A little about me and Creativity.
Creativity has taught me how to be okay with getting things wrong.
I have learned the importance of allowing my personality to shine through in my work. It’s taught me to stop rushing to the finish line and to slow down and enjoy the process of learning.
It taught me to let go of perfectionism. In Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, she describes perfectionism as “the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.” and I agree.
My curiosity about the process of creating led me to write two children’s books on the mind and how the monkey mind and depression are real and can hold us back in life if we don’t take charge and learn how to control them. (Oh, Monkey, and Gator on My Back) Available on Amazon and in most major bookstores.
I encourage all types of creativity. Writing, growing plants, painting, drawing, singing, cooking, music being a mother (creating good humans), gardening, creating a nice corner in a room in your home.
I live on a 72-acre farm on the west coast of Canada. I am fortunate that my life is full of opportunities and space to create beauty. I have a gorgeous big garden, a garlic garden, and a tiny magical forest that I am working on right now to create a place for myself to write and create daily.
Creativity takes courage and commitment. As a painter for the past 15 plus years, I worked my way through all the mediums, from en Plein air, acrylic, oil to watercolors and I loved every single one of them. I spent years working in my art studio, taking courses, and creating art. Although I sold many pieces, selling art wasn’t my main focus. I wanted to learn to paint and happily I did end up with a few great pieces through the process that some people fell in love with and wanted to buy.
I got used to making messes and creating failures, which I soon learned was part of the process to get to the good stuff. Through meditation and self-work I learned how to tune into myself and trust my artistic direction. The biggest thing I gained from the years in my art studio, besides learning how to paint was how to give myself a lot of grace.
I found out how to get a grip on my mind and created rituals and ceremonies that helped guide me to push through the barriers that were holding me back.
I have been curious throughout my entire life about the creative process.
I wanted to understand why I was so driven to create and how to push my way through blockages, so I studied creativity coaching for two years with Dr. Eric Maisel the author or over 50 books on writing and creativity.
After finishing creativity coaching I attended Marth Beck’s coaching program and graduated a year later. Both programs helped me to create deeper meaning in myself and in my creative work, and gave me the tools and community for helping others and myself through personal and creative stumbling blocks.
I had dabbled in journal writing for my whole life but only began writing more seriously a few years ago. I was invited to be a co-author on three books on journaling for coaches and creatives with Dr. Eric Maisel and a group of other coaches and creatives that I admire. My chapters were, Journaling with a Virtual group, Journaling Outside the Box, and Forest Writing.
True to my nature, I dove into my new love of writing fully, enrolling back into university to finish a creative writing degree. I spent this past winter in bed with Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dante, and John Milton. I read and fell in love with Milton’s Paradise Lost – every single line (over 10,000 lines & 10 books of verse)
“Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song. That with no middle flight intends to soar “
John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1.13-14
I also enjoy traveling and one good thing that came out of the pandemic lockdown for me was that I couldn’t go anywhere. It was good for me to stay home because it led me to the forest, where I discovered how to invoke her as my muse, tapping into her energy to guide me in writing over 100 pages of poems. (I feel a new book coming on)
Creativity has taught me about myself and about life. It has helped me to discover and peel away parts of myself that I didn’t know existed. I learned to allow my heart to guide me beyond what I thought possible.
The most important thing I have learned is to never stop creating.
Mary Ann Burrows
It’s essential that you never ever give up. Keep on going, regardless of setbacks, disappointments and challenges. Regardless of what anyone says to try to discourage you along the way.
It’s never too late to start, or to follow your passion and learn a new skill The truth is, that it really is the journey and not the final destination that brings true meaning to life.
How about you? What have you learned about yourself through your creativity?