Inside each of us resides immense potential for creativity. I like to call this capacity for inventiveness our innate “inner artist.” Like the often-mentioned inner child, the inner artist can be hidden from our active thinking because of our busy daily activities. But when we take time to try, we can recall the delight we once had in drawing, in making up a tune, or in writing something down just because it felt good and was fun. Examining our lives with this new perception gives us a second chance to live our dreams. Especially in the second half of life (yes, the clock is ticking), our days can become immeasurably enriched when we tune into and activate the inner artist.
Here are some suggestions to get started:
- Set aside some time each day for creative time to talk things over with your own best friend: yourself. Ask, “What did I do today that I enjoyed?” “What did I not get to do I really wished to accomplish?” “In what ways could I express myself more fully?”
- Acknowledge yourself as a creative being and notice where you recently tried something new in a relationship, in problem solving, or in helping another person who seemed to be stuck.
- Think of several interests you have always wanted to pursue but never took the time to begin. List at least five.
- Note how you stopped yourself. Speak kindly to the part that puts things off and tell it you now deserve to access your full creativity. Allow yourself to be open to new possibilities.
- Decide on at least one area to explore in depth. Affirm, “I now attract the resources I need to explore my chosen interest.”
- Set your intention to follow one interest and find out more about it. Libraries and internet searches give quick access to information. Look in the paper or at the community college catalog—there may just be a class about your topic.
- Be persistent in learning the subject matter and move to increasing levels of complexity with it. For example, if you have decided to learn about painting, attend a class, practice with the materials, keep an open mind because things always improve with practice.
- Notice how following the interest leads you to meet kindred spirits, the people who have similar interests. Be curious about something every day and enjoy the many surprises that await you. Hold an atmosphere of positive expectancy. Be willing to learn from feedback in relation to your chosen theme, even your mistakes. Maintain a sense of openness and wonder.
- Organize the mundane aspects of daily life (like knowing where your car keys and glasses are) so your train of thought is not continuously interrupted. Take charge of your schedule.
- Be flexible by trying different ways of approaching the same task. Always honor the deep parts of yourself you are now bringing forward and expressing.
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The most wonderful thing just happened to me while reading your list. For whatever reason, I misread tip #8 and instead of absorbing the phrase “Notice how following the interest leads you to meet kindred spirits, my brain (or more likely the Universe) substituted “Notice how following the Internet leads you to meet kindred spirits.” I was filled with so much joy from having my excessive time spent online validated. I reread #8 and again I saw Internet. It wasn’t until the third read that I realized the actual word is interest.
I expressed my gratitude–there are no accidents. I have been thinking about how to combine my writing and research skills with my internet use into a money-making business. I’m on the right path.
I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you, Dorothea.
P.S. And to think that this blog entry is over a year old! I am ordering a copy of Second Chance at Your Dream, and I’m linking this post to the general VN site. I’ve noticed that the blogs don’t get much traffic, and I know that there are many VN women interested in inner work.
I am so glad I came across this. I have been dealing with a lot of family issues for one full year now, and am feeling completely drained. I used to write poetry, nothing spectular, but it was a healthy outlet for my thoughts, frustrations, dreams, in all a good emtional outlet for me. The last year this has become a problem for me. I haven;’t had the time, the solitude, or the energy to put into my writing. Maybe focusing on these 10 things will help me to get back to my writing on a regular basis.
I am divorced now, but two summers ago when I was first separated from my husband, I was beside myself with emotional pain. The counselor told me to go out and start doing things, to make my life as good as it could be, so if everything did end up going to hell that I would have a better life, with or without him. I realized I was going to have to get busy to keep my mind off the horror I was going through, so I made a list of all the things I always wanted to learn or try, no matter how ‘out-there’ it seemed.
My husband was always a ‘balloon popper’ and never encouraged me to pursue my interests. He would only point out how I would probably fail, at any new idea I had. So when I realized I no longer had anyone holding me back, I tried all sorts of things. It was amazing! That summer I learned how to kayak, and felt like I was 12 years old again, spending time on a local chain of lakes I had spent summers on as a kid. I also explored community theatre, and met all sorts of very interesting, creative people who were very encouraging and supportive. I kept myself open to all sorts of ideas, and took classes in dance, art, language… I even took drum lessons and ended up buying a great set of drums. Last summer I took a motorcycle riding course and bought a beautiful brand new 950 Yamaha, which brought me many hours of happiness that summer.
Now I am newly divorced, and most of the pain is gone, but I have a wonderful new circle of friends and interests that keep me very busy. It’s a very good thing I am getting close to retirement age, because this full-time job of mine is really getting in the way!
Feed your soul, ladies. What fills your heart is what will keep you afloat, no matter what evil is happening in your life. And don’t let anyone, or anything stop you.
Thanks, Dorothea, for a wonderful article!
Great post, Dorothea! Last year I turned 60 and set the Intention to bring more fun & play back into my life. I decided I would just go for it.
The first thing that happened is I applied and was selected for a makeover with Clinton Kelly of What Not to Wear in our local area. I never dreamed of walking the catwalk, but there I was in front of 600 people! Over 800 people had applied and only 12 were selected. At one point during the process, I remember saying, “This is so much fun!” Bingo.
The second thing that happened is that I was selected (this time, one of 12 or so people selected out of over 100 who had applied) for a 9-day small-ship cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage – for two. I’m a travel writer so it was a working adventure, and I can’t begin to tell you how much fun that was! Bingo.
The third thing I did was to take my dreamwork seriously. I signed up for a weekend workshop, followed by a weeklong dream teach training workshop. Fun? You bet!
This year I have set the Intention of Growth, Expansion, More of the Same. I can’t wait to see what the Universe has in mind for me! So far, I’ve signed up for a yoga class, two voice lessons (I’ve always wanted to sing), and the second level of my dream teacher training. And, of course, there will be more travel.
It’s amazing how the Universe responds to Intention. I knew that intellectually before last year, but after everything that happened, I now know it on a much deeper level. Wow – this really works! I could never have imagined how my Intention would “play” out.
So my advice is to go for it, ladies! You never know what magic awaits!