Experience An Open Secret: The Power of Imagination & Creation
I'm not going to delve into the insane way our brains and bodies are designed to react to the simplest amount of art. I'm not going to write an article about the secret sauce for this critical junction of time. I'm definitely not going to dive into the strange predictions of a future that depends on our ability to get in touch with our most creative internal resources. No. Not today.
Instead, we're going to gently crack open the door to the inner world together and have an experience.
It'll be fun, grounding, and insightful. I'll be the guinea pig and demonstrate. You can do it with yourself or with your closest confidantes, either way, buckle in for some interesting revelations.
The Prompt
I'm going to jump right in. For those of you who have never worked with me in this capacity before, here are the simple rules.
Follow the instructions and don't skip ahead. All you need to do is write a little thought down when prompted. No overthinking, no perfectionism, just playful curiosity and fun.
Here we go:
Find a time in your childhood when you were outside playing with plants and flowers.
Think of a flower or plant that stands out, try and think of one that you particularly admired or were drawn to.
Now, without using color or fragrance, describe it in three words. Write it down so you don't forget. Do this before moving on, it's so much better this way, trust me.
The Demonstration
I did this exercise myself, blindly, and I'll share my un-curated answers below as an example.
Ahem.
For my childhood plant or flower, I chose the VENUS FLY TRAP.
Hear me out.
I was on a volleyball team called the "Wildflowers". We all picked the flower that represented us and then wore the jersey with the name of our chosen flower. I was the VENUS FLY TRAP.
I was also in a top-secret girls club (that I started) where we were each given a new name inside the club. Part of my top-secret club name was VENUS. Not Venus fly trap, but there was a strong correlation to that weird little carnivorous plant-flower.
The three words I chose to describe the first flower:
Weird. Unique. Otherworldly.
Prompt #2
Back to you.
Now, pick another flower that you know of today that you find particularly intriguing or awe-inspiring. What flower are you most drawn to right now in your life? Think about it.
Describe it in three words, no colors or fragrances.
I chose: ANGELS TRUMPET.
We had these beauties in our yard for a few years in Florida. I'd never seen a tree flower so large. My husband took this enchanting photograph of them, they've claimed a lovely place in my soul ever since.
The three words to describe them:
Huge. Awe-inspiring. Feminine.
The Reveal
Now, for the fun part.
No cheating, write your answers down.
Ok, your childhood flower is how you bring your gifts into the world, it's part of your essence and what you're releasing into the world.
The second flower represents a quality inside yourself that is expanding and that you want to explore more. It symbolizes what you're attracted to in others as you learn to grow it stronger inside yourself.
Bonus
If you did this prompt fair-in-square, and you'd like to go a little deeper, do this:
Take a blank sheet of paper. On it, create any scene you'd like. In it, include:
- flower #1
- yourself (or a representation of yourself)
- a landscape or backdrop of any kind
Use any materials you want. Use any style you want. Go quick, take your time, add to it over a few days- whatever feels right. If you've worked with me or been in any of my groups you know the rules: don't overthink, there is no right way to do art, and most of all, just be playful and curious.
Have fun with it.
Then, repeat the process with the second flower, same instructions. At the end, you should have two images, each including a landscape, yourself, and one of the two flowers.
This is a great prompt to do with a close friend or family member, it's grounding, insightful, and a great conversation starter.
It may seem simple or silly, but I guarantee you it is not. Simplicity is complexity resolved. So much is going on in the brain and body when we intentionally engage our imaginations to invoke the creation process. But again, instead of explaining, let's just experience it a little first.
To sweeten the deal, I'll give a free 20-minute art processing consult for anyone who completes the prompt.
Why?
Because getting Game Changers to create is another part of my open agenda.
As you may have noticed, art is pretty important around here.
Never mind that it's one of the most researched and highly effective psychological interventions to date.
No matter that it's one of the most ancient practices that defines the health of any given society.
"Art is an international language, understood by all" Igor Bobailov
And it's not so much about the fact that we're all born natural creators and then had it smashed out of us.
"You can't use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have" Maya Angelou
It's because art is the language of the soul. And the soul needs to speak right now. I don't care who you are or what you're doing; if you haven't sat down and created something in a while, you can and will benefit from this.
"I make art to show my soul that I am listening"
The simple act of engaging in the process of creating, no matter how simple or sophisticated, is calming, and extremely good for the brain. It creates natural integration processes in our souls and bodies, relieves stress, and connects us to powerful, healthy feminine energy (ex intuition, spirituality, creativity).
The world needs Game Changers, and Game Changers need to be creating regularly to strengthen their inner worlds for the adventure ahead.
It's all hands on deck people.
Want to help save the world? Get to work creating your flowers.
Inspiration for this prompt was from thewayfwrd podcast hosted by Alec Zeck: Episode 74- Microdosing the Spirit of Nature with Katie Hess. Katie is a flower specialist and explores the deep wisdom plants and flowers have to offer us.
Share your flower choices below or join the discussion on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you.
Want to take me up on my art incentive? Get your two images completed anytime in the next two weeks and schedule a free art processing consult with me here. If you haven't experienced the art processing experience before, you won't want to miss this.
And if you haven't checked it out yet, you're invited to join me as I interview Dr. Jonathan Welton on this first episode of Alice In No Man's Land. You can listen while you work on your Flower Art prompt.
I've asked the thinkers, storytellers, and those who dedicate their life's work to asking big questions to delve into the process of answering these three big ones for all of us:
And What's Our Role in the Story?
This week Dr. Jonathan Welton gives us his worldview, the story of our time, and some specific pointers on what we can do right now to be Game Changers.
Join me for this low-budget, hole-in-wall production that will dazzle you with some unexpected perspectives.