Flowing in the River of My Creativity
When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
~ Rumi
I’ve been in a fantastic flow state these past couple of weeks, friend.
It’s a favorite state of mine and it doesn’t happen all that often.
Flow state is: moments of total absorption, when you become so focused on the task at hand that everything else falls away.
For me flow state goes beyond focus to inspiration. It’s a place in which experiences and ideas braid together. Inspiration leading to more inspiration in my river of creativity.
There are a few things that kick it off or trigger it for me.
Free time on my calendar
Fresh art supplies
A new book
A new idea
The act of creation itself
Two weeks ago I was reading the final chapter in a book I’ve recently been devouring (The Wisdom of Not Knowing: Discovering a Life of Wonder by Embracing Uncertainty by Estelle Frankel) and BAM! an idea for a new program popped into my head. I picked up my “brainstorming” notebook and began to write.
Out poured lists and ideas and stories and more. It felt like a download straight from the Universe. I scribbled for four pages. I went back to the book and copied down some quotes. I picked the book up again and read some more, highlighting many, many sentences, then put it down again and scribbled more notes.
Ever since that day I’ve talked a few friends' ears off about my idea. I’ve spent countless hours reading and researching, scribbling more notes. I’ve created visual boards and over ten documents online and several “planning canvases” on paper with colorful sticky notes and my favorite pens. I've awoken in the middle of the night with new ideas buzzing in my brain—and had to drop them in an email to myself to make sure I don't forget them. I've pulled a tall stack of books off my shelf to do more study. I’ve marinated in the ideas and researched and contemplated new ways to deliver this program.
And, I’ve thought about you. I’ve dreamt about you. I am SO excited to share it with you!
But not yet.
What I really want to tell you is that it’s scary AND exciting. It’s absolutely, incredibly inspiring, and also intimidating and a bit exhausting to be in this state.
One unforgettable time of flow for me was when my studio in Cotati came into being. In late 2013 I had what I call my “creative tsunami” and it took several months to pick through all the ideas that were flooding my brain. Out of that came my vision for teaching art journaling, for several classes, and finally for the studio in 2014.
This time it’s actually one idea, one BIG idea. And what is flooding my brain is how to share it with you. All the pieces, all the possibilities.
Yesterday during my morning reading ritual I had another download and before too long I had a list of over 120 topics that need to be shared. 120!
That’s how truly fruitful this idea is.
But what I really want to tell you is that I’m about to pivot and I promise I’m taking you with me.
I love the work I’ve been doing the past few years, the focus on grief, the tending to tender hearts.
But my next iteration, the next river I’m stepping into, is going to be MORE fun, MORE colorful, MORE expansive, MORE deep (ok, deeper for you grammar nerds) and MORE connected than any of my programs ever have been before.
Can I even say MORE important?
I don’t know. It’s all been important. If you’ve done the grief work or the transitions work, or the body or dreaming or manifesting work with me, you KNOW it’s been important.
And yet this new thing…phew…it’s soooo good, so needed.
I can’t wait to tell you about it.
But not yet.
