Thursday, February 15, 2024
A former colleague once said, “You can’t be creative if you don’t have free time.” There is great wisdom in that; but I’m often surprised where creativity just shows up in the oddest places. Sara Teasdale, a prominent American poet of the early 20th century wrote some of the most sublime poetry under the duress of depression. She took her own life in 1933 at age 48. There are tons of other “weird” places where creativity thrives – like when vegetation grows in the cracks on the freeway! The creative spirit will come through, pushing up through the fault lines of the busy mind. But if humanity only understood, creativity would blossom, and the earth would become a utopia.
Wisps of creativity can bleed through, but I think my colleague was on to something, this idea of freedom. Constraint and creativity don’t mix well. They can, like I said before, creativity is coming no matter what, but why not make some more space for it? The notion that you are compressed, or constrained in any way will not allow creativity to blossom to its fullest potential. But what about your bills, your mortgage, your “responsibilities?” Well…that’s part of the problem! A fern growing on the side of an interstate is nice, but a beautiful Japanese zen garden is even better! Why not get started on that?
A true disciple is one who follows his or her inner core. It always tells you the truth and leads you to your path of freedom, but you must follow it precisely. The world does not know of this treasure, yet. People don’t realize the freedom that is within, whispering to them the directions home to liberation. So, yes you need free time to be creative; but it’s merely realizing that you already have all the time in the world, right now.