"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
– Thomas Merton
Being in touch with oneself creatively is essential for personal growth and emotional well-being. Creativity allows us to explore our inner worlds, express our deepest thoughts and feelings, and connect with others on a profound level. It serves as a form of self-discovery, helping us understand who we are and what we value.
After being disconnected from this very real portion of my person, I realized how crippling being this disjointed has been for me. I have tried to stuff myself in boxes that are very rigid and structured because I was made to doubt my past decisions to live freely and in technicolor, to live outside of the lines and be expressive. In turn, I forced myself to detach from my emotions as a form of therapy, which is at the core of creativity, which is at the core of being human.
In Second Life in particular, I have written for BUSTed, a now-defunct magazine that focused on the genesis of prim breasts and how it added aesthetic value to the female avatar user and their in-world appearance. It was my foray into the field of magazine journalism and an introduction to a creative outlet; however, I sold myself short chasing the money, seeing writing as a means to an end rather than as a developing passion, so I ran in an attempt to distance myself from the field only to find myself being reeled back.
After the passage of time, I found the Best of Second Life (BOSL) publication, which was a further delving into my creative self as the standards were greater, thus pushing me to my creative limits, breaking a cap I had looming overhead.
I am thankful.
Next, the SL Enquirer takes center stage in my professional life, serving an identical purpose to BOSL as it pushed me even further into the creative sphere. I found myself growing as a writer, a creative writer, as I made mistakes, messes, if you will, that are necessary in the creative space as it leads to a greater sense of self-expression.
Once more, my internal shadow reared its ugly head, standing on my path and forcing me to run again, and again, and again.
I finally decided to stop living inside the confines of self-imposed walls that are supported by societal buttresses. I have decided to break free of these shackles and reacquaint myself with the creative being that dwells in my soul.
I am extending a hand, reaching out and beckoning this creative light to come out of the darkness and shine all over the pages on which I choose to spell my emotions, my opinions, my research as I continue to use the written medium as my outlet until I have found this is not enough.
And you, readership, I invite along this journey to reconnect with your creative self as well. Shed that stale skin you were forced to live in and love your imagination and your humanity—the fuel for the creative fire that burns inside all of us. Embrace the messiness, the imperfections because in these conditions lies the beauty that is within every visionary that has put brush to canvas, hand to clay, or pen to paper.
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