Creativity

-
Every 9 weeks our daughter's school gets a two week break.  It is always a welcomed time in our busy schedules.  The two weeks provide a time and space for us to simply be.  Yesterday as we prepared the house for the arrival of grandparents, our daughter Emma said "our breaks always make the days feel so long".  I immediately replied "yes they do when every single minute isn't scheduled or filled with something to do."

 There is a joy in not having every single minute of the day scheduled or planned out.  It is refreshing to close the calendar, not be consumed with the next thing on a to-do list, not care if the phone is ringing and to enjoy the day as it comes. 

Not being consumed with the schedule or list of the day brought forth a time of creativity for Emma and I.  We took the time to color outside the lines and be creative with chalk.  We created a mosaic of chalk art on our driveway.  We didn't care if the dust from the chalk moved from the pavement onto our hands or clothes.  We simply sat in the midst of the creativity  letting our minds be free.

When was the last time you put down your calendar, took off your watch and simply let your mind run free? When was the last time you allowed your spirit to be set free to create something unexpected?  I'm certainly not a 'crafty' kind of person nor do I have a great art skill but there is something about setting the mind and soul free to create.  May you find a time to set your soul and mind free from the demands of your schedule. Soak up the creativity that surrounds you and let your soul soar.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Over and Over

-
Recently in a Conference meeting for our Camping Ministry, we began the conversation by recounting stories from a time we had spent in the wilderness. The stories ranged from a group of unprepared young adults hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a time with family in which a walking stick accidentally punctured a hornet's nest, a shared experience of not just having the itching feeling that a single mosquito leaves but the realization that all of your children are highly allergic to mosquitos prompting them to abandon their trip or weather that was so cold a couple pulled their chairs so close to a campfire that they melted the sole of their shoe (that would be me).   The group laughed as the stories were told, as the inflection of one another's voices rose with excitement or dismay, we became quiet as more serious parts of the stories arose making room to honor what had taken shape.  In the sharing of the stories, I began to think about all the times I have had the unexp
Read more
-
Turn left in 3.3 miles Turn right in 1.7 miles. Mind the s-curve The next turn is in 2.5 miles Turn right in 4.8 miles Two lane highways County Roads Green street signs Stop signs, yield signs  Your destination is in 12. 2 miles This past week we spent time in North Georgia, where we launched from our home base each morning with a different walk in mind. Our directions were filled with quick turns on two-lane county roads that kept us with our eyes peeled to the next direction on our GPS.  Every once in a while I'd laugh because our directions would include a 5-11 mile stretch of highway that gave us a break and provided mental space to sit back and take in the scenery.   The scenery was a combination of beautiful pine trees encompassing one of the many lakes in the area and tall oaks that would stretch out on the mountainside before us.  The week was filled with walking in the woods, moments of comforted silence together, laughter over something silly, and of course plenty of dad-
Read more

A Way Forward...it is a bit long

-
It's been 381 days. 381 days since we left the comfort and safety of McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center in St. Louis, Mo. 381 days that have included tears while we made difficult decisions, exchanging the beauty of the mountain for the glamour of the city, moments of setbacks,  building and rebuilding a new kind of trust, walking a path in which we couldn't see around the corner.  The days have included laughter and a newfound sense of community and fellowship, being reconnected to a place that held memories but now holds the comfort of welcome every day.  Over the 381 days, events that seemed like they were a mere glint on the calendar have become a reality and with each movement, we have been reminded that pruning is always painful and yet always necessary in order for us to grow into who we are and what we are being called to do. Today we are mere 11 days from an event that seemed so far away 381 days ago.  In 11 days my beloved Wesleyan tradition will host almost
Read more