Hi friends,
This morning I read an email from Buddhist nun Pema Chodron that talked about unlocking the softness inside of us and I thought, “Yes, that’s it! – That’s what creativity brings to us! Our soft spot – our kind, happy, easy place.”
Creativity connects us to the part of ourselves that is not worried about survival or stressed about our to-do list.
It’s the bridge to the part of us that knows all is well! Where we have faith in living, remember to play, and can love with abandon! Oooh yummy!
For me, loving this feeling of being connected to my creative self is why I started writing songs in the first place and it’s also why I do things like draw with crayons (which I’m not particularly good at and luckily don’t need to be ;))
Even stuff I have no idea how to do like make curtains out of a purple puffy blanket (yes it’s true, I did this, the other day with my 4-year-old daughter)
(Story: Cecilia said she wanted purple curtains and all we had was a purple blanket [now keep in mind I don’t know how to sew, truly, but we just kept doing the next thing]: We cut the blanket in half, and decorated it with cut-out hearts & other pictures. It was a little uncertain at first, but fun and the next thing you know, we had curtains!)
(“curtains” 😉 above)
I am continually in awe of the way creativity pours out of my friends (some who actually know how to sew curtains) and one who every time I go to her house is cooking something delicious with a rich aroma of spices or making churros con chocolate – Her kitchen is explosion of creative energy!
Each of us has an inner artist who may have come out easily when we were kids but, for some of us, may have gotten buried along the way. Others of us feel like we have something to say, but we may not feel like we have an outlet, or we may feel like it’s too late for us to start expressing our creativity.
Sometimes it’s just hard to find time in our busy lives.
Recently, I wrote a blog post called 4 Year Old Me, 4 Year Old You (You can read it here) about how one bad experience with a teacher or an unsupportive person can halt your self-expression. I received many emails back from people on this list telling me similar stories of what happened to them when they were young with something they loved like dance or playing violin.
On the other hand, a lot of us were encouraged, not discouraged, to explore our creativity, but then as life’s responsibilities piled up, we grew out of touch with this part of ourselves.
Initially, it took a while for me to find my creative voice (I didn’t start writing songs until after college because I was terrified of being vulnerable or bad at it). After I had my two daughters, it was challenging to carve out the space to keep that part of me nurtured.
And yet it was the best gift I could give myself!
Writing kept me connected to myself while learning to be a mom. By finding moments here and there, I wrote my first short story and released two albums (full disclosure: I wrote some of the songs before my daughters were born). It was exhilarating to be in touch with the deepest parts of myself while raising my daughters. All the while, I was reminded that with life’s changes, creativity is always there for me if I need her.
If you too desire to connect more with your creative self but feel like your life is too full of distraction or like you don’t, at times, remember how, I’d love to share with you..3 Keys To Unlocking Your Creativity & Expression When Life Is Busy (How To Reconnect with Your Inner Artist!) this Monday, March 23rd at 7:30pm EST on a Google Hangout
On it, I will share the 3 simple habits I use to keep my creativity alive (and keep myself making things) when life is overflowing with kids, jobs & other responsibilities.
There are so many things we do can be creative, a new approach to handling finances, finger painting, planning the day for the least number of times you will have to take kids in and out of car seats (parents: you know what I mean). I have a friend who writes in her journal when she’s in the basement running the dryer. These are all creative acts and ways of connecting to our soft spot.
And when we claim access to our soft spot, we live happier lives!
I’m so passionate about being in the creative space, I love finding and sharing ways to get IN to it so if you..
Want to more fully express your creativity while living a busy life…OR
Want to find ways to STAY in that zone if you already are expressing your creativity, then I’d love to connect with you!
Monday, March 23rd at 7:30pmEST join me for 3 Keys To Unlocking Your Creativity & Expression When Life Is Busy (a.k.a. How To Reconnect with Your Inner Artist!)
Please sign up for the email list (in the right hand column of this website) and you’ll receive the link via email right before.
Also, feel free to leave a comment with any burning questions and maybe I’ll even play a few songs 🙂
Love, Anne
Ps: The Creative Happy You Songwriter’s Circle is starting Monday, March 30th! We are filling up fast! http://www.anneheaton.com/
Ps2: Also, there is ONE SPOT left for The Youth Songwriter’s Circle which starts this coming Tuesday, March 24th! The deadline to sign up is this Sunday! http://www.anneheaton.com/
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