Forming Creative Balance
| Thomas Neel
In recent days and what will likely end up being a few months, the world as we know it has come to a standstill and the stablest among us have been a bit flipped out, never mind those who create! Yet, many have become creative in the ways they go about helping others maintain health, as an example, by creating masks. Others have created light-hearted videos and social media posts to help take our minds off of the day to day power news cycle that I, for one. have given up watching.
I think this kind of reaching out comes from a healthy place to begin with. The place all artists should be able to grow and even help others from at any time. Creativity can have blocks, I get it. But we as artists shouldn’t have to suffer in debilitative ways from it being the wrong day of the week or too much on your mind. Creativity should be the thing you race to, to free your mental brain freeze.
Most have heard of “Chi”, or “Qi”, a term described as vital energy or the necessary flow for balanced health. The term has much to do with nourishment and proper sleep, but I think in its own way Chi, in a sense, could have a lot to do with creative balance as well, because, without a healthy physical and mental balance overall, your creative balance has little chance of finding itself.
I read this piece and thought it really hit the mark.
“Chi is the energy current that runs through our bodies, providing us with circulation, nutrients, and minerals that we need to be whole,” says Taz Bhatia, MD, integrative health expert, founder of CentreSpring MD, and author of Super Woman Rx. “In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chi was thought to be the life force and ultimate measure of one’s vitality.”
Found in -What Is Chi Energy? Everything You Need to Know About the Ancient Chinese Term Learning about it can help you feel better—tenfold. By Irina Gonzalez, Apr 8, 2019
I really like the last word from that statement… vitality, as it is simply one of the greatest places to create from. With vitality comes strength and strength usually comes from a solid foundation. Sometimes as artists, our foundation is the very studio we create from and that above all should be a place you trust and believe in. A place that surrounds you with the very creative energy and balance you need.
We’ve likely experienced seeing an office cubical and studio area adorned with personal things, such as family photos, goofy little toys of some sort, or memorabilia. On the face of things these doodads seemingly have absolutely nothing to do with the job at hand or do they? Are these things a representation of why we do what we do in the first place? As such, is this why we hold them so close? Of course!, is the answer. Things are part of our creative balance too. They represent our solid foundation, but they are of little help if we don’t pay attention to them.
If we, especially in times like these, focus on the news, this then becomes our foundation. That message is where you create from. While it is not impossible to do so, it takes a strong understanding of one’s self to remain in a strong creative balance.
If you are having trouble with your creativity, now if the best time to refocus on those things which ground you and not the things whose agenda it is to use fear to sell advertising, masked as bringing you important information. Take notice that every news channel calls its weather segment “Storm Center”, when in reality, even in the worst areas of our country, storms are rare. But hearing from the weatherman down in the “Wonderful Day Center” just doesn’t get as many eyeballs. Speaking about eyes, it may be a good time to refocus! ( - ;
I think this kind of reaching out comes from a healthy place to begin with. The place all artists should be able to grow and even help others from at any time. Creativity can have blocks, I get it. But we as artists shouldn’t have to suffer in debilitative ways from it being the wrong day of the week or too much on your mind. Creativity should be the thing you race to, to free your mental brain freeze.
Most have heard of “Chi”, or “Qi”, a term described as vital energy or the necessary flow for balanced health. The term has much to do with nourishment and proper sleep, but I think in its own way Chi, in a sense, could have a lot to do with creative balance as well, because, without a healthy physical and mental balance overall, your creative balance has little chance of finding itself.
I read this piece and thought it really hit the mark.
“Chi is the energy current that runs through our bodies, providing us with circulation, nutrients, and minerals that we need to be whole,” says Taz Bhatia, MD, integrative health expert, founder of CentreSpring MD, and author of Super Woman Rx. “In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chi was thought to be the life force and ultimate measure of one’s vitality.”
Found in -What Is Chi Energy? Everything You Need to Know About the Ancient Chinese Term Learning about it can help you feel better—tenfold. By Irina Gonzalez, Apr 8, 2019
I really like the last word from that statement… vitality, as it is simply one of the greatest places to create from. With vitality comes strength and strength usually comes from a solid foundation. Sometimes as artists, our foundation is the very studio we create from and that above all should be a place you trust and believe in. A place that surrounds you with the very creative energy and balance you need.
We’ve likely experienced seeing an office cubical and studio area adorned with personal things, such as family photos, goofy little toys of some sort, or memorabilia. On the face of things these doodads seemingly have absolutely nothing to do with the job at hand or do they? Are these things a representation of why we do what we do in the first place? As such, is this why we hold them so close? Of course!, is the answer. Things are part of our creative balance too. They represent our solid foundation, but they are of little help if we don’t pay attention to them.
If we, especially in times like these, focus on the news, this then becomes our foundation. That message is where you create from. While it is not impossible to do so, it takes a strong understanding of one’s self to remain in a strong creative balance.
If you are having trouble with your creativity, now if the best time to refocus on those things which ground you and not the things whose agenda it is to use fear to sell advertising, masked as bringing you important information. Take notice that every news channel calls its weather segment “Storm Center”, when in reality, even in the worst areas of our country, storms are rare. But hearing from the weatherman down in the “Wonderful Day Center” just doesn’t get as many eyeballs. Speaking about eyes, it may be a good time to refocus! ( - ;
