The Creative Muse

“In your light, I learn how to love

In your beauty,how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

Where no one sees you,

But sometimes I do,

And that sight becomes this art.”

Rumi

When the wellspring of our creative life appears to have dried up we can look to Mother Nature for reassurance. The natural rhythm of her seasons and the cycles of the moon can teach us about our inner cycle of creativity, and how to renew our inner life.

During the cold winter months we often feel that we want to hibernate and turn inward. With the warmth of spring comes a surge of new growth and energy and the promise of summer. In our creative cycle it is important to draw inward at times, rest, restore and prepare for this time of new growth, incubating that creative project. When the idea has ripened, there comes a natural time in the cycle when our energy rises, we become active and productive again. We need to learn to accept and flow with this sacred cycle. In all aspects of life, first energy builds, and then comes a natural decline and finally a time of restoration.

This cycle of creation is described by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, storyteller and Jungian analyst “…. in the cycle of creation, of rising and falling energy, there is no such thing as creative block, there is a time when this energy flows underground like a river and disappears……….. in the meantime making something, creating a new body and then emerging again………..”

We all have a deep intuitive knowing about how to get in touch with our creative impulses, and basically we need to allow ourselves to do what comes naturally.

When we allow ourselves to be distracted away from our instinctual knowing, the result can often be frustration. We need to “get out of our own way” and allow our own unique creative genius to come through. If we open to more of what we are capable of, we will naturally be able to connect to so much more of our creativity!

Creating Space

In order to tap into creative energy, we must first start to make space for it in our life. It’s helpful to have a room or a private corner where we can work creatively. The Feng Shui principle of clearing out the physical clutter from our homes also allows creative energy to flow more freely. Decorating our creative space with harmonious colours, filling it with music and inspirational art, or anything that gives us pleasure will help the flow of energy.

In the clutter of our daily life meditation is a way to create inner space. Many of us lead busy lives full of noise and distractions. Slowing down enough to catch our breath, become still and to experience silence can be difficult because we often don’t know how to do this.

Building solitude and silence into our life is important if we wish to be able to hear ourselves think. As creative beings we need that silence. Take the time to consciously tune in to yourself, slow down perhaps by spending time in nature, journaling or doing a regular meditation practice. Make an appointment to have a cup of tea…….. with yourself!

Inspiration means “the drawing in of breath”. The practice of pranayama (yogic breathing) is a way to create spaciousness inside by focusing on the inhalation and the exhalation, allowing the mind to settle into a calm state, leading naturally to meditation.

Your Inner Child

If the natural cycle of creativity is interrupted, it can feel like a drought and for some people this is experienced as a depression. When the drying up of creative juice is prolonged, when the depression is extended, then we need to ask what happened in our personal history. When did we lose our sense of adventurous play and child-like wonder at the world? More importantly how can we regain it?

Sometimes we have internalized voices from our childhood that cut off our creative impulses and they go underground. Often called the inner critic, this judgmental inner voice can at times be helpful but at other times it can be disheartening and even downright destructive.

The “got to get it right syndrome” if I’m not perfect I won’t even make an attempt. Why? “I might fail” says the inner critic thereby cutting off all creative endeavors. Fear of failure, the agony of self doubt, the critical voice within …..”You can’t do it, you’re no good, what makes you think you can possibly create a picture… write a poem, a story, make a garden.”

That childlike innocent, creative, playful part of us becomes disheartened. We need to guard this child that lives inside, encourage, nurture and praise its efforts. Just as you would your own child.

Play on

Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist the problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Imagination and play are at the heart of all good work. Have fun.

Julia Cameron in “The Artists Way” recommends a weekly artist date. Your artist is a child and spending time alone with your artist child is essential to self nurturing….a solitary ramble on the beach at sunset, a movie even, whatever you enjoy that stimulates your sense of play.

Laughter is a key that frees the energy of the playful child, your play time may include putting on some music and dancing with abandon, playing with colour, clay, words, sounds.

Regaining our sense of wonder, seeing the world with childlike eyes is a spiritual practice that allows us to live close to our creative center.

The Creative Fire

Our creative fire needs to be fueled. If we are feeling tired or flat we may need to restore and build our energy. Following a regular routine, not skipping meals, getting enough sleep and exercise to keep our body and mind functioning optimally all help.

To move your body is also a way to fuel the creative fire. A great way to clear your mind and move your energy is by going for a brisk walk; likewise you can put on some music and dance, or perhaps do some yoga postures. The Warrior, Twists, Cat, and deep breathing all work on stoking our internal fire, building energy for mental and physical activity. After movement, it’s much easier to sit quietly in stillness. Movement, solitude and silence are doorways that open us to deeper connection and inspiration.

The job of the artist is to get out of the way. Sometimes the “creative muse” suddenly appears making his or her presence known. We feel inspired and get a “hit” about creating something and the idea takes off like a rocket. We must write this book, start this business, create this show, paint this painting. We are fuelled with a creative fire that seems to know no bounds. This “creative muse” is a gift; not only to ourselves but also to those we eventually share the final product with.

We can call on our “creative muse” to show us the way, the plan, the form. When we allow ourselves to be still and listen, we can become the sacred vessel that we are. We can be assured that we are not alone in our creative pursuit, we have support and we will hear the inner whisperings of our creative muse gently, guiding us through.

Showing up

A dancer’s saying goes: “If I skip my practice for one day, I notice. If I skip it for two days, my teachers notice. If I skip it for three days, the audience notices.

The benefit of creating a time frame, focus and intention is that these all support us to create. The creative journey begins with one step and requires discipline. In order to create, we need to make time; we need to “show up”. Setting our intention starts the process, our energy is released and we are fueled with enthusiasm.

Persistence pays off; we must hone our craft remembering to enjoy the entire creative process, rather than just the finished product.

Yoga and Creativity

Swami Satyananda Saraswati talks about yoga, intuition and creativity.

“The human brain has two modes which need to be harmonized for us to achieve our potential as creative beings. The left Hemisphere of our brain is oriented towards our external life and is our more active mode. The Right Hemisphere is more internal and orientated towards our emotions. It is also more receptive and introverted. Our right brain also holds the key to our intuition and higher perception.”

There are many yogic techniques for achieving this integration of right and left, conscious and subconscious, verbal and spatial, solar and lunar, positive and negative, including movement, breathing, and meditation.

The Chakras and Creativity

The 2^nd Chakra, located at the base of the spinal column, relates to our creative and pro-creative energies. Symbols representing the unconscious mind are associated with it. Circular movements of the hips can help to free the energy of this chakra.

The 5^th Chakra is also associated with Creativity and is located in the throat. When centered in the throat Chakra, it is possible to develop the ability to become a detached witness to our thought processes and to the patterns of our life. When we become the observer of our own nature, we are able to begin to re-integrate elements of the subconscious. Carl Jung describes these unconscious aspects of the self as the “shadow”. Shadow elements can be any aspect of our psyche whether positive or negative that is not expressed consciously.

These unconscious parts of us when acknowledged ultimately enrich our inner life. That river flowing underground becomes a source of inspiration and fuel for our creativity.

During the incubation phase of the creative cycle it can seem that not much is happening, but it’s important to allow the process occurring below the surface the time it needs to come to fruition. The wheel turns, that idea, project, business will birth and the gems that have been mined from the depths of our being become our gift to the world.

The true creative act is a gift that ultimately nourishes and sustains the society we are part of.

Creating our life

“Beauty is the essence of life. Its feeling pushes the artist to create, opens the heart to love, leads the brain to clarify, invites the mind to comprehend and brings the body to participate.” Vanda Scaravelli

We all have a longing to create and express our own unique inner voice. For many people children are a natural expression of this creative energy, and any project or business is just as much a product of our creativity. All things of beauty are born out of love. Our creative fire fuels the love we have and our love fuels our creative fire. When we love deeply there is nothing that can stand in the way of what are meant to be and do.