Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

I'm reading Maya Angelou's The Heart of a Woman for a book club.  (This is the fourth volume of her six volume autobiography)  What a life she has led!  She has done everything!  She's seen highs and lows, has suffered and danced.  She admits that she's not the best at some of the things she's done:  she sang and danced for a living and some people said she wasn't the greatest singer.  But people came to see her - she was such an entertainer.  She is often remembered for her poetry - yet she doesn't get great acclaim from "professional" poetry circles.  She took over for Bayard Rustin as the northern coordinator of the SCLC to assist Martin Luther King's efforts.  She had no experience in this kind of thing, but she used her talent for  organizing and her personal charisma to do work that she felt strongly committed to.

This quote of hers made me laugh:  in  talking about what she does to write, she said " I also wear a hat or a very tightly pulled head tie when I write.  I suppose by doing that I will keep my brains from seeping out of my scalp and running great gray blobs down my neck, into my ears and over my face."

I imagine when you've got so many ideas, you're balancing so many activities, that that's about what it feels like when you sit down to concentrate.  And to actually do implement a physical reminder to focus could be useful.

If you've never read any of her works, I would recommend picking one up - she's an engaging writer, who has a good story, an earthy woman you'd like to meet.

Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

"There is no one definitive creative path.  There are many ways to be creative - not only intuitive ways but organized, logical ways, too. "  Theresa Bayer

We limit our ourselves when we judge that our right brain  activity is the creative stuff.  That's only half of our power.  Now there are some of us who might live more to the right, others are more comfortable and blessed in the left - most of us will find that as individuals,  combinations of intuitive and logical faculties are pretty essential.

I see people coming through my shows who are apologetic about their "creative" abilities " - "I'm not an artist", "I never was able to paint", "I can't play the piano", " You all are so creative".  And you want to ask "What do you do? What excites you, What makes you feel alive?  When do you feel satisfaction in your days?"

I believe that we need to pay attention to our gifts, to recognize them, honor them, share them.  And to not compare them - we are all essential.  We all have the potential to be creative.  

Signposts and Guides for the Creative Life

I love a good quote.  I find them on little scraps of paper all over the house, tucked into books, scribbled on programs, left in the car on the backs of wrappers.  A friend and I were recently talking about our mutual addiction to them and she keeps a notebook dedicated only to these pearls of wisdom.  I’d like to get so organized.

I’m thinking that offering some of the ones I’ve come across might be of interest to followers of this blog.  And maybe, in return, they will be so kind as to share some of their favorites. 

 So here is my first offering.

 “Consider every path, carefully testing it in whichever way you feel necessary, then ask yourself, but only yourself, one question: ‘Does this path have heart?’  The path that has heart will uplift you, ease your burden and bring you joy.  The path with no heart will make you stumble, it will break your spirit, and finally cause you to look upon your life with anger and bitterness.”  Carlos Casteneda

Does this resonate with your experience as it does with mine?  If so, how did you learn this?