Dec 14th – Creativity

Today is Spider Woman day. It is a day to celebrate weaving and other forms of creativity.
And, it is a day to reflect on how our lives are interwoven, how the different aspects of our individual life are interwoven, and how All Life is interwoven.
Spider Woman is a North American Helper who taught the people the art of weaving.

Creativity is innate. As children we move deftly through the land of imagination, bringing creativity to nearly everything we do. Yet, sadly, people often squash the creativity right out of themselves as they age with misguided ideas of what it means to be “responsible.”

Hand a pen to a group of adults and ask them how to use it. They will show you how a pen can be used to make marks on a piece of paper.
Hand a pen to a group of children and ask them how to use it, and you’ll receive all sorts of interesting responses. It’s not just for writing. A pen can be a rolling pin, a spinner for a game, a hole punch, a lever, a baton to twirl. You can take a pen apart and make a straw or a spit-wad shooter or a whistle or a funnel or a pretend telescope.The spring makes a fun bouncy toy. The ink tube can be bent into shapes or cracked open and used to tie-dye a shirt.

Our imagination and creativity are often held in protective care by the child buried deep within every adult.
The more we bully or bore ourselves, the more we repress our imagination and natural creativity.
And yet, it is our creative imagination that holds the key to our freedom.

Here are four great quotes from Albert Einstein:

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination.”

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Life is inviting you today, YOU are inviting you today, through me (it’s that interwoven thing ) to welcome and embrace your innate creativity without criticism.

+ Work with your hands for 5 minutes today to create in a way that’s
totally out of your comfort zone. Simply PLAY.

This is all about the process, not the product.

Creativity is childlike and does not thrive with harsh judgement.

Spider Woman Rock, Canyon de Chelly, Navajo Nation

When we allow ourselves to play creatively without criticism, we engage and use more of our brains and create new neural pathways. Time spent creatively playing actually makes you smarter when you work!

If you want, you can honor Spider Woman by playing with string, yarn, rope, ribbon, or thread.

Other Ideas to play with in the office:
* Fold a piece of computer paper and cut out a snowflake pattern.
* Make a cone shaped “tree” from a file folder and decorate it with a paper clip garland.
* Cut out a chain of paper doll angels.
* Fold an origami peace crane out of the most colourful piece of paper on hand.
* Build a little house out of business cards.
* Twist paper into a sculpture of an animal or Spider Woman Rock.

Check the clock on your computer. Take a deep breath.
Now go create something with your hands. You have 5 minutes. Go!

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