like a deer in headlights)
yes, it's A-m-i
there are several theories as to why.
My personal favorite includes a description of my father
as a complete lunatic for the derivation of words.
Ami, as in amiable,
friend to all
And that is I,
believer in the best,
Lover of the human condition and
seeker of a way I can
help carry souls through
I have a son, Ian,
gracious gift.
I have hiked through the giant redwoods
with him inside my womb
I have climbed to the top of a Red Mountain
with him on my back
Together we climb stairways and streets
I am a bard-ess,
a mage trapped in this fast world
I sing to those who will take the time to
drown in my music.
I dream of open spaces.
how can any one say that
the main ingredient in a 'push-up'
is orange sherbet?
Everyone knows, it's
'push-up stuff'
On the coldest of days i put my
clothes
in bed with me and sleep
curled around them
for 15 extra minutes
to make the day bearable.
Someday, someone will take the
place
of those clothes and
sleep those moments with me
that make the day bearable.
Hands held
Eyes closed
A kiss
poetry
magic"
There are countless ways to
discover and nurture your creative self. You simply need
to open your soul to the possibilities and try. You may
rediscover an old talent you put on the shelf years ago,
or you may find solace in pursuits such as gardening,
cooking, or quilting. The Universe is within you and the
possibilities are as vast. As Robert Frost wrote, ‘choose
something like a star!’
©Copyright 2000 Ami
McKay
Who is Ami McKay?
I am a storyteller, a singer of songs, a healing harpist & an artisan.
I believe in Magic - the kind which crafted the gossamer breathing
wonder of the Universe.
We are all a part of that whole.
Sometimes we trudge through life & lend our hearts to forget.
But that is not living.....
I hope to remind others of that.
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