June 20
Creative Is a Verb…See More
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I’m working my way through the book Creative Is a Verb by Patti Digh. This week’s reading covers the second creative commitment, “See More: Turn Around and Look.” The sections within the chapter are: (1) Drive an Airstream trailer, (2) Be the tiny camera, (3) Eat on a lake, (4) Listen to tiny fishies, (5) Keep on looking up, and (6) Look in the square. I mention the titles of the sections for two reasons…one of them may intrigue you enough to check out the book if you’re thinking of igniting your creative spirit, and also because it’s just fun to let your mind imagine what these “titles” could have to do with “See More.”
Patti discusses “seeing” several different ways. She encourages us to see things from another perspective; to see our attachment to things and what that attachment is trying to teach us; to see ourselves in the landscape or the natural world; to see what our distractions are…the things that prevent us from seeing and listening; to see our dreams; to see things beyond our definitions and our preconceived notions.
The commitment to “see more” has me examining a few areas in my life. First up is multi-tasking. I wonder how much I miss because I insist on the efficiency of doing several things at once. Second is setting aside the time to see, either through quiet time, play time, meditation or prayer. Making this a priority is a constant battle, but one I’m determined to win. Finally, this quote hit me right between the eyes, “We are trained for dullness.” This made me think about re-seeing. I enlisted in the Army when I graduated from High School and spent 22 years in the military both on active and reserve duty. My husband (who also retired from the Army) teases me because I don’t “remember” things as accurately or as vividly as he does. How much have I forgotten or not “seen” in almost 50 years of living. When I started this journey in January, I went through the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. One of the tools to recovering creativity is morning pages. I want to take this opportunity to re-see some things in my life while writing my morning pages.