Secret 3: Following your Fascinations

Reminder: I am reading Gail McMeekins "12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women" and have joined a book group where we post reflections to each chapter/secret...although I am way behind the group (which has finished the book lol) I am still doing it!!!

I know I am behind on these posts but ive been sick and busy among many things...

now that thats out of the way...lol time to discuss the 3rd chapter...

The first thing that jumped out at me was the Greek meaning of risk:

"to sail around a cliff"

I started to think about the idea of a cliff...what things in my life can be represented by a cliff and how do I sail around them? I do not have the answer yet...I think this will take a lot more time of reflection but when i figure it out ill post!

"To be truly creative, you must be willing to try and fail then get over it!"

this quote stuck out because often times we (or at least I) dwell on how we have failed instead of just shaking off the dust and keep on moving!!! I think it is ok to erase and rip up paper then start over, in the most literal to the most conceptual terms...

from this thought the chapter went on to discuss how it takes courage to admit that we have been on the wrong train and I definitely agree with this. I felt for a long time that getting my Masters degree in sociology was not only a waste of money but a waste of time. And it has always been hard for me to admit this to people. Sure I have another piece of paper to prove my knowledge and research skills but I now feel that I could have better spent two and a half years of my life doing more creative and loving things that I enjoy. The natural me hates this but the spiritual me realizes that it wasn't a waste of time because it put me in a place i had to journey to get to where i am now.

A few questions that popped up in my mind that you can ask yourself and I am asking myself:

? what positive risks are you going to take in your life?
? how will you honor your own belief system?
? What does your belief system look like?
? Who is your creative self and what does she/he look like?

Throughout each chapter in the book there are challenges presented for the reader to engage in. I chose to write about the intuitive messages challenge, which asked:

what messages are you receiving from your intuitive voice? IS your creative self inviting you to try new ventures? Are you ready to follow your fascinations?

My creative self is inviting me to try several new ventures. My intuitive voice is telling me to embark on a creative journey that I never thought I would be on. I am enrolling in classes to get pre-requisites for art therapy and going to apply for a masters in art therapy for Fall 2010 instead of going to get my PhD in something else. I am going to take my first art class next week! I am doing more in art that I never believed I would ever do. I just started painting months ago!!! Sell paintings? Never thought it would be me. I have my work hanging in peoples homes!!! My creative self wants me to let go and allow the energy to simply flow out into the world however it may. My creative self wants me to hone my craft and take time to understand who I am as an artist and a creative healer. I am ready to follow these fascinations and am planning my positive risks while working on being positive about these changes in my life and garnering support from others to continue and feel safe outside of my comfort zone.

-jade.

Ch. 2: Honoring your Inspirations

Im late. hehehe. been super busy. but going to get back at these blog posts

After reading this chapter I learned that I need to push myself more to create time for inspiration and to begin using creative rituals. More meditation. More time to just sit and let creativity come instead of just doing something because I feel like I have to do it.

One of the challenges in the chapter asked "what activates and drains our creativity"

My activators are: music (esp. sista badu!), magazines, concersations, dreams, creative energy and love from others, sunny days

drainers: rainy days, lazy days, low energy overall, feeling overwhelmed/anxious/depressed

In honoring my inspirations, I have to focus more on understand exactly who Jade is and build strategies to understand how my creativity works and how to allow it to work better. I constantly carry around a notebook or sketchbook and colored pencils to record whatever comes to mind whenever.

The chapter also discussed creating a creative sanctuary, which is my room overall lol I have beautiful colors of orange, purple, fuschia, different types of lighting, a large desk, areas to paint, green plants and colorful flowers (LIVE lol not fake), several bookshelves and creative cabinent. I will post pics of my room/creative sanctuary later.

how will you honor your creative inspirations?

Acknowledging your creative self

This first chapter begins with these words...

"yes you are a creative woman!!!!"

which led me to pick up some pastels and my sketchbook and create this quick drawing. She is a creative woman. Her entire body is a vibration of creative love and energy and she is constantly emitting and reflecting. Something I plan to later paint. Then I thought about creating a children's book. well a book full of illustrations not just for kids but for grown women too. Don't you like to look at pictures? I do. This is something I hadn't thought of before, but that is what acknowledging your creative self is about, reaching out and honoring all of the crazy amazing creative ideas that you have in your mind that you never really thought about moving on...why not? if you dreamed it then it is attainable!!!

What I found interesting is that the authors story is similar to mine. She became sick and in the process of healing and changing her life, she reached out for art and creative expression in order to create a fulfilling life. I never thought I would want to be an art therapist or open a healing center of creativity or write a memoir looking at my journey from depression to now. who knew?! I believe that my sickness was a divine intervention. while it sucked, it also slowed me down and allowed me to make necessary changes in my life. sweep out the old dust and make room for newness for light for love for energy and infinite possibilities.

A quote from the chapter:

"We continue to be stifled by a host of factors that cause us to censor our inner voices and follow someone else's dream"

Have we not all been here? I have lived 23 years listening to what other people think I should do with my life. The other day my mom said, oh look these jobs for the president why not apply. And I told her NO!!!! I refuse to do anything else in life that has nothing to do with my calling and my passion. I am fortunate enough to be so young and understand what it is i am passionate about and know what I am supposed to do with my life. My calling from God.

By acknowledging my creative self I know that I have to do better. I must incorporate more mediation into my daily life. I must take time to practice my creativity and allow it to flourish. I must be loud and bold with my creativity and not allow others to violate who I am and what I choose to do with my creative self. I must share my creativity with others who in turn share with me so that we are true reflections of one another. Namaste. I am blessed to have a creative circle in my life of women who are all encouraging me to grow.

I will finish this post with an excerpt from my memoir... I think it can describe one of the first times I can remember being creative...

I remember art class in elementary. Every Friday afternoon. The art teacher had a tight asymmetrical bob and always wore fly earrings. She played the radio during the entire creative process. I think that's where I developed my music addiction. I cant do much of anything without music playing. I remember pastels staining the ridges in my fingertips. Construction paper and magazine collages. Watercolors and tempra paints. Feeling relieved. No grammar. No math. Just fingers deep in clay. Friends laughing and jamming to the latest tunes. And now while writing this sitting at the bar in a Maryland Starbucks, I deeply want to recreate this sanctuary for others. For myself. To be creative and free.

-jade andwele. Copyright 2009.