How to Live a Creative Life
By Christine Louise Hohlbaum
www.DiaryofaMother.com
Parents are the most creative people alive. Don#146;t think so? They create life, sustain it, and nurture it for years. In short, they turn cells into human beings, and rather likeable ones at that. Parents assist in the process of making a newborn into a child who then grows into a teen, then an adult. Somewhere along the line, a lot of parents often forget to foster other aspects of their creativity, the power of their youth which made them into kings and queens for an afternoon.
How can we as parents regain a sense of the mystery within? It is simple, really. First, look at your children. We have built-in creativity machines in our midst. Learn from them. Observe how they can pretend four chairs and a blanket is a house. Wooden beads turn into a delicious meal. Sticks and rocks become log cabins and tiny treasures. If a random twig taken from a city park can be the bow for my daughter#146;s "arrow," then I might be able to come up with a few ideas of my own.
Next, look at nature. The clouds resemble animals; the trees look like people. Birds forage the ground for food. They seek what they need to survive. An integral part of our lives is recognizing the creative spirit ordained to do great things. We need to seek what we require to survive as well. But how?
When I speak to groups about time management, they usually agree that time is a rare commodity. Add children to the mix, and it seems near impossible to find a moment to yourself. If you are able, carve out an extra fifteen minutes per day to seek a moment of solitude. Silence is a key ingredient to nurturing your creative juices. Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier. Go to bed 15 minutes later and dedicate that time to your own thoughts. Take a lunch break by yourself and find a lone park bench. Keep a journal and record your inner emotions. Take creative dates with yourself, by yourself. If going to an expensive gift shop sets you on fire, do it. Nurturing your inner soul needn#146;t be expensive (so don#146;t buy anything at the gift shop#151;just browse!).
Surround yourself with supportive people. Join a club which offers your area of interest, whether it is chess, gardening, skiing, or stamp-collecting.
Set goals for yourself and write them down. Then make a timeline such as the following: "By the last Sunday of the month, I will have accomplished x, y, z#133;" If you need prompting, consider Julia Cameron#146;s book, "The Artist#146;s Way." I hold that book singularly responsible for jettisoning my writing career to the level it is today. It made me look into the mirror of my soul and see for the very first time the incredible potential I hold. You do, too. It is time to unearth your creative self and let it breathe.
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, American author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff, has been published in hundreds of publications. When she isn#146;t writing, leading toddler playgroups or wiping up messes, she prefers to frolic in the Bavarian countryside near Munich where she lives with her husband and two children. Visit her Web site:
www.DiaryofaMother.com
. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
