In this time of the Covid-19 virus and sheltering in place, do you find yourself going into a place of overwhelm? Sometimes we can read or listen to all of the news reports and our mind can begin to spin into fear and anxiety. We worry about our health, our loved ones, and our community.
Or what was once a simple task of buying our food at the local grocery store or farmer’s market now requires much more preparation and energy to keep everyone safe.
The joy of having fun with friends and adventuring out in the world around us is no longer possible, and the need to shelter in place with the same daily routine can lack the spark of life for us.
In challenging times, I often turn to the wisdom of St. Hildegard and all that I’ve learned from her over the years. Recently, I recalled how she shares about the importance of not putting so much strain on ourselves. She tells us to strive for moderation or balance in our lives.
As I contemplated how to find this in my life over the years, I often felt that St. Hildegard would lead me to the realization that creativity and PLAY are important in finding our balance.
When we bring play into our lives, we can release our stress. We become totally present and can let go of our worry and sorrows. We also tap into this beautiful flow within ourselves called inspiration.
I encourage you to take this opportunity that we have been given to be at home at this time and explore your own creativity and just PLAY. It’ll help you to move out of overwhelm and into inspiration!
As you move into the realm of experiencing your own creativity, a vibrant flow of energy flows through your whole body. You can feel that you’re part of something greater.
A Divine flow moves through you and you sense that something new needs to come to earth. To express itself in form through you, the artist and creator in that moment.
Fueled with this breath of inspiration from within, you, the artist, may begin to paint or to sing a song. You may move in dance, write words, or use other materials to express what is bubbling up inside of you.
When you enter into this space, the outer world of daily tasks and the chatter in your mind disappear. You can set them aside for this time and your focus comes to the creative activity before you.
You can feel the call from within, and you know it’s time to dive in and play.
What wants to express itself through you? What wants to come to life from your activity?
As you play creatively, you lose track of what’s outside in the world – the news, daily tasks, worries, and fears. Your thoughts of that part of the world dissolve.
This vibrant creative force infuses your whole being. You feel fully alive. And joyfully engaged.
Your creative process may be smooth and flow easily at times. It may be bumpy and chaotic at other times. It may move quickly. Or slowly.
You get to move through it in a way that speaks to you. It’s not time for judgment. Nor for thinking.
This is the time for presence in the moment. Surrendering to the process and that which moves you from within.
And when your creative moment is done for that day, you feel pleasantly fulfilled. You feel complete. You are grateful. And now satisfied, you rest peacefully.
Such creativity, when focusing on the process and not product, can help us to access a meditative state, tapping into a deeper part of ourselves. A place of inner stillness.
Here we can enter a feeling of flow and freedom, a space without limits and for self discovery and expression. An opportunity for healing.
Human beings are naturally creative. It is part of our nature.
And being creative brings us back to this state – our true nature.
Our true nature that brings us to a place of balance and a place of health.
