It’s easy to keep your head down to power through life’s to-do’s or laser focus on your “end game”, but when was the last time you looked up, taking in the creative magic of the sky?
I have to admit, I don’t take us much time to “look up” as I used to when hours and minutes were a toy rather than a timer. As a kid, watching the clouds and the story they played out was part of a typical summer day, part of experiencing the natural creative magic of the universe as it unfolded in front of me.
I felt a sense of ever- changing possibilities as clouds danced and morphed into a face, a dragon or a lion, stirring my imagination. The creative magic of the sky reminded me how big the world is, while also making me feel like I was in on a little secret. It felt intimate, special and exciting, all at the same time.
Quality Time with the Universe Breaks Open your Idea of Beauty
So, when was the last time you actually looked up? Took some time, sat in the grass or on a deck and just checked out what the sky might have to share?
I did…this weekend.
I kicked back in a comfy camping chair on my deck and just waited to see what floated by. The Big Dipper changed it’s parking spot, a little at a time. Planes cruised along, lights flashing in a rhythmic pattern as they carried weary travelers home to loved ones, towards business trips or onto the adventure of a lifetime.
Random lightning-fast meteors scooted among the stationary stars, going by in a blaze of glory that was captivatingly beautiful. There was a cozy, familiar haze along one corner of my view as the moon slowly rose up to reveal itself; bright and stunning. She settled just beyond the trees, peeking out between the shadowed leaves.
This is NOT a real photo from my porch ; )
The lull of the crickets was calming and comforting, taking me back to hot summer nights on the east coast when my windows were held open by a stick and I drifted off to the sound of their chorus, as each attempted to find their next mate.
And in that brief moment I felt seven years old all over again.
Why are you Waiting to Find Creative Magic When it’s Already Here?
The creative magic that seems so far away when it’s tucked in the heavens is really only as far as your eyes can see, or allow your imagination expand.
Being an adult carries with it lots of new distractions and things that pull my head down to earth. But when I look up I see more than the creative magic of the universe, the mystery of the stars or the ancient stories of the constellations. I’m reminded of what it’s like to see the world in a playful way, to watch what happens “just because” and enjoy it’s spontaneous, momentary flash of beauty.
The next time you feel like your creative insights are running on fumes or your nose is buried in “making progress” instead of creative magic, take a seat in the grass. Look up at the sky and watch what shows up. Notice if there’s a theme to what you see, or a surprising image that captures your heart and wants to be shared in the world.
How you choose to live in the moment is different for every single person. I like feeling the solid, stable earth under my back while I lie on the grass, and the inner knowing that there’s so much possibility in front and above me that I can’t even begin to know or imagine everything. There’s comfort in understanding I’m part of something so vast, and can express my own creative magic to join the chorus of all the creative light in the world.
How about you? How often do you take the time to get your head out of your electronics and look up once and a while?
For little extra inspiration, check out this video that captures the sky for seven full days. A friend posted it online today just before I published this post. How amazing is that? Perfect timing… Photo credit: sedaFB, levviathor