A generative capacity for transformation.

Listening to CBC this evening as I was driving home, I was lucky enough to catch just a snippet of a documentary on the program ‘ldeas’. In case you are unfamiliar with this program, it airs a diverse number of radio documentaries and is always enlightening, well-researched, and totally eye-opening. Tonight’s program was investigating the construct of IMAGINATION, defined by one source as

“… a generative capacity for transformation”.

I mean, how beautiful and succinct can you be.

They go on to qualify imagination as being both useful in the pursuit of good and evil: imagination can take us places that make the world a better or worse place. There is such hope embedded in this idea, we have the capacity, through the power of our thoughts, to transform ourselves and the world around us AND, the more we use this muscle called imagination, the stronger and more easily accessed the possibilities.

As someone who struggles with mental illness, it’s easy to remember times where my all-powerful thoughts have created realities that are completely false. I have convinced myself that I am invisible, that I am powerless, that I face a future devoid of any happiness and only filled with despair. How real these feelings can seem! Using only the construct of the mind, I can erect enormous walls between my greatest supporters and myself. I can deliberately sabotage relationships, thinking I am protecting myself. I can deny myself opportunity, thinking I am unworthy of growth.

As someone who considers her big broken brain one of her most marketable assets, it’s easy to remember times where my all-powerful thoughts have unlocked doors to blinding beauty. I have convinced myself that I can use my insatiable drive to create opportunity for the less fortunate. I construct systems where the arts can intersect with business. I imagine a life where cynicism is recognized as the non-constructive cycle that it is, and mavericks lead communities in directions never though possible.

All this, and I have never left my armchair. How mysterious, how transformative, the power of the human mind!

If you are interested in listening to the CBC documentary, follow the link below.

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/02/05/imagination-part-1-2-1/

Celebration, joy, carefree abandon.

Have you ever thought about how fortunate children are, in the way they view the world and their place within it? As adults, it’s so easy to become jaded and cynical when interacting with our universe. I won’t go into the dreariness of the news, the economic instability of our 20s, the housing market, drugs and alcohol. We know it. This blog is supposed to be a space to escape that, to exact change, to rise above it and redefine our own reality.

Interestingly, when I think about how to maintain a cultural focus at this age, my approach often becomes more controlling. If I maintain a vigilence, I can pencil in exercise, cooking, reading, socializing, theatre, events, family. But yet, when I look at this photograph, it almost communicates the opposite. That liberation in finding joy in small places. It’s a bit of a zen in-the-present mentality that my uber-anal self has trouble with. I enjoy the company of others, laugh easily, and find pleasure in nurturing my relationships. I do believe I have spontaneous acts of generosity, and if someone is in trouble or needs a good listener, I will be there. However, beyond that, living in the moment seems elusive.

I guess part of the whole process is to learn what makes you happy, and indulge in what makes you joyful, and use that as your safe space. We don’t all need to meditate to find a stillness of the mind. I am reminded of my mother, who never goes to church but gardens passionately. She describes those times as peaceful, still, tranquil, and spiritual. My father is a stained glass artist, and his workspace is like a spritual retreat.

With this in mind, I challenge us to break free of our shoulds and will-somedays, and examine what little pleasures we already have. Give ourselves credit for finding some peace of mind where we already do. For me, reading a good book can have a transcendal effect, but I didn’t go to classes, or invest a lot of money, or do anything particularly revolutionary. Our personal spiritual revolutions can be a lot closer at hand!