Something that often comes up when I work with one of my lovely clients is the creative visionary’s resistance to accepting “the everyday”. Sometimes I call it “the mundane.” One of my clients calls it “real world crap.”
In my twenties, I ignored “real world crap” to the point that I became ill and had to be hospitalized. I was defining “real world crap” at the time as: paying bills, eating decent meals, getting good sleep, doing the dishes, doing the laundry.
The creative visionary part of me said: that stuff is boring and it won’t get me where I want to go. Focusing on that stuff is a drag.
Fast-forward fifteen years and I realize that the “everyday stuff” that I loathed so much back then is actually my friend.
Doing the dishes is an excellent way of being in the present moment and dealing with analysis paralysis.
Doing laundry is a great way of getting grounded, of coming back to earth, to the things of this rich material world, when my creativity has taken me far, far away from it.
Getting good sleep allows my physical body the rejuvenation it needs to move through another day with hope and resilience.
Paying bills is a way of acknowledging that money is part of the energy that supports me in living the life I love. (I didn’t want to accept this back then — money was boring, and “unspiritual.”)
And: because I, and many of my clients, are highly sensitive people, we tend to become easily overstimulated by the very creative work we love. There’s a point where, if we don’t stop when we’ve done enough, we are at risk of becoming ungrounded and burning out.
The “mundane” things of everyday life — walking to the mailbox to get the mail, mowing the lawn, saying hello to the neighbor — are actually vital ways of rooting us in the fabric of this earth, this world, the here and now.
So, if you feel like you’re spinning off away from yourself or swept up in a creative wave that feels a little scary, remember that “the mundane” can be your friend, dear highly sensitive creative visionary.
And, because you are who you are, I have no doubt that you will quickly discover the magic in the mundane, too.
And: The Sunshine Award!
The lovely Harula of wordsthatserve, who writes such amazingly true poetry, kindly nominated me for the Sunshine Award. Yay! I’m thrilled — thanks, Harula!
So, here’s me accepting, gratefully. 🙂
Rules:
* Post a picture of the award on your blog
* Link back to the person who nominated you
* List ten random facts about yourself
* Nominate ten fellow bloggers who “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” (I’m actually nominating six.)
* Comment on their blogs to notify them of their nomination
So here are ten random facts about me:
1) One of my earliest memories is getting sick on giant marshmallow chicks on Easter day. And of my mother warning me not to eat so many.
2) Last month, I achieved one of my lifelong dreams: seeing “Jaws” on the big screen — twice. Chills.
3) My favorite actress is Crystal the Monkey. Few human actors have this monkey’s range of expression — seriously.
4) My current favorite thing to watch on MeTV: “Rhoda.” The opening theme music is so whimsically weird.
5) I am happiest in weather between 30 and 70 degrees F. I love fall when it is brisk and slightly overcast.
6) My favorite book I’ve read recently is “It Chooses You” by Miranda July. So achingly real — and talk about embracing the everyday! This book proves that the extraordinary hides out in the ordinary.
7) Most of my favorite foods involve the potato in some form.
8) My shoe size is 7.5 M.
9) I’m kind of a chatty hermit. One of my gifts is connecting with others, but it needs to be balanced by lots of alone time.
10) I miss my grandparents more than I ever thought I would.
And my Sunshine Award nominees: every time I read one of their posts, I feel nourished and enlivened.
http://thesoulstoryjournal.wordpress.com
http://alifeinbalance.com/blog
http://yourjoyfulheart.wordpress.com
http://kristinnador.wordpress.com
http://beautifullyzen.wordpress.com
Happy Saturday!
Top image is “Child’s Shoes” © Laukas | Dreamstime Stock Photos
the artist's nest 
I’m soooo with you on number 9! I’m kind of half way between acknowledging the importance of the ‘real world crap’ and regularly trying to escape into the escapism of total creative immersion, seeing it as the be all and end all. Ho humm, bring on balance:-)
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Yes, I still struggle with embracing the “real world crap” (some days more than others), but I have a much more friendly relationship with it than I used to. It’s kind of like moving along a continuum, fulfilling the needs of different aspects of myself at different times. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Jill! You bring sunshine into my life every day xoxo
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Right back at ya, Terri! 🙂
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Made my day, thank you Jill! Going to check out the other nominees too. Also love and agree with your description of chatty hermit! This is me and an excellent way of describing it! Love connecting on the blogosphere xx
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Yay, another chatty hermit! (That’s probably what I should call this blog, ha ha.) And you’re very welcome — thanks for your wonderful, colorful content! 🙂
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hi jill!
just found your blog and you will laugh your belly of when i tell you how 😉
i googled: “how to save a worm from the sun” 😀
i saw this teeny-tiny worm struggling on the pavement. so i put him in the grass right next to it and made a little hole in the soil so he can go and dig himself a safety tunnel. but the worm was so tiny that it could not get under the soil which was not very moist and very clayey. i got a little water and poured it over the worm in hopes that it would also help him to get underneath the earth. i went to mail a letter and when i came back 10mins later or so, poor little thing was not moving anymore. so i said to him:”why did you die’??? on MY watch, you know?? but then he started moving again and i took him gently and placed him on the other side of the pathway where the grass was still moist, put him down gently and wished him well. then i went to google to make sure that i did everything right and found your post about “saving the worms”. and i thought how nice that i’m not the only one saving worms…hahahaha……
read some other of your posts and are loving it. this girl/saxophone player and jewelry designer is here to stay!!
am off to work to fulfill an order but will be back 🙂
it’s so nice to meet you, jill!!!! love your blog already ❤
love
keeshea
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Thanks for sharing that story, Keeshea! You are definitely not alone — “Saving the Worms” is one of the most-read posts on this blog. It’s been nice to find out I’m not the only one who has this particular obsession. 🙂
I’m glad you stopped by!
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