Sunday, August 8, 2010

THE BLOGOSPHER - CREATIVITY UNLEASHED!

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I propose that blog hopping be considered a new form of aerobic exercise. I'm exhausted after spending more hours than I'd care to admit bouncing from one site to another, intending to connect with people, make new friends, learn something and attract more traffic to my own blog.

It's fun albeit overwhelming, but beyond that I'm mesmerized by the diversity, ingenuity, originality and resourcefulness that floats daily in the waves of cyber space. I had no idea there were so many ways of expressing mommyhood, so much advice on frugality, so many home school teachers, so many "give aways", so many photographers, so many fashionistas, so many poets, so many writers, so many bloggers.

I love them all and admire the steadfast determination and courage of many of the bloggers who expose their hearts, minds and souls so the rest of us can glimpse at their human experience unfolding. And the level of creativity that exists within the bloggosphere strikes me as absolutely and positively awesome.

It has been said that there's nothing new under the sun. Really? I beg to differ. Each time a baby is born - new, each time the sun rises - a new day, each time an invention blossoms - a new opportunity for humanity, each time a work of art is completed - a new perspective of life and beauty, each time a book, article, blog is written - a new thought expressed. Creation is mind boggling. What can be said about it? I suppose, the same things we say about God - what a Mystery.

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For me creativity just seems to flow randomly, unfairly like intelligence and life in general. Some people get more than others. I don't know why. Where is creativity? There are those who say it exists in the right brain, where imagination resides and fantasy looms. I love hearing that, because I'm an irrefutable right-brainer, for whom details are foreign and math is a language from a distant planet. But what about mathematicians, physicists, scientists and other's who process information in a linear, concrete manner and dwell almost entirely in their left brains? Do their brains even have a right side? Based on all the evidence they certainly do and actually it seems some left brain progress has been initiated by right brain imagination. I conclude that the best creative brain is a balanced one - left and right interdependently co-creating. This means I had better work on that left brain impairment I seem to harbor, if I want creativity to emerge from this apparently unbalanced mind of mine.

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My fascination with creativity has led me to take advice from some very creative people. Julia Cameron, author of many books - my favorite is The Artist's Way - advises us to write three pages a day in the morning. For many years my mornings began with my pages, often going way beyond the suggested three. (I've stopped now that I'm blogging, but maybe I should resume.) I witnessed my writing improving and, at the risk of sounding immodest, occasionally some pretty creative thoughts mysteriously wound up on those pages.


Amongst other things, she also suggested Artist Dates. I love this. It means going out by yourself to just enjoy an interesting new place or an old place, but the idea is to allow the environment to stimulate your creative juices. For me, a little walk in the desert gets my body and mind reeling, though what I enjoy doing the most is visiting book stores in the hopes that some of the talent encased in those books will rub off on me. Don't know how much the creative juices are actually being stirred, but these dates feel wonderful.


This afternoon I'm planning to do something that is fun and some say it can unblock creativity regardless of your favored artistic medium (whether you're a sculptor, a painter, a writer, a blogger - this is good for you). I'm going to draw. I have found that it's a great way to enter a focused, almost meditative state and just allow the flow of creation to have fun with you. The operative word here is - fun. The intention is not to compete with Picasso, but to relax and enjoy. I actually did most of the exercises from the book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Dr. Betty Edwards. Being such a right-brainer, I mistakenly thought the exercises would be easy for me. They were not! But, I can confidently announce that I no longer only draw stick figures and my drawings are a great source of amusement to my family. And what's wrong with making them laugh?

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As you've probably guessed by now, I am a seeker. I am searching for more of all things good, and creativity is pretty much at the top of my list. I wish to be infused with whatever comprises that mysterious gift of being able to make something from nothing, like a magician. I believe it's a way of being close to what I call God, the Ultimate Creator.

Sometimes, I can't believe that I have joined the blogosphere. My inner critic wants to convince me that perhaps I don't belong in it, that it is intended for those with creative spirits already formed. But, I know better. The creative spirit just needs to be nurtured so it can grow and blogging is a fantastic way to do so. The blogosphere is so overflowing with the Soul of creation; manifesting little miracles in the form of words, ideas, games, contests, photos, thoughts, excitement and energy. It's like an explosion of the imagination. I sit in awe and hope that some of the creativity fragments from that explosion crash upon me as I wait patiently in its midst.

"CREATIVITY - LIKE HUMAN LIFE ITSELF - BEGINS IN DARKNESS."

Julia Cameron



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10 comments:

  1. What a great post! After I had read your three most recent posts this morning, I began to think about how much variety there is in the handful of blogs that I have read so far and how there are so many creative people blogging. It all pretty new to me. And now we have your wonderful description of this cyber space phenomenon. Thank you. I enjoyed reading your post.

    Here is a comment in iambic pentameter, that addresses some of what you wrote:

    This latest post is wonderful, I’d say,
    Because you do express your thoughts so well.
    I'm glad you gave your insight for today:
    Who knows where our creative brain cells dwell?

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  2. I truly believe that every day is different, and that means each day can bring new things, opportunities, options, and ways to accomplish our dreams. To me, creativity and imagination are the same - we all have it, but we tend to reduce it or hide it under the small-boring stuff that we do every day. Is totally up to us to keep it moving and to let it flow - great post Myrna!

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  3. Speaking of creativity, what a wonderful poem you posted with the grandson picture. And what a cute little guy!

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  4. I have read a couple of your earlier posts and made comments on your June 2 and July 29 posts. You describe things so well. I have enjoyed reading your posts.

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  5. Mike, thank you for all your wonderful comments. They are so motivational for me.

    I thank all who comment,(usually on their blogs) but you don't have your own blog, so I can't respond to you anywhere but here. I am very grateful.

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  6. Creativity and Imagination ..... possibilites are endless. I love it and nourish it alot.
    Nice to see you here MikeB

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  7. This is why I follow your blog. I sensed right froom the beginning that you were a seeker. So am I. I agree that blogging helps you to become creative and exposes you to an endless source of creativity if you take the time to look. Thanks for the book recommendations, I'm always looking for help in being more creative and drawing is something I never thought would help (I can't draw either).

    Funny, but what I'm seeking Julia, you seem to have. You're a wonderful writer and this was a delicious read.

    Haupi

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  8. I am so glad you visited my blog, your writing is amazing! Don't think for a second that you're not creative. Your word choices are greatly descriptive and poetic. I, too, am overwhelmed by the size of the blogosphere. I wish I had more time to explore it. It's great to see that so many people feel the need to express themselves. I'm not sure how long you've been blogging, I only started in October, but Welcome! You have a beautiful way with words and wonderful things to say!

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  9. There was a Julia Margaret Cameron who was a 19th century English photographer. She took several photos of her niece, Julia Jackson (Virginia Woolfe's mother) a beautiful woman about whom I did a blog post several months ago. On her last trip to India, Julia M Cameron packed her coffin since she didn't plan to return to England. Here is a little about her.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Margaret_Cameron

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  10. Hi Myrna. I appreciate this message. Again I keep thinking kindred, kindred. Poetry found me through morning pages and timed writings. I too would find astounding things simply show up. This was the kind of thing I copied into journals and hid away. You are encouraging me to delve deeper into my writing for my blog.

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