The Creative Impulse

 I believe that all Humans are born with impulse to create. That each and every one of us has a very specific way that we are supposed To Be and to Create from that place.

And the ways that we are meant to create and the end results of these creations are as many and as varied as the people who are now on this world and have ever been here.

Some ways of creation may be similar, and sometimes almost indistinguishable from other ways. Yet each and every one of us is unique in some way or another. As everyone else is also unique in some way or another. Yet we all have many similarities we share with everyone else.

Making us very similar unique people. With the power to create uniquely similar things in similarly uniquely ways.

I also believe that every single act of creation has an effect on the world around it to one degree or another.

And, there is also creation of Light and Dark, Good or Bad, Positive or Negative, Yin and Yang, natures. Everything that we create is in one part or another of the spectrum of the above. It all depends on the space that we are creating from in that moment in time.

So, we are all Creators. Every single one of us. Yes, even you. And also you. And you over there. And you there hiding in the back hoping that you won't be noticed. All of you/us. There is no one in this universe that is exempt from this.

Many of you reading this will be thinking "I do not paint or write or etc, how in the world can I be a creator?" Well folks, while those are ways of creation there are so many others that aren't really recognized. I am going to talk about a few of them to illustrate.

We all create Communities. Some large and some small. Yet we all do so. And some of those communities last for a very long time, even lifelong, and some of them last only moments. And creations these communities are.

We are all members of the family that we are born into. For most of us this is for life and for some of us there is a lesser amount of time. In this we live inside other people's creation. And, most of us, go on to create a family that is not that one. Although they can have many similarities and can feel like an extension of what has gone before it is a unique creation of itself.

Some of us create spaces in which children feel safe being children and can thrive. Whether that is in the space of Being a Parent, a Teacher, the neighborhood house that kids seem to flock to, or in some other way, 

And some create spaces where children do not feel safe and are stunted and or limited. I am sure we can all think of people and places like that.

Some of you build teams where excellence is celebrated, either in work or sports, and others build teams where everyone is divided into those you favor and those you do not and where excellence is stolen and belittled.

Some of us create joy and exuberance that effects everyone around us. And some of us create grey spaces that also effect everyone around us.

Some of us create routine and order within which we are able to plod along. And some of us create chaos and confusion within which we bounce from one thing to the next.

There are many others like this. We are always creating by the way we choose to live. Or do not choose. Running by default. Because not choosing is also a choice. Rarely a good one.

Now that we have some of the examples of how we create in ways that are outside of what most people think of as creating. Now we are going to talk about the most important creation of all.

The Creation of Our Selves. The Creation of who each and every one of us is by our own person and the choices that we make. Who we Are and who we are Becoming in every moment of time.

Most people do not create themselves. They allow others, parents, teachers, childhood friends/acquaintances, religion, societal expectations, etc to create them. And by allowing these outside forces to create them they are not created into the person that most want, are meant, to be. They become a creature of default.

I have been guilty of this. As have we all. I think.

This is neither bad nor good. It is so.

It is a very rare person indeed who can create themselves as they want while withstanding the forces around us who are trying to mold us into the creations that they want us to be. These people are usually lonely types as well. Not always. For being truly Individual in a world that demands Conformity is a lonely existence.

Most of us, and I include myself for a good chunk of my life, go through our lives being what all of these outside forces created us to be. For the most part completely unaware that we could be anyone else. We truly believe that we have no choice in the matter. That this is who we are.

Sometimes we are happy. Sometimes we are not. Mostly we are somewhere in between. And sometimes we are resigned to "this is just the way life is".

For some people there comes a time in their lives when they can no longer be what they have been created to be. They have a moment when they see all that they are and reject that. It no longer works for them.

In that moment they face a few choices and will pick something. In no particular order they will be faced with the following choices. Transform who they are and become someone else that aligns better with their inner ideals, which they will have to discover along the way. Transform particular parts of who they are which they see as the issue and become a better version, in their own eyes, of who they are at the moment. Bury that moment completely, acting as if it never happened, and go on with their current lives. Kill themselves because they can see no other way to resolve that moment.

I, for myself, chose to transform my entire life and create someone who can, among other things, write this blog. I started that process of transformation/creation a long time ago. It is still ongoing.

So, we are all creators. 99.9% of are creators on auto pilot. Yet we all are living embodiments of Creation at Work in the Universe.

And sometimes we create with purpose. And every once in a while we create what we call art in a moment of Agony/Ecstasy that we recognize as a Creative Moment.

I had that experience many years ago as a very young, legally anyway, man. I was in a moment when I was feeling sad, overwhelmed by life and feelings, and had no idea what to do with all of this. And the following came out of me:

Standing on a Darkling Plain
Shivering on a cold winters night
Watching the stars twinkle above me
Filled with sadness
Deep and Bright

It was not quite in this form yet. I had to spend some time with it, feeling it, and adjusting two small things about it, to get it to this final form. And here it is. And I felt like, in that moment of completion, that I was truly a Creator.

I did not yet understand that we are all creators. Yes, even me. Even you. Even the one hiding in the back hoping that they do not get noticed.

I remember when I was about 11 years old, there 'bouts, when I was in the town I mostly grew up in. I walked out of an establishment (For those of you who know it was the Toy Castle which no longer exists) looking down at my hands for some reason. And just as I got clear of the door I looked up.The season was autumn at the hight of color season. And I was looking across the downtown area to where some hills rose up on the other side. And it was so very beautiful. And it struck in that moment wish that I could paint that scene on a canvas.

The creative impulse was alive and well. Alas, the skills needed to carry out that creative impulse was lacking.

So, we are all creators. And we all have the drive to create. And, sometimes, even those who do not consider themselves artistic, get the impulse to create something marvelous. Not knowing that we already are.

So, my Dear Friends:

• Are you creating a life that works for you?
• Are you creating a life that fulfills you?
• Are you creating Communities that reflect your highest ideals?
• Are you creating from Love? Or fear?
• Are you content with who you are or are you wishing for more?

Just a few questions to contemplate.

And as we continue this marvelous journey of creating the very similar and uniquely wonderful person that we each are I leave you with this, Create with Intention and Love.

For, in the end, Love is the Only Rational Act.

Namaste 🙏