Over the past two weeks, Gma and Papa Ji have had their seven year old grandson living with them except for the in between week-end as it’s still summer vacation and Mom and Dad both work outside the home. Gma is my wife and Papa Ji is me. It’s been a creative experience that all three of us have enjoyed and learned from. Our grandson Atom has spent lots of time with us during his young life. We were with him before he was born, when he was born and all along the way as he’s our daughter’s only child.

Because we live within a half hour of each other, his parents are great and we love being with him, he’s literally grown up with us. The intriguing thing is that we’ve probably learned as much from him as he’s learned from us, maybe even more. I say this because when we look at creativity from a long lifetime of engaging and analyzing, we don’t always see it with the eyes of a child as he does. He, like most children is engaged in the freedom of life with curiosity, openness and abandon all the time.

The other day he and I were on our way to a public swimming pool we regularly go to. It’s a fifteen minute drive. As we pulled out of the driveway we were having an animated conversation. In a brief pause I turned to him and said: “Space, the final frontier.” and turned on music from ‘Liquid Mind’, ambient instrumental music I’d introduced him to a couple years back calling it ‘space music.’ To my surprise he didn’t pick up the conversation. Instead, he sat back, closed his eyes and meditated with the music the entire time it took to drive to the pool parking lot where we waited for the song to end.

It struck me there that when we connect with our natural state of being, no matter where or how it is, creativity shows up in all kinds of ways, shapes and forms. In these moments there’s an openness, acceptance and confidence that allows us to surrender our defenses with abandon and expand our creative awareness. Here the invisible becomes visible, the impossible becomes possible and the unbelievable becomes believable. It’s a transformation of consciousness that’s as easy to accomplish as closing our eyes and quietly imagining the wonder of whatever shows up.

Does this sound strange to you? Plato said so many centuries ago: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” More recently Felicia Bender wrote: “Creativity flourishes in an atmosphere of inner security and confidence.”  The wonder of connecting and creating then is found both within and without the inner and outer realities. The open secret is that it’s up to us to tap the source of this space wherever we are and whenever we want. It’s about rhythm, fluidity, repetition and connecting with our inner gyroscope, inner being, soulful presence.

Envision dancing with abandon, twirling and spinning with the rhythm of either inner or outer music. Imagine riding a bicycle, a snow board, a pair of skates, sailing a boat, playing a musical instrument, paddling a kayak, reading, singing or humming. Meditate on your breathing or on your pulse with a body rhythm that rocks you gently. Sit in a swing or a rocking chair for awhile. Knit or paint or write. Do the dishes or chop wood and carry water. Listen to the waves on a beach or the raindrops on your window. What do all of these things have in common? Do you feel natures rhythm and fluidity?

Connecting to the natural order of things wherever you are allows you to be a cocreator with the Great Creating. It’s part of the who that’s truly you and so easy to connect with. It’s the metaphorical flowing river and rooting tree in whatever way you  creatively choose. I sense that most of us don’t realize how connected we actually are and how amazingly easy it is to connect with the awesome nature of creativity. With awareness it becomes a way of life, “a freedom, a tranquility, a surrender, a natural state of living.” It expands everything and is the wonder of an authentic abundant Life.

• Re-read the above paragraph that starts with Pick one of these activities and visualize it internally. Feel the rhythm, the flow, the integral nature of the movement. Allow your body to gently move with this rhythm in whatever way it chooses. . .
• Make a date with your creative self to connect with one of these activities physically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It might be as simple as listening to some ‘space music’ or taking a walk or rocking in a chair. Allow this movement exercise to become part of your connecting and creating practice. Notice the increase in your creativity as you connect with this inner/outer reality in the moment and over time. . .
• Experiment with humming while you work or walk or wonder. Do it softly and silently to begin. Cradle yourself and awaken to your creative genius within. Meditate on the wonder of connecting and creating. . .