The practice of Taoism resonates with me. I’ve read some and I want to read more. And yet I’ve read enough to know that’s a contradictory statement for a Taoist. One of the core ideas of Taoism is not to force things and sink into the flow of life/the Tao.
I connected that idea to my creativity today in that how I’d like to show up in the world is to follow where my creativity wants to go. To not force it and sink into the flow of my creativity. I hadn’t connected creativity and Taoism before but now it’s like this “duh” moment of “of course they’re like the same!”
So now that I’ve made the connection, I’ll try to remember not to force creativity and let it show up how it’s supposed to. But I say that while also acknowledging that if I don’t make the time to sit down to create or to write, it might not happen. The idea of “waiting for inspiration to strike” is a sure fire way to not create much.
How do I strike the balance on sinking into the flow of the Tao and my creativity with intentionally making time to create? Is that statement contradictory?
Perhaps the connection lies in how a Taoist wouldn’t question why a tree grows its’ leaves that way or why it’s raining today or why clouds are formed the way they are, those things just are and nature is never right or wrong. She just is. A Taoist just is.
My creativity just is. The work is not to question why I want to work with my brush pens or why I want to make a collage or how does that connect to what I made yesterday. The work is choosing to sit down at the metaphorical river and sinking into the flow of my creativity and seeing where it leads or wants to go. To not question it or try to understand it. Let it flow and it won’t be right or wrong, it will just be.
Easier said than done for sure, but thinking through these pieces helps refine the way I want to show up in the world so that I can check in and adjust as needed. I’ll never get it perfect or right (whatever that means), but I can show up today and that’s enough. Cause by bringing that intentionality I give myself the chance to practice and step into the flow of life to see where it leads.