In the Fall of 2018, I participated in a mini-retreat for women at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. It was an amazing experience. The facility itself is beautiful and is integrated into the landscape to allow nature to prevail. For example, most of the buildings are 30 inches off the ground, so that the tortoises can remain in the habitat. The environment of both nature and the smart architecture sets the stage to bring your creativity to the forefront. This retreat began my journey of gaining awareness through creativity.
Even with my awareness and knowledge of the environment, little did I know how much 4 short hours at this facility would impact me. The leader of the retreat, Rachel Chase of Unlimited Healing for All, has a BFA in art, is a healing arts practitioner and has been a practicing yogi for over 20 years. The day consisted of our short introductions and then a short reading. Our question to ponder throughout the workshop was around what brings out our creativity. We incorporated art, movement, and even a nature walk. After each exercise, we added to our drawing that reflected our thoughts and insights of the day. As a final group exercise, we each, as individuals, selected a short phrase that summed our drawing. We then put this phrase to movement and presented both the movement and phrase to the group.
My phrase was ‘All Beings Matter’ – but how it came about is interesting and surprised me. Words such as movement, flow, freedom, no boundaries, creativity, and uniqueness were front and center on my drawing; as were thoughts such as ‘you create your own world through your uniqueness’, ‘be your own person, and ‘every individual has such a BIG yet tiny impact.’
After our nature walk, I added a foundation to my drawing, representing earth and nature. I noted how the diversity in nature worked so well together, one helping the other, and how this is the ideal application to people. Each aspect, creature, and being in nature is beautiful on its own and beautiful together. There is a collaboration. Isn’t that how we are too?
In the next phase, we added more to our drawing after an exercise in movement. This time, I added how creating space in your life allows you to create more meaning, to have an impact that results in a ripple effect, meaning that everything you do impacts others, which impacts others, and so on. I began to truly see and feel the interconnectedness of all beings, all actions, all thoughts. I realized that each action impacts not only the present, but the future as well; in other words, the past impacts the present and the future. Think about this, something that happened to you, a family member, or to anyone 10 years ago might impact you 5 years from now. Sit on that thought if you need to. It’s powerful. A mean word, a poor decision, something said to you as a child that impacts how you react to someone in your future because they remind you of someone from your past.
When you realize the interconnectedness, the impact of the ripple effect beyond measure, you have the opportunity to realize that you have a choice for every thought and action.
I like to think of it in terms that every action has either a positive or negative impact. What if we all choose actions that are most likely to result in a positive impact? What would the ripple effect from all interconnected beings be in a year, 5 years, or even far into the future?
I think the result would be amazing, and to me, it starts with compassion. Compassion for yourself, for others, for all things, no matter how small or large those beings seem. Because in the end, all beings matter.
Pondering questions: What can you do to create an environment that supports your creativity? Can you sense how incorporating more creativity can impact your life? What would YOUR life look like in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years if you made one small move towards the life of your dreams every day?
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