Lately I've been coming to understand a little what writers mean when they say they must write; that if they couldn't write they would die. I'm realizing that a good deal of my former stress and angst was due to a lack of creative outlets. Now that I've been writing daily, working on a book and writing blog entries besides, I've pulled the cork on the wellspring and must let it flow. It feels great, and whatever problems I have in my life, there's always the satisfaction and release of it, which gives me something to smile about, and relax.
The creative impulse lives in every human alive, no matter how bitter or broken by life. It is the movement of the universe itself, which is constantly recreating itself; we are a part of that always, as we live. Creativity is the true the fountian of youth. The most withered old man can create something, a song or a story, as beautiful as anything he ever knew in his youth; letting his heart flow with this fountain, he is as young as any 20 year old in the prime of his life.
So come, people, open yourselves to this urge you all have hidden within yourselves. Write a story, sketch a picture, do something. Find a mode of expression and use it; doesn't matter if it's writing, painting, dance, music, or even higher math. Open yourself to the movement of the world, let it rise up through you. Let the waters flow.
Don't worry if what you create isn't up to someone else's standards. It's not about creating eternal art as much as it's about simply creating. Technique, form, skill, all these grow with time, but it's important at least to be involved.
It is the highest thing we can do, it is a way to love the world, to take part in its ongoing creation, to say yes to life. It is a way to end the wars of the heart, and thus the wars of the world.
Great post. My sentiments exactly. This is why I blog, blogging is a major creative outlet for me, in and of itself, but is also a good place to showcase other creative projects I'm involved in. And like you said, I think there is a connection between creativity and youthfulness, as well as vitality. When you create, you enrich your life, giving it a deeper meaning and purpose. Even when things may not be going well in certain areas of your life, or in the world in general, having creative projects that give you satisfaction and joy, helps you get through those hard times, significantly enhancing the overall quality of your life.
ReplyDeleteYes and no. The act of creation is amoral. A person can create great beauty or ugliness, love or hate, war or peace.
ReplyDeleteMany of us decry the machinations going on in our nation's capitol these days. We're upset about the policies being created...created to further enrich the oligarchy.
I'll give you that, though I think we both know I wasn't really talking about creativity in that way. But you're right, doing anything novel is in a sense an act of creation, even if it means writing a law that will fuck the poor and pay the rich. I suppose if you're rich, the writing of that law can be gratifying and feel the same as the feeling a normal human being gets from painting a picture. But I kind of doubt it. I'll have to think about why I doubt that, though. Right now it feels like an emotional reaction, because I don't like the implications of what you say. I'll have to figure out if there's truth below that emotion. I smell an entire blog post in this question ;)
ReplyDeleteFor me, it goes back to Lao Tzu's and Chuang Tzu's point about impartiality. Tao/nature/god/whatever provides life for the good and the bad, the smart and the dumb, the loving and the evil. In this vein, creativity is impartial; it merely means to develop an idea or thing in new ways. Thus, there can be creativity that benefits all (what you & I support) and creativity that benefits the few (the oligarchy).
ReplyDeleteLovely. Are you only 20? What I can say is don't ever stop. Keep creating, keep learning, keep growing, stay forever young.
ReplyDeleteI am 27
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