Spring Cleaning for Creativity

Spring is here.  It’s a season of new life, fresh energy, clearing out the old and bringing in the new.  I think of creativity as “bringing in the new.”  If we want to create something, we need to have a flow of energy.  When we feel stagnant or stuck, we’re probably not creating.  I’m thinking of a writer with “writer’s block.”  There is no flow.

So how do we shift our energy if we’re stuck in some way?  I think most of us have noticed that when the papers or the dishes pile up; when our unworn clothes start getting musty in the closet; or when the garage gets packed with recycling, we feel a sort of stagnancy.  The energy in our home feels blocked or stuck and we might even experience some mental agitation.  We might be frustrated with all there is to do and overwhelmed at the prospects of starting it.  This is when it’s a good time to get that Spring Cleaning bug.  When we get inspired to clear out the closets, go through the papers and drop off the recycling, we’re clearing our energy field.  And when we do that, we’re making way for new energy to come in and it feels so good!

I started noticing this Spring Cleaning urge about a month ago.  I was feeling restless looking at all the old clothes that I’ve been meaning to mend or drop off at consignment or good will.  I looked in my cabinet and saw dozens of ancient necklaces and earrings that I never wear clogging up the drawer.  I felt exasperated.  Finally, I did something about it.  I organized, made piles, gave stuff away and dropped stuff off – and WOW!  I felt a rush of energy and inspiration.  I felt relief not to be dealing with things I no longer want to have around me and excited about having space to see and appreciate what I do like to have around.  I was making space for new energy to flow in.  I then did some shopping and found some clothes and jewelry that line up with how I want to express myself now.  I felt like I’d cleaned up my energy and gave myself a surge of life.

Another juicy way to make some space for flow is to express what has not yet been expressed to the person it’s most relevant to.  This seems so simple and yet for many of us, it’s incredibly terrifying to speak the truth and say what needs to be said.  I see this so often with my clients.  People feel scared that if they share a certain feeling or tell a secret they’ve been carrying, they may be rejected or abandoned.  And this is usually for a good reason and it may be true, though often it’s an unrealistic childhood fear.  They may have had an abandonment experience in early life that caused them to shut down certain thoughts or feelings in order to protect themselves.  Yet holding onto an important truth can create distance when what we usually want is more closeness.  When people do get the courage to express the truth, for the sake of creating closeness, freeing their minds and living in greater harmony, they often feel a similar kind of relief as in clearing out the closet, but it lasts much longer.  They get a burst of energy flow because they’re no longer ruminating about the old issue or spending energy hiding it.  By speaking it, they free up the clutter in their minds and often notice more space to create what they really want.

So now that it’s officially Spring, it’s a great time to consider what you might like to clear up in your life.  Is it your closets?  Your garage?  Your marriage?  Clearing your space and clearing your mind can open up a whole new flow of creative energy.  Where would you like to channel your creative flow?

I’d love to hear from you!

Namasté,

Robyn