I took a class last month about removing blocks in our lives. There was a unit about our living space — how an uncluttered, pleasant environment affects our mindset. There were units about financial, social, physical, and mental blocks. Each unit encouraged me to review my context with a critical eye and discard what’s not working.
Today I thought I’d write about some things that occurred to me during the social unit, which was called “Relationship Blocks.” The material talked about how supportive, like-minded friends can have a big impact on one another’s progress towards goals (in addition to making life a lot more fun). This is certainly a familiar lesson; I know many of my accomplishments have been possible because of support from friends and family.
The class made me appreciate the powerful friendships in my life. And it got me thinking about how these connections are established.
I really enjoy the process of getting to know someone. I like the surprise of where connections are found. Sometimes it’s a similar sense of humor or the same taste in music. Often, after years of knowing someone, we find we share deep-seated beliefs or worldviews.
It’s this latter, deeper connection that has been transformative in my life. There’s something really magical about having a friend who just “gets” you. In those friendships, we tend to share so generously of ourselves because we trust the other person to understand. It’s an opportunity to invite someone into our innermost thoughts, and to experience theirs.
Time is probably the most common ingredient in these relationships, but there are other tools, too. Anytime we join a group with a shared passion or mission, we connect very quickly. The more directly we share our core thoughts and beliefs, the easier it is for others to see themselves in us, to identify with us.
One of the most effective ways to do this is through creative expression. This is why I write and create artwork. It’s a way of depicting what’s meaningful to me, getting it in front of people and asking, “Do you feel this way, too? Is this a common experience?”
One of my favorite TED talks is about this phenomenon. The speaker is Simon Sinek who wrote a book called Start With Why. His message is about what happens when we communicate from our core beliefs.
We all have big motivators in our lives, whether it’s to find love, effect world peace, protect the environment, or simply enjoy a quiet existence. And when we express those motivators, we attract people who want the same things.
Creative expression is such a wonderful opportunity to do this. If you spend months designing the perfect house for your family, revising every detail and studying proportion and light, it tells us you believe architecture matters. You believe life is better in a beautiful space.
Further, it shows us what beauty means to you. Maybe you use materials salvaged from historic homes in your city because you want a connection to the past. Or you plant a vegetable garden near the kitchen so nature is a part of daily life.
Art is a vessel for our beliefs. It carries intimate pieces of us to broad audiences, to people we might never meet otherwise. When someone you don’t know responds to something you create, it’s purely for the appeal of answering a resonant call. It’s a chance to connect from the deepest part of ourselves, in the very first interaction.
So use art, and any opportunity for creativity. Put yourself in, get it out there, and see who responds.
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Photo by m4tik.
© 2011 Sara Martin
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“Sara Martin is an artist and writer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Learn more ways to maximize your creative life at ModernSentiment.com/blog.”
I love this Sara!!! This couldn’t have come at a better time for me as I work on re-branding and revamping my business!!! This is amazing! I watched the TED talk and loved it too…great way to spend my time eating lunch today. Thanks for the much needed inspiration today!!!! :)
Thanks, Denise! Glad it was timely. Funny — I spent my lunch break watching a TED talk from you. Ha!
Sara,
I am thoroughly enjoying your posts and am sorry I can’t respond right now in detail-library closes in a few minutes.
Love to you,
Joy
Thanks, Joy! No matter how brief, your comments are much appreciated. Thanks for reading, so glad you’re enjoying the blog. Love to you, too!
It is a joy knowing you.
Hi, Dale! It’s great “seeing” you online. I feel the same way about you. You were one of my first introductions to architecture and I’ll never forget it! Thanks for reading.
Sara–I just poked my head in here for the first time and I like what you have to say. I think we are of like minds. Check out my Nov 13 blog post on “the art of creation, the creation of art.”
Thanks, I will! Glad to find a like mind on WordPress :)
I’m here to visit and thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting on the “Creative Process.” I’m so glad I took the time to do this. What a great post. So timely for me, too!!! It’s a pleasure to meet you. A real pleasure!
Thanks so much! That means a lot. It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well. And I’m looking forward to your next article!
Hi Sara. I love your artwork, and I really love the way you think. The deeper we go into our own creation of self, the more we connect with the universal self that runs through all of us, so absolutely, put it out there. Others will be grateful for the connection.
Random thought…Just today I was hit with one of those what-have-you-done-with-your-life moments and groaned. I couldn’t name off a grocery shopping list of acceptable accomplishments. Then it dawned on me that I’ve done the best thing possible with my life, I’ve enjoyed it. Now it’s time to share some of that enjoyment and connect with others who are doing the same.
Thanks for such a gentle and lovely post.
Thanks for the comment. I can identify with the feeling our accomplishments aren’t amounting to anything. But I try to remember that’s just the brain talking, trying to fit our life into a neat little formula (it’s a great computer, but not very insightful). It’s so important to enjoy life — to me, it’s the best way to practice mindfulness. Thanks for sharing!
Fascinating post!! thank you for sharing it!
Really like the perspective of creative expression bringing alignment and harmony in our life and work. Excellent!
Thanks! There are so many reasons we create. I know it’s easy to think of creative expression as this thing we do “if we have time,” but it’s so much more important than that. Thanks for your comment!
I have to admit, as a fiction writer, clutter actually helps me! But organized clutter. The room needs to be clean and tidy for me to work, but I collect many vintage objects that actually inspire me.