My friend Deleise gave us this great idea for a Spring Nature Walk.
My kids amazed me. They noticed so many details and were so curious and engaged. We collected rocks and pine cones and acorns and flowers and rolly polly bugs. We touched petals and clovers with dew. We watched birds fly and squirrels scamper. We listened to the birds singing and the wind blowing the leaves and an old rusty chain clanging against a flagpole. And when we got home we played with and documented our discoveries.
While watching my kids explore with CHILDLIKE abandon, I realized two things that apply to creating. First off, I am pretty poor in slowing down enough to be able to pay attention to details. One of the things the novel I am working on is dreadfully lacking is details. I don’t give time to lay out for my readers what my characters looks like, what their quirks are, what colors inhabit their world, what smells, sounds, tastes, sights and touches they are rubbing up against. To notice details = to be all there. To notice details = to be fully engaged in a moment (or in a story.) And if I’m too busy to notice details in my own life, I’ll never learn the necessary and valuable practice of incorporating them into my art. If we, as humans, fail to connect with details, we miss out on a rich, meaningful, and fulfilling connection to our story.
Secondly, we cannot, as artists, constantly be creating. There is this ebb and flow that is necessary to our art. As I was walking with my kids, I realized how much I was enjoying myself. I wasn’t on a time agenda. I wasn’t in a rush to get back home and do something purposeful. I was enjoying a break from creating. I was enjoying living.
As artists we have to live too. We can’t always be stuck in our craft or we risk losing our source of inspiration. The living is where the inspiration comes from. On that walk I felt myself coming alive. I was engaged as I watched my kids engaging. They drew me into a story bigger than myself. As I turned off my productive, busy side of my brain, I was able to relax into soaking-it-all-in mode. Inside I could feel this deep sigh of relief, as my creative wells began to fill back up. The world around me became alive with possibility. Spring colors captured my breath, excited squeals from my kids awakened my heart. These are the things that give me material for my art.
It is through our living CHILDLIKE – living richly and deeply and curiously, and freely and even simply – that we can then have something to feed into our creations. We don’t need some big magical event to occur to inspire us, we just need to be present in our everyday, ordinary life. Then, and only then, do we have something worth sharing.
What are the details of your everyday life? Your details will be unique to your life, unique to your story. Only you can explore them, collect them, know them, describe them, share them.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this! Lukas and I explore our town every morning, sometimes just our yard, other times seeing friends at the cafés or going to the park, the community garden (munity garden he calls it) or just walking around the neighborhood. “We walked around the block today before we came here” I told a playground friend. “How long did that take?” he asked “About 2 hours.” I said. We both laughed, he does the same thing with his little two year old. It does take time and we are always thinking we don’t have any, but we do! Love to you.
I discovered your blog this morning quite by accident. I have to tell you that it’s just what I needed at this moment in time. I have been an avid reader of blogs for a couple of years now and have never come across one that speaks to who I am quite as much as yours does. I have been struggling recently, as a new mama to a beautiful 8 month old little girl, with my suddenly shifting identity, trying desperately to pin down exactly who I’m supposed to be right now. You have reminded me that I only need to be me. Imperfect and confused and, honestly, somewhat scared of this daunting task of being a mother. Quite simply, thank you.
I LOVE this post! It’s so true. That we forget we need to stop creating and go live life so we have something to be creative about. We have to be getting inspiration. Loved this!
Karen, I actually thought of you when we took this walk. I thought, I bet this is what Karen does on daily basis.
Someday I believe Tony and I will live in a more walking friendly environment. For now, baby steps.
Jennifer, welcome! I’m so glad you came by and took the time to comment. I have struggled too, and at times continue to struggle, with the shifting identity motherhood places in our laps. Don’t give up on yourself. You are still there, even if you feel somewhat buried for the time being. You will re-emerge stronger and more confident and more passionate. I honestly think my dreams have resurfaced because of my kids and their childlike spirits. I hope the same for you.
Shalae, thanks. You’re a kindred spirit no doubt.
Hi! i just found your blog and am so encouraged! i am a mother of 3 and going back to school to finish my MA in English. I too want to write more and not just for school purposes. I am also encouraged to just keep enjoying life with my children at the same time! Thanks so much!