The Write Spot Blog by Marlene Cullen

Tag: Writing Coach

  • The Joy of Creativity

    By Suzanne Murray

    Years ago I heard Nobel Prize winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney give a lecture at the University of Washington. In the middle of this very academic speech, he paused, threw up both his hands and said, “Oh, just write for the joy of it” and then dipped back into the lecture.

    I don’t remember anything else from the talk, but Heaney’s sudden burst of inspiration stayed with me because it really captured an essential element in being creative.

    Whether you are cooking a great meal, growing a beautiful garden, writing a poem or singing in the community choir, you likely feel a deep sense of satisfaction and a joyfulness that comes with being creative.

    Creativity draws on the best of human nature: perception, imagination, intellect, inspiration, courage, intuition, and empathy. The urge to create asks us to bask in the experience of the world, to see, feel, taste, hear, and smell the magnificence around us. It allows us to celebrate, with a spirit of gratefulness, every aspect of our lives and the beauty and complexity the world offers.

    It can help us make meaning from our sufferings. Being creative also breaks us free from our ruts and habits allowing us to look at the world anew. We are able to tell a story that touches others, envision a unique way of solving a problem or offer counsel with fresh clarity, even if we have struggled with the same material or ideas a hundred times before. Embracing our creativity allows us to tap a deeper, more insightful way of knowing beyond our conscious mind and thoughts.

    In looking for your own ways of being creative you can start by celebrating your uniqueness. There never was, nor ever will be, anyone exactly like you. In exploring your uniqueness is there a central preoccupation, an interest or passion that runs through your life? There can also be more than one.

    If you can’t name it right now, think of something that you are fascinated by again and again. The possibilities are infinite; from needlework to rock climbing, from bird watching to playing the piano, from English country dancing to writing haiku, from gardening to giving foot massages. Look for what brings you joy and then begin taking actions to embrace your creativity and enjoy the process. One small step a day will set you down the creative path to increased happiness and fulfillment.

    Excerpted from “How Being Creative Makes Us Happy” on Suzanne’s Blog. Please go to Creativity Goes Wild and scroll to June 3, 2022 to read the entire article.

    Suzanne Murray is a gifted creativity and writing coach, soul-based life coach, writer and poet, EFT practitioner and intuitive healer committed to empowering others to find the freedom to ignite their creative fire, unleash their imagination and engage their creative expression in every area of their lives

  • Surrender to Creativity

    The Heart of Writing by Suzanne Murray, available at Amazon
     
    Guest Blogger Suzanne Murray encourages creativity by surrendering.  

    SURRENDER IS CRITICAL TO CREATIVITY

    We can’t force creativity. We know this intuitively. If we told a painter that we wanted a masterpiece by five o’clock tomorrow, they would look at us like we were crazy; that we clearly didn’t understand what being creative was all about.

    An important part of being creative is learning to surrender to the flow of the universe, allowing something greater than our everyday self to move through us. It’s not something we can figure out with our linear mind. Of course, if we want to paint we need to learn how to work with our chosen medium and studying the work of the masters can help.

    If we want to write it’s really valuable to read widely and deeply, to show up daily to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and perhaps take a workshop on the form we want to work with. Yet at the heart of being creative is letting go and allowing the ideas, the inspiration to move through us. This is where practice comes in.

    As Flannery O’Connor said of her writing experience, “I show up at my office everyday between 8 am and noon. I’m not sure that anything is going to happen but I want to be there if it does.”
    I recently met a young man in the park who had a set of watercolors laid out on a table and quickly produced a couple of small paintings that were quite lovely. We spoke of creativity and how so many people think you either have it or you don’t.

    “Yeah,” he said, “really it’s a muscle, you’ve got to use.”

    He went on to say “No matter how lousy I feel, if I do even a couple of little paintings I instantly feel better.”

    I feel the same way about writing, even if it’s just a page of free writing where I let the words flow out of the pen. Being creative feels good and lightens our mood because we become more present to the moment, quiet our chattering minds, and allow for the awareness of our heart and knowing to do the work.

    In the surrender we find ourselves in an expanded state of consciousness where we can do things we didn’t think we could. In whatever way creativity calls to you, make a habit of showing up to play with it. Let your self be guided by what excites you. Surrender to what brings you alive.

    Sending you blessings and the wish for creative flow, Suzanne.

    Suzanne Murray is a Creativity Coach, Life Coach, Writing Coach, and EFT practitioner.   She blogs at Creativity Goes Wild.