Writer's block, shmiter's block.

Morning!

A quick blog today. I'm listening to Paul Simon's "Graceland," one of my all time favorite albums, and it never fails to put me in a splendid mood! I want to write a little bit about creativity today.

I've often got 'stuck' creatively. For instance, I haven't written much of a song in the last couple months - maybe even more. I've written bits and pieces here and there - but I've been walking around with this sort of scowl on my face claiming writer's block. Today I had an idea.

Maybe there is no writer's block. If creativity comes from an unlimited source, which I believe it does, is it ever really going to just stop, cold turkey. Like sorry, writer, Creativity is on a smoke break, he's not coming back for a few days. No way! Creativity is constantly flowing through the universe and through people! How else would great art be made every single day! And beautiful music. And astounding buildings! And life changing, revolutionary ideas! People are tapping into creativity - this unlimited river that's just gushing non-stop through our lives.

So how do we experience creative droughts? Well, I think it comes from a lack of imagination. Very often I put my 'creative self' in a box. I say to my ego, "You're a song writer. That is what you do creatively, so if you're not going to write a song today, you lazy bastard, tough luck! You don't get to hang with Creativity. That's the only way to go." Well, immediately my inner rebel says, "Fuck off!" I can't write a song today, a song isn't coming!!! So I'm screwed.

Here is the issue. We limit the role creativity can play in our lives. We say, I'm a visual artist. Or I'm a drummer. Or I'm a graphic designer. Or even worse, I'm NOT creative! By putting this part of our brains and souls in a teeny tiny box, we are suffocating it. We are limiting the joy that creativity can bring to our lives! We are rejecting creativity in a way, because it is not coming to us in the way we would like.

Because of my so-called writers block lately, I've had to, by necessity, open up my mind to other ideas - other possibilities for creativity in my life. I've had some amazing experiences with it so far! I've found myself randomly at The Huntington taking a series of photos for a day by myself.

I've had 2 random cooking sessions with my Mom over skype, one where we had a plan, and the other were we completely 'improved' with what we had in the kitchen. It was a ball! And tasty! I found myself brainstorming story ideas with a screen-writing duo in my living room. We laughed out asses off. And then last night my brother and I made an outline for a sitcom/webisode we are going to write and star in. I've started blogging again, meditating, and rolling with the creative flow when I'm teaching class. My life is FULL of creativity, and I haven't written any songs!

So who am I to judge where the creativity is flowing. It's like trying to desperately hold on to a tiny twig on the side of a flowing river instead of letting go and floating with the rapids. Joy joy joy!!!! The joy of the creative spirit. It's a beautiful thing.

This is one of my favorite theories on creativity by an amazing writer, Elizabeth Gilbert. If you're feeling any sort of blockage in your life: at work, with your art, in the bedroom, etc. WATCH THIS. I saw it about 4 years a go and her message has always stuck with me. xoxoxo