Awaken to your Creative Spirit!
Tapping into your creativity keeps you feeling young and alive. It’s like falling in love. You feel that spark of energy that gives you a reason to get up in the morning. This is not “new” news, but where do you start? When facing endless possibilities, many of us are stumped.
Sometimes in the course of raising a family or taking on adult responsibilities, you make choices that take all your time and energy. Your spontaneous, childlike spirit is put on hold.
Maybe it’s time to take that spirited child off pause. Maybe it’s time to look through the eyes of innocence, the eyes that don’t get sidetracked by shoulds and should nots. Some call it our authentic Self, others, our innate spirit. Whatever you name it, it lives and breathes within you. It’s the essence of who you are.
Do you remember what sparked your interest as a child? What kept you engaged for hours on end? Maybe it followed you through adulthood. Maybe there are still some unclaimed gifts to explore.
When, as a child, your world was fresh and new, you tried things with total abandon. Then you naturally gravitated toward a few things and couldn’t get enough of them. In my own life, I saw my eldest son choose art and collect anything from bottle caps to stickers. For my younger son, it was any game or sport. In adulthood, my eldest son continued with his passion and today lives the artist’s life. My younger son once dreamed of becoming a champion bowler, but instead, he wound up thriving in the corporate world.
What was it for you? Is there something new that’s longing to come forth?
Something you’d like to enjoy? Something that would spark your passion?
When you tap into your unadulterated, authentic spirit, you tune into that aspect of your ‘Self’ that’s a source for unlimited possibilities. From there, you are more likely to tap into your inherent and sometimes unclaimed talents. When you do, you might just discover something you’ve never thought of before and launch you into your next adventure.
Doing the following can help:
1. Identify what you naturally loved to do as a child.
2. Ask yourself, “If I had no limitations, what would I love to do now?” Include all aspects of life – work, play, service, etc. What gives your life meaning today – artistic endeavors, serving others, developing something tangible, such as a product.
3. Then ask yourself what gives meaning to your life. See what arises.
4. Next make a list of your skills and talents – both claimed and unclaimed.
5. Ask how these gifts come together.
When you combine your natural gifts with your primary values – time, security, freedom, money—whatever they are, you’ll usually start to see something come into focus. Brainstorming your ideas with a support person who thinks out-of-the-box can also help.
The most important thing is to get the process started. If you’re looking for something to do that will be financially rewarding, you obviously want to do some research to see if your idea is viable.
Whether for profit, for your own enjoyment or to make a contribution to society, don’t get bogged down in the “how” until you’ve gotten clear on the “what.” Once the “what” is defined, the “how” will follow.
Is your inner motivator calling you? When you attend to it, you discover your authentic Self. And the wonderful thing about following that thread of inspiration is that even if you should hit a wall of fears or doubts, your original blueprint is more likely to bounce back. Warning! Once unleashed, there may be no return.
Realize your claimed and unclaimed gifts. When dressed in the skills you’ve collected over the years, you have the beginnings of the fount of what you love and do best.
If you have the desire, “Just do it.”
