I spent the day with my friend's daughter the other weekend. We were drawing a picture of her Mum, when she stopped, felt tip in hand, and stared into my soul with her big brown eyes.
“Are you a child or an adult?”
I stared back at her. Time stood still as we entered into her portal of wonder. Sparks of mischief flying between us. I was between two worlds: one the known and familiar landscape of ticking clocks, thoughts and “what next?”, the other a boundless horizon of wonder where time and worry dissolved into the mystery and magic of the present moment.
“What do you think I am?”
She stared some more. Tuning into that energetic field all children have VIP access to. I felt my whole body expand. Protective layers I didn’t know were there melted around me. Shoulders dropped. Mind emptied. I had woken up from the trance of everyday life and plugged back into the mains. Calm. Spacious. Open. Hello my long lost friend. I’ve missed you. Can we linger here a little longer?
“A child”.
(THANK GOD!!!!!)
I had passed the test. The ultimate seal of approval. I was not a serious, boring adult. But it was bittersweet, for I could feel the potency of presence diminishing as my thinking thoughts took over. I was back in the trance of adulthood, whilst she glided freely and seamlessly from here to now.
And just like that we were whisked into the world of polka dots - should they be purple or orange?
When it comes to creativity, what if we didn’t wait for a small person to take us by the hand and pull us through the portal? Or hope we stumble into it accidentally, when inspiration strikes? What if we remembered how to step in, again and again, in small doses? Little creative chunks of time where the clocks soften, the mind loosens, and we slip back into presence. Back into play. And as a byproduct, things get made.
Our ideas being the invitation and our willingness to make the space, show up and just practice being there is what opens the gate. We can be serious about creativity but playful about the process, can't we?
So, I've made a space.
Creative Chunks is a monthly online club where we can spend some quality time with our creativity, in good company.
If you're craving space to play, experiment, and move your creative ideas forward, then I'd love to have you there.
Take a look - https://www.figregory.com/creative-chunks.
And if you’re wondering “is this for me?” or the May timing doesn’t quite work, just hit reply and let me know. There’s space to shape this around the people who want to be part of it. I'd love to hear from you.