The Distractions of Being Creative – Part 2

In Part 1 I talked about all the distractions of creativity that bombard us on a daily basis. Distractions to ourselves and choosing who we really want to be. We can become stuck in a cycle of reaction, escapism and procrastination. I am fully immersed in it myself. Constantly finding excuses not to create. Whether they are physical excuses, internal excuses or even natural excuses. There is rain, snow, back-ache, depression and one more YouTube video to watch. My first suggestion was to begin to notice our habits. To begin caring enough to change them and then to seek silence. We continue…

I have a quote posted on my computer screen. It is from a daily email list I subscribe to called Conversations with God. Each day I receive nuggets of thought-provoking wisdom or guidance about life, the Universe and everything. One of the recurring themes of this email list and of the books written by Neale Donald Walsch is that we are here to express our true selves or our divine source. Our heart-centre if you will; whatever that means to each of us. There is no judgement, or prescribed reality. No law to follow. No rules to adhere to. No dogma. Just our relationship with our souls, our hearts and all that surrounds us. How we express that through out thoughts, words and actions is the point of life.

“You were created to create — not to react. Creation is the highest form of Divinity, and your birth-right. Truth is, you are creating all the time. The central question in your life is whether you are doing this consciously or unconsciously. Conscious creation is what is needed now. Stop moping. And stop thinking negative thoughts. Just get on with it! Tomorrow awaits your choice as to how it’s going to be. Call the shots! Make it happen! You’re in charge here.” – Neale Donald Walsch

I found myself in an interesting conversation this week about creativity. I was discussing nurturing and encouraging creativity from a young age. My friend thought that some people are creative and some are just not. It is my firm belief that we are all creative yet many children are not nurtured and encouraged as artists at home or at school. Some have a fertile ground from which to start, space to explore, and gentle guidance. Some kids prefer racing around doing other things but perhaps we have to reinvent our notions of creativity. All endeavours by humans are in some way creative. They begin as ideas or seeds in our minds. It matters not whether we are talking about art, sport, cooking, business ventures or politics. We are creating our reality using our thoughts and intentions.

We get to choose who we want to be. We get to decide ahead of time which direction we want to walk. We can change direction whenever we want. We can decide over and over who we want to be. We don’t have to take life on the chin.

When I was a kid, I used to get in fights. I was always the one on the floor being kicked and punched. I was an easy target. Small and scrawny with an unfashionable white-blonde bowl haircut. I was gentle and weak – prone to daydreaming. As I grew up, I decided that I believed in my gentle heart. That it was the right expression for me to hold onto. I embraced my pacifism consciously and the fighting stopped. Within a year or so, I never even saw any more fights.

The point is this. We get to choose who we are and life responds. Life is waiting for our intentions. We don’t have to fit in. Life fits to us. Creativity on all levels is good for us. Whether it is choosing a state of being, or choosing to sit and paint.

After the noticing where we are and caring enough to make a new decision we find the silence. Just to let the old thoughts and madness calm down a little. Our very next best step after listening to our hearts is to choose. Choose who we want to be next. Choose fearlessly. Choose whatever we want!

Choose to be calm. Choose to feel love. Choose to be confident. Choose to feel inspired. Choose to be healthy. Choose to be active. Choose to glow. Choose to dance. Choose to feel alive. Choose to feel free.

Allow your choice and idea to permeate your soul. In the silence, fan the flames of that choice. Harmonise the new idea with your current self. Focus on it until you feel your heart fluttering with the beginnings of joy and excitement. Then focus on it a bit more…

I will see you next time for Part 3.

You can listen to Matt Rivers’ new album Nature on Spotify or Bandcamp.