THE GUIDE

As human beings, we have a fundamental need to self-express and to connect to something greater than ourselves. Through creative acts and outlets, we explore our identity, re-vision our perspective, and give meaning to our existence. As creators, we have the power to embody, manifest and give form to the intangible ~ and our creations, in turn, shape who we are or what we become.

Creativity can be a self-reflective act, helping us to process, consolidate and channel our energy, thoughts and emotions; it can help us to organize, re-interpret and re-imagine the experiences and events of our lives; and it can help us to expand, connect and share our beliefs, identities and world views with others.

Personally and culturally, creativity can be an act of intimacy, empowerment and freedom. But creativity can also be subverted into a destructive force if it magnifies ill intent or seeks to manipulate, dominate and violate the free will of others. Repressing or seeking to control some aspect of being (be it in oneself or others) can often shut down the expansive energy of expression and constrict our view of ourselves and the world we inhabit.

When we lose touch with the totality of our being, we can easily feel misaligned or disconnected from the greater whole, as if parts of us are missing, feeling we don’t fit in with the world, are helpless in the face of life, or isolated from everyone around us. Living by the story of such alienation can put us on the path of power-and-control-seeking to fill our lack, discomfort and insecurity ~ even at the cost of everything around us.

Such self-forgetting and self-denial can perpetuate our suffering. Our stories are seeds that grow, expand and direct our lives ~ and if the old stories and interpretations cause us pain, we are free to change them and create new templates and meanings to live by, personally and collectively ~ we can reclaim our self-agency and responsibility as creative beings in the universe.

Our self-expression and creative drive can help us to re-examine and reframe our needs, insecurities, fears and desires, to explore new perspectives and solutions; it can help us to unearth new stories and recover, transform and integrate lost parts of ourselves; ultimately, it can help us to perceive ourselves and our world in a new way and rekindle the flame of purpose.