BREATHING SPACES

“Creative living does not mean only the creative life of the artist.  To make art is wondrous, enriching, and indispensable.  But it is just as essential to enjoy the freedom to live creatively whatever we may be doing, whether it’s slicing carrots, cutting flowers, trading bonds, baking bread, taking a walk, drawing a breath, riding a bus – or writing poems, symphonies, or novels.  The portrait of the artist is really about the creative spark that exists in each of us, young, old, and in between, that is enlivened by solitude.  When that spark is ignited, our lives feel rich and meaningful; when it stays buried, we go about the business of living ready-made, compliant, rule-dominated lives, wondering what went wrong and how to change it. “  –Florence Falk from On My Own

I am certain that Julia Cameron of The Artist’s Way would agree with that statement as she affirms that creativity is everyone’s birthright and I say is medicine as essential and health giving as the breath.  Art teaches us to express how we feel – as the breath teaches us how to live fully embodied lives.

We come already equipped at birth to live full and vibrant lives.  Of course not all of us are born into circumstances that promote that way of living, and some of us come in with early, or acquired later on in life,  health challenges that we assume affects our ability to live creatively or breathe fully.  The challenge here is for each of us to see and feel what may be in our way of uncovering the full creative expression – and breath! – that we were born with (even if we feel “I don’t have a creative bone in my body” or “I have a health challenge that prevents me from fully breathing/living.”) Did you know that the Balinese don’t even have a word for art in their language because everything is creative!

Get curious!  Give yourself some solitude to explore.  Perhaps uncover – or honor – a passion – and watch what happens to the breath as you savor the experience and entertain the possibilities that seem to birth themselves out of nowhere.

Compliant or Creative??  You choose….

Here are some suggestions from most challenging to easy:

*Quit your present job (that you cannot possibly fully express YOU in) and bring your passion to life!  For this one please go to www.infinitevisionart.com for inspiration!!!!!!….and watch this video: 

*Go on an Artist Date weekly by yourself and spend one hour exploring a place/art/music/etc that inspires you.

*De-clutter your living spaces and find your creative energy coming back that was lost in the mess.

*Take a Gratitude Walk (more on this in future posts) and put your attention on what you are grateful for – including the surroundings you are walking through.

*Eat a meal mindfully and slowly paying attention to the colors, textures, tastes and smells.

*Send a friend, family member (or even stranger) a card that you have created.

*Be still and breathe in this moment….

Gaye Abbott
Breathe Fully, Live Fully!