Exploring My Creativity
Spring has sprung! I feel this new sense of energy, re-invigoration!
This has always been one of my favourite times of the year. Everything comes alive and bursting with life, colours are everywhere, fragrance fills the air. It’s exquisite.
I am lucky to have a yard where I can plant a garden. I planted seeds last year and much to my amazement, the most spectacular garden grew. I tended to it everyday. Every morning before heading off to work, before breakfast, this quiet time was spent lovingly watering, weeding, staking and trimming. I savoured this time, quiet reflection, the sun just barely up, gently signaling the start of the day. And with all that nurturing by the end of the summer I had more vegetables than our family could handle. I was able to share the spoils with family, neighbours, and friends – there was more than enough! The abundance of carrots, kale, beans, peas, cucumbers, peppers, and green onions was remarkable. I also learned in my first year as a suburban farmer. I learned about what tomatoes don’t like (shade apparently), which has made for modifications in this year’s garden. Along with the tried and true from last year, I have courageously added new seeds, and I am excited to see how lettuce and radishes will do in among the others.
As I turn inwards to reflect on my own personal inner garden I can take cues from nature to support me. I have seeds, intentions, things I want to manifest and nurture in my life. Seed #1: I am an energy healer. I know this to my core. When I am working with people I feel passionate, I feel alive; time stands still, I am home. And while I have a client base, it does not fill my weeks yet, so I struggle with a feeling of in-authenticity, because in order to help support my family, I also go to a job, not for love or passion for what I do, but for money. Cue number one from nature. The seed doesn’t struggle with who am I. When it’s needs are met, ie water and sunlight, it just grows. In this light, I am humbled to let go of the what I think it should be like and accept and allow what the universe is providing me in the moment.
Seed #2 Self care. As I was writing about my tending to my vegetable garden last summer it struck me that I too am like that garden. In order to be abundant I need to invest the time to nurture, water and cultivate my body, mind and spirit. Taking the time to work on myself. This means, returning to my daily practice of self healing. Maintaining my daily practice of meditation. Continuing my journey with Yoga. Being fully present when nourishing my body. Enjoying the outdoors. It also means weeding out the things that are threatening my garden. I could do with less screen time, social media, less coffee, less wine, fewer limiting beliefs.
Seed #3: Exploring creativity. I am energized in creative pursuits. I love taking pictures. I love being in nature. The 2 come together so beautifully. I want to learn to use my camera beyond the auto settings. There is a whole other side to my camera in the manual settings. Which in the 9 years I have had this camera I have not explored. Why? I am not a photographer. And to this I say..why not? And with the nature at it’s most spectacular, what better time to get out there and play with those manual settings?
Seed #4: Writing. I have a book in my head. A few actually. From different perspectives but about the healing journey a family takes. A diagnosis of any family member becomes a diagnosis for the whole family. The ideas are scribbled in a notebook. The framework is there. All in my handwriting, with different colour ink inspired by whatever colour spoke to me at the time of inspiration. It’s time to water those words, and take them from paper to the screen. What’s stopping me? Not enough time? Fear? Time to say “what if this is the greatest thing I’ve ever done?” And again cue nature, the growing seed does not question if it can, or fear penetrating the soil into the unknown of the sun, it just grows. And so I will just write.
As I contemplate all these seeds, intentions, I feel the flutter of butterflies in my belly. Excited and invigorated and taking comfort knowing I am guided by gardening experience, I will be nurturing and cultivating these seeds in the coming months.
Written by Melanie Groves; Metamorphosis Healing
