Creativity is VITAL to a peaceful existance

Creativity the Core of My Existence

So many upon this weary earth seem to believe that creativity is something that is a bonus in life, when in fact it is a LIFE sustaining entity far beyond explanation for some of us who exist TO create.

Be it drawings, paintings, spinning stories of interest be they fact or fiction, capturing the sunset or stars with our photography, or more self sufficient creativity such as creating rag rugs from material that would otherwise be deemed useless, improvising on how to survive on a dime and still remain happy within our daily life. Even reverting back to habits of childhood like simply watching the clouds transform into various shapes, figures and forms, following a ladybug as it travels up a blade of grass, or inspecting ant hills as they busily go about their business of preparing for winter diligently.

Creativity, ironically, is so hard to capture into words for it is a persona all in its own genre. It is the ability to tap into the mind that so often goes overlooked, and often, yes more often than not, is quite unappreciated and deemed “odd” or a sign of “abnormality” of sorts.

Creativity often involves silence, the sense of being STILL, and listening to the various directions the neurotransmitters are going and then following the path. Sadly stifling this beautiful gift of creativity has become quite a NORM among the public schools, among the masses of citizens, the media (who determine what is “art” and what is beyond their comprehension therefore deemed abnormal or the “edge of sanity” per say). What a travesty this is!

For instance I was a teacher for many years; before I could no longer work due to my disabilities, and it broke my heart so many times to view such diverse discrimination against those children who just had to somehow get that creativity to the forefront and share it with their mentors. I will NEVER forget one such child that would complete her work in perfect order and record time, and yet as she waited to turn in her paper she would doodle per say, along the margins of her paper. I being one of the “disorder” (yet unaware of what it was that made me so “different” for I wore the mask so tightly, and had yet to be diagnosed, yet knew I was not of the same “mold” as the general masses) appreciative beyond words the creativity especially from one of such a young age, would praise her and tell her that her school work was amazing and her art work something she should pursue in a drawing pad and never quit doodling along the sides after her work was done for it gave me a lot of joy. Unfortunately, the very next teacher on her schedule offered her DETENTION for drawing on the sides of her paper.

I guess the whole point of my post is simply to make others aware of the beauty and the intensity that creativity is stifled in this world, in so many areas of our life that we often fail to notice how detrimental it has become to our youth, our nation, our well being per say: for I certainly believe the “arts” of any form are such an outlet, especially for those of us who are “touched by the fire”. It is an escape, a therapy, and a form of healing for me in so many ways. It comes in thoughts, in art, in creating, in uniqueness of verbal communication, in writings, and YES in doodles along the side of a piece of notebook paper too!

I also feel compelled to tell about another coping skill that I have utilized besides the “arts” and it is NATURE!! Oh the smell of a crisp fall day, the gentle breeze against our faces, the sunset sizzling downward to bring on the night, the clouds dancing across the sky in so many various colors, shapes and sizes and the sentinel trees majestically stretching their arms above us, and at this time of year showing their BARE skeletal forms. Oh if only I could take your hand and lead you through the deer paths and the forests that surround my humble, very humble home, I can’t help but feel it would be a therapy you would pursue as often as possible. To just be ONE with nature, to dig into the soil and retrieve a plant that can then blossom in our yards, to feel the leaves crunch beneath your feet, to hear the snow drifting and landing so intricately gentle; all seem to make me realize how very small and how such a small part of this vast beauty we all are. It was put here for our enjoyment and for our health, mentally and physically, for the Lord tells us he put all we need right here for us, we just haven’t found it all yet in my opinion.

My husband and I dig ginseng, yellow root, black cohosh, and bloodroot and sell it to a very humble man in the hollers of our Appalachian area. He in turn sells it to the companies that turn it into medications and use it to find new cures for things we encounter. For instance, we all know ginseng goes for quite a bit of money per pound, but that isn’t what we do it for…we do it for appreciation of the land, for the hopes of a cure being found for some illness or another. BUT we dig the black cohosh the MOST and it goes for the LEAST…for it is used in studies to help cure cancer. Since both of us lost a family member to cancer; well, it means more to us than the money and believe me the difference in pay is VERY large between the various roots, (Cohosh being the least of all in returns) IF you look at monetary value.

But I will say this, if you haven’t tried gardening, digging in the soil to plant or reap, or just discovering the great outdoors there are many studies that show that those that DO show marked difference in their depression. That is a real study and I will find the website to post but at the current time I won’t post it unless others are interested.

It is very very therapeutic and really refreshes the mind and the spirit in my opinion. I can literally come in from a hike in the woods where I quietly and I stress QUIETLY begin winding through the woods and emerge feeling like a whole new being, able to cope, able to breath deeper and with a new frame of mind. It makes me realize the simple things are often the best things for us. Yes we need our medications and we need our therapists to that there is no doubt, but we also need oneness with the environment around us.

I also have found that I like to carry my camera with me every time I enter the woods and often find a unique or beautiful scene or object to capture in photography. I believe bps see the world through a variety of colored glasses and well, some of the pics I take I have recognized as something others would step over, ignore, or simply not appreciate. For instance I find trees that are often odd in their shape or seem to be reaching out for attention, I find sun filtering through the sassafras trees in an amazing way that illuminates not only the forest floor but also ME, I see grapevine tendrils curling parasitically around branches and brambles, I find trees with oddities in their form or bark, I discover the beauty of lichen upon tree trunks and colored fungus growing on the forest floor. I also find inspiration in capturing the wind tickling the leaves scattering them in random order beneath my feet, I find fallen acorns sprouting, hickory nuts half eaten by a rogue squirrel or chipmunk, and of course wildlife peeking at me from heights and crevices...it literally is an emerald city of beauty to behold!

I just want to encourage others through this post to get out and explore a little of their environment, take time to be STILL take time to notice the details for we are such a creative group of people and nature offers it all.

Just like the little girl who was ostracized for being an artist in her free time in a classroom, we too are often misunderstood and stigmatized, but being at one with nature (and I mean to indicate the "nature within and surrounding us"), feeling the deeply intense peace it offers, and realizing we are a small, small part of this universe, well it humbles and keeps our spirits up to be amongst the beauty.

Just a thought from a simple ctry girl who loves her hollers, valleys and mountains and has inherited the love of it all from my grandparents…and parents…it has brought me from the brink so many times and has helped me gain perspective on my problems at hand just being still among the towering oaks, dogwoods, redbuds, buckeyes, hickories and starch white sycamores.

IF you haven’t tried a nature walk as therapy, please do, you’ll be amazed! AND don’t forget the camera for I’m sure you’ll find much to capture if nothing else but inner peace. Which we all, everyone, not just bps, NEED!
With hopes that you will give it a try as a coping skill!!!