Creativity exists in all of us. But, only those that nurture it can fully appreciate its magical transformation.

I liken it to a mineral or rock that resides within, undisturbed by the daily thoughts and busy lives of quiet desperation. It can be uncovered only when one stills the mind and releases preconceived notions of what creation is all about.

As I listen to the quiet and seek to become one with my surroundings, not so much as noticing what my senses tell me, but by simply being “aware” of them. I refrain from clinging to any of the stimuli bombarding me outside, and the busy monkey-mind swinging on branches within. I let it all pass through a filter that grasps nothing but the air I breathe in and out.

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Let the gem that is hidden within shine its light

I lose myself when I really get into the process. I disappear and meld with that “something” that is more me than anything I ever thought I was or was even capable of imagining I could be. The rock is still a mineral, but I feel it changing somehow; no, it is me that is changing, that is, my view of this substance, this source, starts to change. I see different shapes about it and notice little by little some glimmers appearing as a magical transformation starts to occur. I see the object, the mineral for what it really is, what it was all along but whose essence I was unable to understand because I was too involved elsewhere.

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It is a gem. A precious jewel that was always there, but remained dormant. I’ve been unable to see it through my regular eyes, the eyes used to view life through my upbringing, my schooling, and the beliefs I absorbed through religious dogma.

Call it a piece of the divine, the light that exists in all. It can’t be seen through an MRI or X-ray, but only through the relinquishment of self and one’s desire to please no one or nothing but the self. I let go and allow the many facets of the jewel to sparkle and reveal truths that had remained hidden. It is then that I “let” the creative process flourish. I see thousands of reflections emanating from the jewel, as it shows events and happenings from my daily life, the past, and the present, as well as the hopes for the future. I see it all in a different light.

But how do I choose which new insight to focus on, to enlarge, and to share with another through some medium, be it writing or painting, story-telling or performing music, acting or creating some other form of art?

Let it go and let it grow, Michael J. “Be” the vision that you now see. Become the idea, the shape, the form that your wonderful instincts tell you to become. To hell with tradition, orthodoxy, or what others say is the “right” way. Do it your way, the pure way that your Better Self has allowed you to see and mine from the depths of your rich veins, your sinews, and your singular beauty.

Whatever you share will be authentic. It will be you and anyone absorbing your creation will be touched by your purity, whether they like it or not.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.