Cement is a very useful thing in the right place, for the right purpose. It is great for paving a sidewalk so we can walk and run and skate and draw with chalk. It’s great for pouring footings for a structure to be built upon, so our house or store doesn’t sink and collapse. It is not; however, a good covering for children and other living things. So do we have that, now? Cement as building material = good. Cement as children’s sweater = bad.
We are born from creativity; therefore, we are creative. A sunflower seed does not fall to the ground and grow a duck. We enter the world and are the same in kind as that from which we came – and then the paintbrush loaded with fear starts applying the cement.
I came from good people who lived through the Great Depression and World War II as children and young adults. Their intentions were for my good and I understand and appreciate that. Looking back on it now, I see that so very much of the decision-making in our home was fear-based. The only way my mom knew how to bring in an income was to work in an office – so I grew up thinking art classes were a waste of time. She probably never said that, but that’s the impression I got – so I never took art classes. My dad worked long hours, leaving before sun-up and getting home after dark. He was grateful to have a job – and probably fearful in the background from watching scores of people without jobs, without food, and without hope during those awful pre-war years. When he retired, he had weeks of unused vacation days. He was a loyal company man and a great provider. I am so very grateful for them, and for their love and provision for me.
But, under the cement, my heart beats for music, for dance, for visual creativity, and although I have not a great singing voice, I love to sing.
And as a child of the 1970’s – when Disco was king – I love to dance. So, I’m grateful for a very loud worship band at church, where I can sing and not offend by being off-key, and I love my Jazzercise classes, where I can dance, and if I “grapevine left” instead of right – they love me anyway!
I’ve always loved photography and with technology, I can create beautiful, visual art which I share with friends and family.
Sometimes I look back and say, “I wish I would have done______years ago.” But back then, my old blueprint and the cement didn’t give me permission to do something that might not be “safe”. I remember an old commercial for Arbor Day or somesuch – “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is today.” I’m so very glad for MKMMA showing me how to chip away at the cement and to have the life I was created to have.
One of my favorite quotes from the Master Keys is: –
“Thought is a spiritual activity and is therefore creative, but make no mistake: thought will create nothing unless it is consciously, systematically,and constructively directed; and herein is the difference between idle thinking, which is simply a dissipation of effort and constructive thinking, which means practically unlimited achievement.”
Master Key Lesson 13, sentence 23
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Hard to imagine, Nancy, during this time with so much miss-directed thinking going on, “idle thinking” might actually be a step up. LOL 🙂
That’s a great point, Loren. I’m glad the ‘silence’ exercise has come up. It’s so important to disconnect from the bombardment of external thoughts.