“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.”
~ Rollo May
Happy St. Patricks day everyone! I decided to sleep in this morning, and wouldn’t you know it, I was wide awake at 4AM. But I stayed in bed, and simply drifted from thought to thought. This same state continued while I basked in the rising sun this morning. It felt really nice. Our mornings are warming up a bit …
The above quote came in from The Daily Om yesterday. I love it. They are offering a course on ‘The Top 10 Habits of Highly Creative People’.
Vivien McKnight writes: “Creativity thrives in solitude because here you can listen to your thoughts, go deep inside yourself and focus on the here and now. But don’t confuse ‘being alone’ with ‘being lonely’. They are two very different states and provoke different emotions. In solitude you begin to connect with whatever it is you need to achieve. You can become one hundred per cent absorbed in what you are doing, lost in your element. Time alone allows you to experiment, to fail and to succeed. You are not on view; that comes later, so in your quiet time you can peacefully organize your thoughts and make sense of experiences. For many artists it is the time when they feel totally alive.”
She continues: “But beware of too much isolation. It can make you vulnerable to self-doubts, anxiety, even depression. Balance is everything.”
I come from a family of artistic people on my Dad’s side of the family. My grandmother went to art school, and spent much of her time making shadow boxes. My uncle is a painter and works with metals to create unique sculptures. He also is fabulous with ink, and creates distinctive, comical Christmas cards. My dad also is a skilled painter, although he hasn’t taken to the canvas in years.
I too wanted to learn to paint. When I was home from college on summer break, I asked my dad to teach me. He bought me oil paints, brushes, canvas and an easel. He asked me to pick out a picture, and I remember choosing a photo from Vogue magazine of a woman in a raincoat on a stormy day. He gave me some brief instruction on the different brushes, and told me to simply get started.
But I just couldn’t get it. I have painted since, mainly in watercolor. But I remember back then, I wanted someone to take the brush in my hand and literally show me. I was used to spending a lot of time alone as a child, but usually wrapped up in thought and doing. I believe this was my first ‘meditative’ encounter, and it felt lonely. How times change. Maybe I’ll pick one of these photos, and give oil painting another try …
Today might be a day of socializing for many of you. It’s been a strenuous week for me, so I’m going to take it easy.
I hope you might find some time today to spend a few moments alone, as I will, and get in touch with your creativity. For me, being there in solitude is now very precious ♥
