Productivity is how you run away from yourself. Creativity is how you become yourself.
Brianna Wiest
First Quarter Moon: action, move forward, energy boost, strength, determination, concentration, growth, exert (write a list of everything you want to get done this week including obligations, work tasks, errands, self care treats, etc. Go through the list again and circle your top 3-5 priorities and cross out things that you may have thought were obligations at first, then create a boundary for yourself so that you have more energy to show creativity.)
Transit Gemini: air, communicate, think, learn, desire for variety, light-hearted, instinctive curiosity, restless, more than one activity at once, emotional change, feeling two feelings at once (lesson: because of the dual-nature of this sign, take time to experience the variety and changes, but also pause to reflect on what resonates with you most.)
March 2, 2020. We're in MARCH already!!! AAAAAA. February flew by, as always. Of course the shortest month of the year has a million family birthdays and special occasions. When I feel like I have a million things on my plate, I tend to get a little overwhelmed and try to do it all at once and end up falling off my planning/organization habits. It takes that jumble for me to crave order again, though. So now, I'm attempting to get my life back in order so that I can get a little more CREATIVE.
I absolutely love the quote by Brianna Wiest that I shared above. It is an excellent reminder for someone like me who is constantly on the go and trying to be as productive as possible. Ever since I started getting my daily routine connected to the moon cycle, I've noticed that I'm much more accepting of different phases of my own energy levels. I have been better at honoring my times of low energy as well as harnessing the most out of my intensely motivated moments. However, I was still thinking of it as a harmony between productivity and creativity. The times when I wasn't rushing through my to do list were the times I felt like I could actually get creative and let my imagination run free. What I didn't realize was that my 'productivity' or just 'getting stuff done' was not really honoring the true space in my heart that I wanted to act from. This is why completing tasks through my busyness never felt like creativity. After thinking about it more, I've realized that those times of rest and low energy is actually a time of imagination--a time of dreaming and brainstorming--not a time of creativity or creation--which requires action.
After realizing that productivity was my way of 'running from myself,' I paused to reevaluate what I should be striving for during the different phases of my cycles. I think what I really should be going for is a harmony between creativity and imagination, movement and stillness, growth and pause.
With the moon in its first quarter phase, this is the perfect time to start to put this into practice! This time of the moon cycle is ideal for action, moving forward, growing into your intention.
The moon is passing through the star sign Gemini... which could be a blessing--or a curse--at a time like this. Characteristics of the Gemini moon include a hunger for learning, communication, and variety. There is a general light-hearted, restlessness and curiosity in the air that could help us to experiment and try different things to grow and increase our creativity... but if we let it completely take over, I think that's when it starts to become mindless action, in some cases productivity. Yes, it can be helpful to get a lot of things done, but what is the point if you're completing things that do not have any personal meaning or significance?
The lesson we can take away from the Gemini transit characteristics is the importance of reflection after experimentation. Allow yourself to dabble in multiple different avenues of creativity, but take some time after trying them out to reflect on which ones really worked and resonated with your purpose and mission.
MERAKI [mey-rah-kee] : (n.) to put something of yourself into your work. Soul. Creativity. Love.
Greek word
So how do we make sure we are putting ourselves into our work and moving through creativity rather than running away from ourselves through productivity?
Try this!
Make a list of everything you want to get done this week including obligations, work tasks, errands, self care treats, etc. Make sure you even add things like play time with your kids, walks with your pets, or skin care/self care rituals because if you do not put it on your list of priorities, it will not happen. Go through the list again and circle your top 3-5 priorities and cross out a few things that you may have thought were obligations at first, then create a boundary for yourself so that you have more time and energy for those creative priorities.
Now, of course, there are things that will inevitably take up space on our lists that are not exactly fun or enjoyable such as doing the dishes, folding the laundry, or taking care of your budget. Can these tasks still allow us to show creativity instead of sucking us into mindless productivity? Absolutely, they can! The key is in finding your why. Each task on your to do list should have a purpose, a reason for being there. Something deeper than 'because I have to.' WHY do you have to? For example, "I have to wash the dishes so that I can have a clean kitchen. I need a clean kitchen so that I can make dinner. I am making dinner to provide my family with the healthy nourishment that they need to thrive." When you break it down like that and find the root purpose, it allows you to move into that creativity with a more joyful mindset.
Show Creativity
Once you've created your list of to-do's, it's easy to pick a few that you want to prioritize, the few that will really let your creativity shine through... but how do you go about picking the few to cross off? This is where the boundaries come into play.
Some might argue that you can make up a reasoning and purpose for just about any task. This is why it is also important to know and understand your core values and only keep the tasks that align with them! I'll give you another example of something we once had on our list simply because we thought we had to. "I have to pay over $2000 in rent and utilities each month so that my family can have shelter and live in a family-friendly and nature-filled community that we love." While this is good reasoning for many families to keep this on their list of things to do, this was not in alignment with many of our family values--specifically in budgeting, family quality time, and adventure. In order to check this off our to do list, we had to neglect making bigger payments on our debt, cut out important parts of our budget, we hardly saw each other for quality family time because we were working so hard, and of course had no time, money, or energy to explore and adventure together--even just in the community that we loved and lived in. When we realized that there was so much we weren't holding true to our values, we went looking for a better option that could fit our family's need and wants. Then we stumbled upon the #RVlife and #vanlife communities doing their #fulltimetravel and #tinyliving. A year and a half later... it became our reality.
In order for that to happen, we had to do our research so that we could say, "no, this is not serving us, it cannot continue." We tried the conventional lifestyle that is supported and encouraged by our society, but it just didn't work for our family, so we had to dig deep and discover a more fitting path for us. Ironically, decision to set a boundary was one that we had to make in order to think outside of the box, get creative with our goals and aspirations, and pursue something that is definitely not mainstream.
This journal entry would not be complete without sharing a Dr. Seuss quote in honor of the incredible artist's birthday! But really... "why fit in when you were born to stand out?" Don't limit yourself by allowing other people's values or opinions control the tasks on your to-do list. The word limit is in the definition of boundary... so what is the difference? Again, intention is key. Proper boundary setting does draw a line and set a limit, but it also does it in a way that allows for more creation, more love, and more joy. It allows you to show your true creative self instead of jumping through hoops just to create something that you hope will be loved and accepted by everyone else. I'm sure this Bible scripture is overused but it's screaming out at me right now so I have to share it:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
I've always loved this verse because I feel like it is God giving me the permission to be bold, be free, be me--because that's who He created me to be, anyway.
My prayer for all of you is that you can connect with your true values, your deepest roots, so that you can start to dive into your creative nature rather than simply being productive without connecting to your purpose. CREATE a life full of purpose, don't be afraid, don't hold back, and definitely don't apologize for being different. I pray that you have the confidence to set boundaries to free yourselves from the limits of others' values and opinions so that you can start to show your true, authentic creativity.
Namaste,
Keila