Creating Hope...

It is hard to ignore the expressions of loss, fear and deprivation that I have been hearing from friends lately. It is hard to ignore my own feelings of "lack" that have been gnawing and churning for the past few months. What a time we live in! For myself, there has been so much focus on simply taking care of the most basic needs--providing shelter, making sure my kids are safe, and trying to shake some of the precariousness of the past year--that I haven't felt I could put any energy into creative endeavors. Even the writing that I have been doing in the past couple months has been purely hack work--writing for pay with little thought on truly being creative.

There is a hopefulness that is required in the act of creation. We invest something in the future when we strive to create--whether it is in art, a craft project, or as I am finding--in gardening. I have entered the new year wanting to unblock all the realities of life that are keeping me from exploring more of my creative self. It is easier said or expressed than done, however. I am not feeling any more secure in terms of finances and it can be tough to justify creative endeavors when a gal wonders if she shouldn't be focusing on more practical issues!

There have been some glitches and obstacles and it can seem easier just to assume those are "signs" or reasons NOT to express one's creative urges. Why is it we think that the things that matter should be easy and obstacle-free? I am forcing myself to put shovel into the dirt; forcing myself to focus on creating something where it didn't exist before; forcing myself to use my hands and my head for acts of creation instead of merely staying afloat and meeting the survival struggles of each day. It may seem a luxury at times, but I realize it is also an act of hope. My creative efforts mean that I am fostering hope that the future is going to be better than today...