Creative genius

I listened to a Ted talks daily pod cast recently by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s from 2009 but they replayed it and it still feels relevant today. In it, she discussed the notion of “daemons” or “geniuses” that inspired artists for centuries and the notion that our creativity comes potentially from forces larger than ourselves. This philosophy really resonated with me because I have a hard time thinking of someone as just an artist but instead think that every person has creative tendencies, some of us just express it more frequently or regularly than others. And while we are inspired to do something with our creative energy in various and diverse ways, I love that some of us are so “moved” that we are literally, physically compelled to dance, write, paint, sing, take a picture or create something unique when the spirit moves us to do so.

My life long journey with understanding and appreciating my creativity began many years ago. I was a very imaginative child and loved dress up and make-believe games. I was also naturally shy as a kid, so this space allowed me to be different and confident in a way I couldn’t in school or around people I didn’t know. I was a vivacious reader (and still am) and literally consume books- fiction being my favorite genre. I tried out ballet and sports but was never a star at either, but still really appreciate and enjoy being physical. I used to collage a lot as a tween and teen- I made creative cards or covered my notebooks and loved reading and cutting up magazines. As I got busier in school and had to started working, I often made up games and songs for the kids I nannied for and always was up for a game that required my imagination. In Sierra Leone, I was constantly inspired by the fabrics and gorgeous bright prints and loved spending time with tailors designing clothes and accessories.

As a busy mama and adult, I’ve realized recently I’ve not prioritized my creative passions and expressions much in the last few years. I can sense that this makes me unsatisfied, like part of me is not being fulfilled. Starting this blog was out of a need to try writing as an expressive method and I have certain moments now were an idea pops into my head and I must immediately write about it- when my so called “genius” strikes. As I continue my life journey, I’ve come to realize that finding different and new ways to express my creativity is just as important as finding a well-paid job I enjoy. When I suppress or ignore these urges and natural creative ideas, I notice it really affects my mood and overall mental wellbeing. My constant challenge is how to be crafty in prioritizing this as well as the million other things that are important to cross of my list each day.

This blog post was inspired by the Ted Talk Daily: “Your elusive creative genius” by Elizabeth Gilbert- watch it here.

 

 

Thanks Brene Brown for saving me!

During the months when I experienced some extreme sleep deprivation (aka May-October 2017), I got to a place where I was crying often. I would cry on the phone talking to my family, or cry thinking about how hard life was. I was moved to tears much more frequently than usual. I have no problem with crying, I think it can be a very healthy, needed release but this level of crying was new for me. And on the flip side, I had every reason to be VERY happy. I was healthy, had a beautiful family, always felt loved and supported and had access to vast quantities to chocolate. But I found myself sad, angry, frustrated, ungrateful and I threw myself a lot of pity parties. When my god mom suggested I read an author she loves- Brene Brown, I decided to give reading a self-help book a try. I am not sure Brene Brown categorizes her books as self-help and that’s okay because they are brilliant and multi-dimensional. But at this point in my life when I was introduced to her, I decided to try reading her books for self-help. I read Daring Greatly first and was blown away. Literally, it resonated so deeply for me that I started talking about it non-stop. I recommended the book to everyone in my life and even bought a copy (I rarely buy books these days). I watched her Ted talk on vulnerability with my partner which helped us to talk through some difficult things we were going through at the time (check it out  here). It helped me to “wake up” literally from this intense period of depression I was experiencing. I will most likely blog again about themes or topics Brene covers in Daring Greatly again so I will just end by saying, thank you for writing this book and helping me (and all your readers) with sharing some beautiful truths you’ve discovered in your research! Thank you for writing a book that became my life raft during a time when I felt like I was sinking in the vast sea of sadness.

I am patiently waiting until the reserved copies of her other books are available through the library to read more and can’t wait!

Here are some of her titles:

1. Braving the Wilderness
2. The Gifts of Imperfection
3. Daring Greatly
4. Rising Strong
5. I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t)
6. The Power of Vulnerability
7. The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting
8. Men, Women and Worthiness
9. Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice

Here’s her super cool website as well: https://brenebrown.com