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THE MEDICINES OF CREATIVITY
August 30, 2000
Morning Pages Journal –
Negativity
When
you have a negative thought, it steals your life force to some degree.
Haven’t you ever wondered why you get tired and depressed when
you think about certain things? It’s
because you’ve created a parasite, like mistletoe, which lives off
another life source – you……”
The parasite thought
stuck with me and my morning journaling brought it to my conscious mind.
I started to think about how the thoughts of the victim part of me
are like parasites. I wondered what I could do – what medicine could I
take to get these “parasites” to release their hold on me and allow me
to heal.
I thought of the core
items to maintain my creative life as separate medicines; and like
medicines, each would take some time to work; each has to work with my
physical and emotional makeup, and if I take all of them all at once I
probably would overdose (I call this overwhelm).
I considered each
aspect of creativity and what questions I would ask myself or others.
The Medicine of
Reflection
The medicine of reflection is about creating a sacred space for you
to slow down, breath, think and feel about where you are in your life.
When you take this time to reflect you invite the voices of your
creative and intuitive self to speak to you.
When is the best time for you reflect?
What creative tools do you use to assist you in reflection?
(journaling, music, movement, etc.)
The Medicine of Mattering
It is important to separate who you are from what you do.
Make lists of the people who love you, what you love about
yourself, and what you are capable of doing or creating. What do you need
to believe to know that you are lovable and capable?
What clues are you using to convince yourself that you do/don’t
matter? Whose needs are you putting before your own?
The Medicine of Forgiveness
So many people believe that forgiveness means that they have to forget
about what has happened that wounded them. I like what Rhonda Britten
says, “Forgiveness takes regrets and excuses and transforms them into
lessons learned and skills acquired.” What does forgiving mean to you?
What did you learn from your wounding experience? What actions
would assist you in letting go of the pain? What actions are you willing
to take to move toward healing?
The Medicine of
Surrender
In an attempt to maintain sanity we try to control every aspect of our
lives. This can produce a
tense person who puts herself and her creativity at the bottom of her list
of things to take care of. When
you surrender your control to a power greater than ourselves you open your
heart to the quiet voice of intuition.
When you spend time with your creative self you are building your
creative muscle and connecting up with universal energies. What would
happen if you let go of controlling that situation?
What symbol can you create that represents what you want to
surrender? What action can
you take to release the control?
The Medicine of
Disputation
I look at this medicine as the energy of controversy, debate and conflict.
Most people fear conflict and don’t see the opportunity for growth that
it can present. You can be
witness to an internal drama between two conflicting parts of yourself
(such as I described in my journal).
If you fear the conflict and refuse to engage in the debate, you
won’t experience the possibility of your power to change the situation.
What is the conflict? What
are the different points of view of the debating energies?
The Medicine of
Creating
I know the power that creating can have in producing change.
If you spend time pleasing yourself, creating deep art that speaks
to your soul you will know the medicine of creating.
If you spend more time making art in an attempt to please others
the potency of the medicine in diluted.
What do you create when you are creating deeply?
What happens when you create art to please yourself?
What happens when you create art to please others?
Whose needs are you putting before yours?
The Medicine of
Relating
Artists tend to create in isolation and many need this space in order to
do their deepest work. Developing
a relationship and connection with yourself, as well as with others, is
important for a balanced creative life. In fact, artmaking with groups is often playful and offers
opportunities for connections and reflection.
Who do you play with and how do you play? What kinds of loving relationships do you have in your life?
How do others support you?
The Medicine of
Action
All of us can get blocked in our growth, slowing down to a
snail’s pace, and in some cases hiding under a rock resisting all
nurturance that nature has to offer.
You can take one small, positive step toward a wish, want or goal,
even if this simply means taking a big, deep breath.
What step can you take today toward something?
What creative art action can you make?
What sacred holding space can you create for yourself today?
What symbol can you create that represents moving away from blocked
energy?
The Medicine of
Success
Success is growing dreams medicine – the energy of intention. It uses
the language of I am committed… I choose…I want….I decide…I
can….I will. It comes from
taking action toward your dreams, seeing each step along the way as
meaningful, and accomplishing a goal.
It is knowing that you are responsible for your needs, wants and
desires. When you take
ownership of the process of reaching success you witness the power of your
ability to make your dreams happen. What
do you wish, want and dream? What
are the steps in reaching those wishes, wants and dreams?
How will you know when you have reached them? What are you
committed to? What choices do
you have?
The Medicine of Hope
Hope medicine is heart connection medicine.
This is the medicine that celebrates life and reconnects you with
yourself and all of your creative possibilities.
Hope shows up after working through a difficult process,
accomplishing a goal, connecting with a loved one, and of course, at the
completion of creating art that speaks to Self and others.
Despite everything, what is possible today?
What do you hope for your self?
What action could you take today that might make you feel hopeful?
What is something you can listen to, see or move through that will break
the trance of hopelessness? (for me it’s listening Kenny Loggins singing
THIS IS IT real LOUD!)
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