Letter from Publisher, September 2012
“Light tomorrow with today!” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Following this sage advice will see us moving through today with enough energy to fire up many tomorrows. Realizing our dreams requires the spark of ongoing desire, the kindling of practical steps needed to make them happen and an air of receptiveness to our own and others’ creative ideas.Even when creativity’s fire is burning brightly within us, it can be extinguished with self-defeating doubts like “Great idea, but there’s no way I could do that” or “Maybe someday, but not now.” Of course you can do whatever you set your mind to, by guarding against such fears and taking one more step, then one more, starting today. This year’s Olympians are stellar examples of how believing in yourself fuels desire and attracts essential support.
I marvel at the creative impulses that children express.I might say some random word during the day that my kids will latch onto and carry into their play for hours. This free childlike sense of playful association and confident imagination seems harder to come by as we mature into larger responsibilities, but I aim to try and urge you to join me. This month’s feature article, “Exploring Our Creative Side,” by Judith Fertig suggests many ways you can tap into a favorite source of inspiration in your community that stands ready to support you in restarting or jump-starting your own sense of creativity.
A few years ago, I discovered the Brazilian martial art of capoeira, widely referred to as a form of dance-fight. Each move is an expression of self and within each expression is a move. Within the music is a story. Within each song lies an opportunity to channel the creativity of the songwriter into the game. Each game is propelled by an underlying fire. Had I thought that I was too old or too inflexible to try it, I would never have found the joy of capoeira.
Of course it’s possible to find creativity everywhere; the trick is to find a form that captures and expands who you are. By daring to attempt new horizons and stretch your self-perceptions, you’re bound to learn something new about yourself. The only failure lies in not trying at all.
Our area is ripe with wonder-filled opportunities to expand our world through community theater, dance or music activities, or any number of other artful passions. Go forth and create!
- Audrey
