Adaptive Creativity
I always love the writers of the gospels and how they show
that Jesus was never stuck in a mold even when healing people. There were no abracadabra moments where magic words
were said and the miracle was conjured up by recipe or rote.
It was always a creative response to the person before him
and I believe the audience around them. What would it take to call forth faith
or life in the events as they unfolded at that particular time, in that
particular culture? Whether it was words in the sand, water for the soul, a dip
in a river or mud in the eye it was an unbelievably creative moment in that person’s
life where they had to choose to adapt to receive the miracle they desired.
As a counsellor especially with people with addictions or
long term depression I try and get them to use common sense and senses to bring
about change. What did their gut say moments before something negative
happened,? Can they take a different route home and focus on the ordinary or
extraordinary details around them in the landscape. Does a tortilla chips
crunch take their mind off the craving or a teaspoon of peanut butter slowly
savored bring about a small change? Does the fragrance of something bring peace
in the midst of crisis?
In our writing lives is it really any different? I don’t
believe in writers block, no matter how much it has been written about. I
believe people are tired, weary or exhausted in circumstances, or they have
stared at the same thing for too long – whether it be their pen, screen or
wall.
Calling on the beauty in life helps us adapt our creativity.
It shows us that a million snowflakes or trees are not the same – ever. There is always some new way to adapt to the
circumstances creatively change the stories that need to be told.
In the first photo a single rose is highlighted against the frozen minus forty stark Saskatchewan landscape. The photo can help me remember both the beauty of a surprise rose, a frosty day or my beloved Saskatchewan landscapes. It brings beauty to an ordinary day when I MAYBE was not keen on helping a neighbor boost their vehicle again in frigid temperatures.
