Longing for Creativity, and Other News
Monthly Meanderings
Last spring, when Coronavirus came onto the horizon and we all entered into survival mode, every day focused on responding to the unfolding drama of a global pandemic. I quickly adapted to a new way of life - homeschooling children, editing church services on iMovie, stocking our pantry with more supplies than I’d even had at one time. Living in lockdown with a family of five, there was never a dull moment, and my whole day seemed to move between meeting one urgent need or another.
It took about three months before I realized I couldn’t keep going like this. There was a huge, aching hole growing within me that I could no longer ignore.
All my attention had been turned outward, towards the ominous threat of COVID, towards helping my kids have some semblance of routine, towards planning ahead and taking precautions, towards what seemed urgent, essential, life-saving.
But in the process of doing that, I had been ignoring a major piece within me.
The shape of this missing part wasn’t easy to discern at first, and I had to step away from the flurry of family life for a good few hours in order to hone in on what it was.
And then, as I quieted my spirit and allowed myself to go deeper, excavating an area within me that had become overgrown, unkempt, and difficult to wade through, I suddenly recognized it.
It was creativity.
In those first few months of lockdown, I’d had no space, time, attention, focus, energy, or ability to allow room for creativity.
And when I realized that, tears sprang to my eyes.
Creativity is a big part of who I am, and under normal circumstances, I’m always concocting something or the other - dreaming up albums or events or gatherings or collaborations. One of my favorite things in life is to come up with outlandish ideas and playfully envision how they might unfold.
But there hadn’t been any room for creating something new, for dreaming, for playfully exploring possibilities, during those first few months of COVID. So many of the ways in which I would have created in the past were simply not options. Those limitations felt crushing for me.
So, I remember that day clearly, when I realized what was missing. I needed to find a way to cultivate creativity within myself again, and even though it may not have seemed urgent, it was essential for me. It was life-saving.
My mind began spinning with ideas of how my creativity could express itself, despite - or even because of - the limitations of my situation.
Here are a few projects that emerged out of that time:
…A new album, which we were able to prepare for online and then record with COVID precautions in place
…A podcast, which connected me with others on a deep level without having to leave the house
…A flower garden, whose colors bring me non-urgent but essential joy
After a spring dedicated to survival, my summer became focused on creativity, and I began to feel like a whole person again.
Ponderings for Your Path
What are some ways in which you like to be creative? Are there ways of being creative that you find particularly life-giving and energizing, that bring you non-urgent but essential joy?
Have you had a period of your life in which creativity seemed not to be an option for you? What was it that made creativity seem inaccessible?
Was lockdown or the COVID period a time of flourishing creativity for you, or was it a time of limited creativity?
Do you allow time and space for creativity in your life right now?
If yes, that’s great :) If not, I wonder what might shift in order to make room for creativity in your life, if that’s something essential for your wellbeing.
What I’m Up to These Days
New Album, Coming Up!
I’m so excited about the new Celtic Psalms album I began working on during my summer of creativity last year. Writing, arranging, and recording these songs brought me back to life and thrilled me beyond measure. The production of the album has stretched throughout the year due to further lockdowns, etc, but we have made progress this month and will put the finishing touches on it in September. You can preorder mp3s of the album here, which will help us get through the finish line!
Psalms for the Spirit Podcast
The first 5 episodes of Season Two for Psalms for the Spirit are now up. I’ve taken this season more slowly, spreading out the conversations and editing over several months, and it’s been a much more enjoyable process. I have loved speaking with each and every guest that I’ve had! The Psalms are so rich, diverse, and deep that I could talk about them forever with these fascinating and wise people. I’ve gained so much wisdom and insight from these conversations. I’ll be taking a break for the rest of the summer but will complete the remaining five episodes of the second season in the autumn. In the meantime, you can catch up on all 15 episodes here.
Autumn Retreats
I’m delighted about two events coming up in the autumn - which, really, is right around the corner, so I’m trying to get word out now!
“Sing a New Song” Online Mini-Retreat
The first is an online mini-retreat with the brilliant Paul Hutchinson, therapist and mediator featured in Episode 11 of Psalms for the Spirit. We’ll be exploring the theme “Sing a New Song” - how we might find a new song to sing in our lives. Find more information about the event here. The timings work across time zones, so you’re welcome to book your place for this gentle, reflective space of listening, sharing, and song.
“Refresh Your Spirit” In-Person Weekend Retreat
The second retreat I’m excited about is in person - imagine that! Of course, that’s if you happen to be based in or near Northern Ireland. I will be hosting this retreat at Corrymeela on the north coast, and we will have a weekend dedicated to reflection and sharing, quiet and rest, as we drink in the refreshing beauty of this particular corner of the world. Find out more about the retreat weekend here. I’ll be delighted to welcome you if you’re able to be there.
Bless My Feet Membership Community
If you’re receiving this email, it means you’ve signed up to receive my monthly reflections and news updates, and I’m so grateful that you’re here!
If you’d like to go a bit deeper in your spiritual journey and walk alongside myself and others of like mind, I invite you to be a part of the Bless My Feet membership community. This allows for a private area for sharing comments and responses to the prompts I suggest, and it will give you access to more regular content on spirituality and the daily walk, if that is something you feel drawn to. In this day and age, I crave a space with a bit more privacy, where more authentic sharing can happen among people who have chosen to be there. If you would like to choose to be there, I know I and others will love to welcome you. I have lots of dreams and visions of how this might unfold! Find out more about how to become more involved in Bless My Feet here.
This summer, I will continue to explore the theme of longing. So far, I’ve looked at:
Longing for Refuge (this was for members but I also shared it on my website)
Longing for Refreshment (for members)
And of course today’s: Longing for Creativity.
Come along and explore with me.
Blessing for Our Journey
May the God who created
on the first day
and who creates each and every day
draw out the creative spirit in us
each and every day.
In God’s image we are created
to be creative -
so may our dreams and visions,
expressions and explorations
find their place in our lives
as an essential
urgent
life-saving
piece of who we are.
Amen.