Thanks to Creativity!

Nature is all about creating and we are the recipients of it's amazing images. The beauty of snow on the hills transforms in the pink light of a sunset while the wind shifts from warmth to cold.

And the effortless process of all these effects, that can barely be captured in a photograph, is proof that being alive is the essence of creativity.

Nature never stops to question itself, it just keeps on creating, thriving, growing and dying. Yes, that is part of the creative process, letting go to make room for a new creation.

Trusting the visions that inspire us from our hearts is the authentic way of life.

When you create you are in the flow of life.

2010: The Year To Create or Re-Create Yourself

When you add up the numbers in the year 2010 you get the number three. The number three in numerology is associated with creative energy and expression so this may be a great year to become inspired.

In delving into your own self-invention it’s good to keep in mind part of the creative process is exploration. So be willing to make new discoveries. How have you changed or what changes would you like to make this year? What special gifts or talents do you have that you could use? What new skills would you like to develop or explore?

Being creative is not just making something; music, art, poetry, clothing, etc. it’s how you live your life. Find ways to allow yourself to think creatively and live creatively. Getting stuck in a routine or way of thinking can inhibit the joy of doing something new or spontaneous. Listen to the inner impulse that is helping you to find your personal muse and be aware of the alternate choices you can make each day.

Here are a few suggestions to help you find inspiration to create:
- meditation
- observation
- participation
- motivation

These are my four “tions” or fortunes for inspiration. Meditation allows you to listen internally, observation helps you to see the world around you, participation keeps you aware of your part in the whole process, and motivation is the energy to stay inspired.

(The picture above is one I took during a very special moment where everything turns pink on the mountains near my house. As a result the double rainbow was bathed in a pink glow making all he colors look unique. Even mother nature re-invents herself.)

Wishing you a creative New Year and new self!

It's been awhile since I've blogged...
so much has been going on so thought I'd share some of that with all of you.

Besides singing around my area, working on a couple of books, and coaching I will be doing another Poetry Festival next week. This is the main Poetry Festival that Ojai hosts once a year and this should be quite fun.

I'll be doing my poetry with bass accompaniment that I've been doing for quite a number of years. Started out doing other people's poetry like the great beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti (born on my brother's birthday) and others.

I'm excited to hear some of the other poets in the festival and share in the day of words, imagery, and expression.

Encouraging all of you to find someplace to express yourself and your creativity!

I'll be sharing some more creativity tips and thoughts in the next couple of weeks... maybe some sneak previews of my new book.

OJAI POETRY FESTIVAL BENEFIT

Sharing some of my poetry and songs based on poetry at the Ojai Poetry Festival Benefit today.

I'll post what I will be reading but here's a few samples of what will be heard today:

Eulogy For A Poem
I’ve missed these lonely nights
Where words poured through my soul
Melting icicles that drip with cold thoughts
Longing for beauty as she smiles in consonants
And voraciously laughs in vowels
Typed or written to soothe the anxiety of assimilation
A concept taken for granted as we peer
Through lit screens emancipated by wireless dreams
And roads that travel everywhere and lead us into
Temptation
Aggravation
Accumulation
And occasional satisfaction
Words dripping from desire as the night sleeps on
With an audience of stars that shift directions
Keeping time in a wound up black hole of light
Reflecting back each image as fast as my mind
Can travel
Correcting all the pragmatic punctuation that slips
From coffee stained bookmarks
Homeless from lack of attention
Replaced by digital dialogues dancing on video monitors
Similar to the eye of Cyclops
Staring at my empty poetry portfolio
Begging for attention
Relieved at the sight of one
Squeezed out bloody turnip of a poem
Glistening in the promise of another.
It occurs to me that I am not finished
That I am still alive with Einstein’s belief in
Imagination.

©Ellen Johnson – June 14 2006

This poem is available on the CD "These Days" featuring Sheila Jordan improvising in the background (available at iTunes, CDBaby.com and http://www.SoundVisionsMedia.com)

LITTLE MESSENGER
(For Sheila Jordan)

Little messenger
Singing jazz
As she passes our way
On the wings of blackbirds
That blow bebop changes
While telling Charlie’s stories
Through sagacious Cherokee eyes
Not a surprise
To watch wood and flesh
Inspired by the rhythm of ancient ancestors
Calling from the heart of time
The phrases of truth
Dripping down piano keys
Just to please
The songbird
Who perches on our souls
Spreading her seeds of joy
And love
And hope
While God holds her essence
In the perpetual palm of his spirit
As a gift to humanity.

Ellen Johnson
©2004 Long Snows Moon Music

THE OYSTER AND THE PEARL: What Motivates Us To Create

Featured Article on:
www.creativity-portal.com
as part of their Author Articles Series

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what motivates us to create. I’ve been contemplating why some people can create works of great beauty under great duress. I’ve been wondering why sometimes you feel so motivated and other times you don’t want to do a thing. Recently, I’ve seen a tremendous amount of motivation for people to get involved in our government and creating new organizations and jobs. You’d think after all the disappointment and disillusionment that it would be just the opposite. Instead there is a renewal of energy and enthusiasm to create new ideas out of the old paradigms. Certainly the typical “struggling artist” is known for creating some of their most innovative work in turmoil when in better days their creations very often become mediocre or non-nonexistent.

So what is it about struggle that motivates and reaps its own rewards?

To finish reading the article go to:
http://www.creativity-portal.com/cca/ellen-johnson/what-motivates-us-create.html

SPINNING STRAW INTO GOLD: Creating From Nothing

Featured Article on:
www.creativity-portal.com
as part of their Author Articles Series

When I was a child I remember hearing the story of Rumpelstiltskin, a fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm. The gist of the story is that a young girl is forced to spin straw into gold for a king because of her bragging father. Of course she cannot, but a small man, perhaps a gnome like character, tells her he will spin the straw if she gives him first a necklace, then her ring and finally her first born child. The young girl marries the King because of her supposed special talent, becomes a Queen, and eventually gets out of the situation of having to give up her first born by guessing the small man’s name. And so the story goes.

I started thinking about “turning straw into gold” and what that means as a creative person. Often we feel as though we are working with straw or we have nothing to offer in our creative lives. That could symbolize a lack of ideas, tools, resources, or even emotional straw. So how do we spin our “straw” or creative energy into gold?

TO FINISH ARTICLE GO TO:
http://www.creativity-portal.com/cca/ellen-johnson/creating-from-nothing.html

CREATIVE WORRIES AND NO WORRIES

“Worry is like a rocking chair--it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.” Glen Turner

In our every day desire to create we often get caught in the current of worries. It’s easy today to fall prey to such thinking with the collapse of the financial markets, elections, health care, world issues, finding jobs, paying for school for you or your child, and the list goes on.
So where do we find the time to create with all that noise in our heads?

If we are rocking away in our worries, it’s true; we are doing something but going nowhere. Why not invest that thinking into something that gives you a pay off at the end?

That’s right. Start creating. If you are an artist already than you know what that means. Get to work on that painting. How about worrying about what you are going to paint today or what colors you would like to use.
If you are a writer how about working on building those characters and let them do the worrying for you. A dance choreographer can be thinking about how to create some new steps for the dancers.


Worry ducks when purpose flies overhead. ~C. Astrid Webe

The African slaves had a way of dealing with their troubles. They created music and stories. In those stories they sang about their troubles so that they could release the pain and feel happiness. Those songs we now call “the blues”. People think that the blues give you the blues but as a matter of fact they were meant to help you get rid of your pain. These courageous people understood the deepest secret of dealing with worries in life – do something creative and expressive. So start singing your own song or one that helps you to express your inner worries and you will find that you feel much better when you are done.

If you are a musician, singer, or songwriter than grasp the moment of worry and write about it so that your “purpose” is to relieve your troubled mind. In doing so you may relieve someone else’s troubled mind too.

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due. ~William Ralph Inge

So what about those of you who are worrying about your creativity or success in your creative career? How do you cope with those worries? Perhaps by becoming more interested in what you are creating than the outcome of your creation. Find the joy in doing the craft, taking the journey, and expressing who you are on the way. A reminder of why you have chosen this creative life is always a good place to start when you begin to feel the pressures of commerce and recognition in your work. Let things progress instead of pushing and take time to imagine the life you want to lead through your art. An important thing to remember is that life changes and changes you. So stay tuned in to how you feel each day so that you are not living out fears of the past or future.

My mom always says to me, “if you wait one more day something might change”. I always think about that when I start to feel worried. Every day does hold the promise of a new beginning, a new opportunity and a new direction.


I leave you with this thought:


I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety or fears try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon they'll forget my number. ~Edith Armstrong

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO IMAGINATION?

Einstein was quoted as saying “Imagination is more important than knowledge” but could it be that imagination IS knowledge? It is always the inventor, the idea person, the entrepreneur, and the artist on the edge that seems to carry us into the future. Without the imaginative spirit we cannot progress or evolve and it is quite possibly that lack of spirit that is challenging us as Americans to re-imagine ourselves. This could be one of the most exciting times for creativity because we have so much to create!

I’ve listened to the negativity predicted by the pundits and fear mongers and I say we should all start painting, singing, dancing, writing, playing and imagining a better future on this planet. Yes, I am an idealist at heart because when I see the amazing and beautiful things that people create I am encouraged to believe that we can accomplish great things together.

But these things can never happen without a healthy dose of imagination and the ability to allow ourselves to embrace our creative passions. Don’t think for a minute that your desire to take that photograph of the sunset isn’t as important as doing your job. Allowing yourself to take that photograph helps you to do your job and to contribute to your role in society with a genuine connection to your world. If we deny our need to use our imagination we deny our life. Imagination can be as simple as cooking a meal and thinking “now I wonder what that would taste like if I added….” and then having the courage to try it, even if it doesn’t work out. You never know where it might lead you. Just as it took Edison many, many tries to invent the light bulb we should never give up on our imaginative ideas. It’s not about it working the first time; it’s about it working the last time.

So allow yourself to imagine doing something creative, living the life you want, sailing on the ocean, writing a book, singing for an audience, creating a new financial plan or whatever moves you. We need to access our imaginations on a daily basis so that we can be and stay inspired to live a life that is rich with meaning.

Find ways to use your own imagination instead of the visual bombardment you receive on a daily basis from TV, YouTube, games, DVD’s, etc. Try listening to some instrumental music and visualize what’s going on, listen to a recorded story and see if you can see the surroundings or characters, walk in nature and hear the birds and invent a new world, or just sit in silence and envision your own environment. When we know we can access our imagination it gives us a sense of confidence in helping us to create our universe and add our own unique vision to our world. Find your imagination and use it every day.

Creating Change

With the elections quickly moving closer there has been much talk about change. Changing the way we do business in Washington, changing the way we approach our energy dependence, changing the way we handle our finances, and changing the patterns of the past that no longer serve our voyage into the 21st century.
Artists (musicians, painters, dancers, writers, actors, etc) have always had a reputation for being at the forefront of change. In fact they often have been accused of being catalysts for changes in our society. With that in mind, it occurred to me how important our creativity is in times of change. Whether we have inspired, caused or encouraged change in one way or another we continue that creative mindset as we move into transforming times.
So if you are feeling overwhelmed during these “uncertain times” then you might find comfort in the idea that your contributions through your creative works might be part of the solution to our global problems. “What?” you are probably saying to yourself, “my painting, my poem, my song is a solution? How can that be?”
Well, by each of us continuing to allow our imaginations and instincts to create new concepts we may be lighting a match to create the fire of inspiration beneath a new generation of leaders, business and community workers. When we allow ourselves to stay on purpose with our creative endeavors with a sincere interest in the process we are connecting in a most profound way with the world in a spirit of change.

Yesterday I read that the brilliant actor, activist, and humanitarian Paul Newman passed away at the age of 83. His donations and services to many charities were applauded by the world. Through his ability to dig deep inside and use his creative gifts as an actor he left us with a catalog of memorable films. These were the same creative gifts he used to develop his food products that allowed him to give millions to charities and to even create his own special charities including the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp that helps children with severe illness. Please check out this link to read about his legacy: http://www4.holeinthewallgang.org/tribute5.asp.
We must never forget the tremendous value our creativity serves not only to ourselves but also to others. Whenever you doubt whether you should finish that painting, publish that book, record that song, dance in that concert, or read your poem at a local café please keep in mind that you never know how your creativity will effect others or help to create some needed change in our lives.
I honor our fellow creative beings, like Paul Newman, who instinctively understood the depth of their creativity.

Creating In Uncertain Times

Earlier this week I was walking late at night and was left quite breathless by the site of a stunning moon, huge in size and shining like a beacon on everything in its site. How could something so amazing and beautiful be happening at such a tumultuous time in my life?

Just last weekend another devastating hurricane, an election year (that seems like the contemporary version of the civil war) and then the sudden collapse of significant financial institutions. These are important situations that require our attention and some serious soul searching about our lives.

So how does one create during such “uncertain times”?

I believe this is the time for all of us to become more creative than ever. As our old creations destruct we are required to replace them with new and better models for the future. The cycle of creativity involves destruction as we cannot create something new until we have finished the old creation in some capacity; sold the painting, deleted the recording to write a new song, tore up the pages or simply filed them away, cut the old fabric to make a new outfit, tore down the old house to build our dream house and on and on.

Maybe our environmental crisis is here to teach us something about our creativity… create and then destroy or recycle. How many times have you found an old chapter of a book you started and wrote a new one, lines of old poems to create new ones, part of a melody and wrote the song you really wanted.

I believe we have an incredible opportunity to be creative during these difficult times and to find deeper purpose in our lives.

And we can be creative in so many ways, not just our “art” work. Try a creative financial plan, a business that supports the changing environment, inventive ways to deal with people in your life or a unique perspective on the world. We needn’t get caught up in the old quagmire of thinking when we can direct our thoughts to the possibilities of what we can NOW create.

And yes, it might feel uncomfortable, unfamiliar for sure and we might even have to work together to make this happen. We may have to learn new communication skills and ways of dealing with a new set of problems. So what? (As if the human beings before us never coped with these challenges). We are up for the task and we must look to our imagination, intuition, and a strong sense of courage to help us with our own personal and collective mission.

As for the “artists’ in our society it seems to me some of the best art work: music, dance, theater, poetry, paintings, sculpture. books, etc. came out of the struggles of man. Art has always signified the pulse of truth, struggles of mankind, and the heart of our culture. We couldn’t have a better time to be digging deep beneath the surface to find the precious metals of our existence.

This is the time to create, be creative or explore your creativity. Participate in your community and the society at large by offering your creative ideas and solutions. Let’s all act like that beautiful and amazing moon that keeps shinning in the dark.

There is no better time than now.

You Are Creative

Creativity is our birth rite. 

  

The first step of our journey started with the ultimate creative and sacred act and we are the result.   

Everyday you see creation in motion through nature or the choices we make in our lives.   Children play by using their imaginations to create something fun while we create our careers, opportunities and countless other "creations".  

There seems to be a hidden or visible passion in each of us to find purpose and expression in our lives.  Part of that expression comes in a variety of forms; a book, a song, a dance, a poem, a painting, a great meal, home made crafts, fixing up a car, a business idea, planning a party, and numerous other ways.   

More than ever in this lifetime we are searching for creative solutions and ways to make our lives more meaningful.   

This blog is to remind all of us that "we are creative" and we need to allow ourselves to dig deep inside ourselves to discover who we are and what our lives mean to us.   In that journey we find truth, beauty, and the peace of mind that comes from what I call a healthy dose of inner struggle.    

The act of creation has it's fair share of discomfort before the birth of a miracle. 

  

Learning to relax in the process is the mastery of the art and sometimes the best part of the journey.   

Think about what you want to create in your life today and make one step in that direction, for yourself and for the world.