Where does creative energy come from? Awake at 3:00 am, ideas are arriving, creativity is aroused, plans are being hatched. While a late sleeper, this is unusual. In the last few weeks, I have needed a lot of sleep and so accepted it. In the past, I would’ve felt frustrated thinking that I was being slowed down, but this month I decided to accept it. At the same time, my insatiable desire to read returned. I picked up four books from the library when I couldn’t wait for the two I had on hold. And then the two arrived, so now I have six. One is read. Three others are over half read. Is the creativity arriving at this hour a result of having done exactly what I needed – slept to honour my body’s needs, and then read to meet my mind’s desire?
With the sleepiness, I reminded myself of what Penney Peirce discusses in her book, “The Intuitive Way“: be, do, have. This is a cycle that leads to health by recognizing and going with the wave of what is. You “be”, and through your being you will eventually (note this word – eventually) start brimming with ideas, desires, plans. Then you “do”, implementation in other words. And then you “have”, reaping the rewards, experiencing the results created by the doing. She comments that this is the stage where people often want to start all over (i.e. be/do, be/do) to sustain and grow the momentum, thereby getting burnt out and creatively exhausted. Therefore, it is key to hang out in “having” for a while. In other words, acknowledge that the results have arrived, whether good or bad, yes, both kinds of results will need to sink in. Deal with the results (celebration, reflection). Once you have digested this, you can clear the slate purely and return to being. In other words, just be “you” again and enjoy that space before the next thing arrives.
In my own experience, I admit I was feeling concerned by the need to sleep so much and then to top it off, the urge to read came along! Fortunately along the way, I recalled “be, do, have” and remembered that my summer had been full of work and trips. So it was ok to be in the “having”, to integrate the experiences I have had, before moving on. It’s not to say I stayed still, for September brings starts – my Nia classes beginning after a break, returning to teaching my fashion merchandising students, and the arrival of fall fashions tugging at my styling business. But, within that, I hung out with “having” and then played with “being” to the best of my ability.
Now that I’ve been “being”, maybe the “doing” is about to happen?
