Creativity:
The Breath of Life
by Tammie
Renea Rizer-Averyt
August 31, 2000
To create is to
allow the soul to breathe. Paint is merely paint until the artist leads
color to canvas; words simply words until melodiously strung together by
the author. Even doctors, scientists, and technical professionals, as
methodical as they may seem, have the ability to heal, educate, and
entertain through creative intuition.
To deny creativity is to extinguish the Light that is the gift of life.
To ignore imaginative whispers is to invite torment to the mind and
heart. Opening oneself to creative consciousness is the blessing of all
blessings. It is the way to the true path. It is the journey that calls
to us in our sleep.
The intuition of the soul guides us faithfully, yet we often neglect
this precious part of ourselves; this crucial thread that connects us to
our higher purpose. What is our higher purpose? Is it simply to wake, to
hunger, to thirst, to need, and to struggle through day after day?
Oh, but it's so
much more!
To awaken is the gift. Hunger is the appetite urging us to explore the
unknown. Thirst is the desire to quench the dry and desolate condition
of the spirit that exists until we are willing to be true to ourselves.
Need is curiosity prompting us to discover what the soul will conceive
once released from our suffocative grip.
Why do we restrain the soul with such vigor? Fear. Fear is as diverse as
human kind, yet the effects of clinging to our fears are universal.
Neglecting our creativity – our deepest passions – leaves us feeling
unsettled, empty, bitter, and depleted, whereas nurturing our creativity
produces a sense of fulfillment, happiness, and abundant energy.
Following our dreams – reaching for our true potential – may lead us
away from the constants in our lives; those things which are familiar
and comfortable. There is security in following the expectations that
others determine for us. When we do not feel successful, we can then
say, "If I'm not happy, it's not my fault. I've done everything I'm
supposed to do. Life is just too difficult!"
We harass ourselves with "what ifs." What if I'm no longer
living the life my parents expected of me and I choose not to follow in
their footsteps? What if my significant other doesn't share the same
dreams as I do? Will the relationship survive? What if my dreams and
goals are ridiculed? Will I be taken seriously? Am I ready to take
myself seriously? What will happen if I unleash a part of me that I'm
unfamiliar with? Am I ready to take full responsibility for my mistakes
as well as for my accomplishments?
We also face the "shoulds"; those haunting statements that
lurk within the deepest and darkest crevices of the mind. I don't
deserve to find fulfillment, happiness, and a true sense of purpose. I
should be average or I might appear arrogant. I don't know how to live
in the moment. I should be worrying about the next hundred tomorrows
that lie before me. I cannot trust my creative instincts to carry me
through my lifetime. The well of creativity might run dry; I should
continue doing what I've always done. I might expend my time and energy
only to set myself up for disappointment; I should stick with what is
safe.
The mental obstacles mount, but as we grow closer to allowing our
creativity – our soul's purpose – to materialize, the soul knows
what to do. Undoubtedly, we will meet hurdles along the way. We'll
confront them, learn from them, and continue forward with more
determination and perseverance than ever. Creativity requires faith. The
soul sees and understands what our minds aren't always willing to. When
we feel afraid, the soul is courageous. When we feel weak, the soul is
strong. When we feel intimidated, the soul is confident.
The soul's voice whispers to us in many ways. What calls to you? What
sparks envy when you see it expressed through someone else? When an
athlete sets a record, could it have been you? When a poet eloquently
expresses his or her vision of the world through flowing words and
phrases, could you have expressed that thought just as beautifully? When
a ballerina graces the stage with elegant swiftness and apparent ease,
does your body yearn to do the same?
The soul speaks to us; we choose to accept or to ignore its promptings.
It is not necessary that we leap into the depths of the ocean, but it is
imperative to our life's purpose that we begin to test the waters. The
idea is to take one small step, which leads to another small step, then
another. Many of us live with the false perception that fulfillment
comes only in reaching our dreams. It seems so distant that we cannot
fathom having the energy and determination that will get us there. In
actuality, our dreams are realized through intention, effort, and
action. It is the lessons learned along the way that keep us motivated
and inspired. Once we decide to accept our own truth, we find that we
may experience our dreams at any given moment. Fulfillment becomes
something that is happening, rather than something that will happen.
Awaken to a tomorrow that is different than yesterday. To hold hostage
one's own soul is the ultimate betrayal of spirit. Release it, and give
life to the creative passion within!
Copyright
Tammie Renea Rizer-Averyt
About the author: Tammie is gradually learning to give
life to her own creative passion. Her inspirational essays
invite readers to join her on the quest for spiritual and
creative freedom. She writes short stories and poetry through
the eyes and heart of a child in the hopes that even the most
vulnerable to spiritual suffocation will have a voice and a
chance to allow their souls to breathe. Tammie resides in Texas
with her husband and their three children. |
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