Creativity, Unschooling and a Poem

Greetings friends!

 

Recently I made a YouTube video about our trip up the Moruya River on our tinnie

(small fishing boat). Here it is:

 

 

Although this was not a perfect video by any means, I released it anyway, as a snapshot in time. Showing our fun on the day, and my beginner skills with the camera.(Videoing from a moving boat requires rather a lot of skill!)

My theory is that we need to recognise and relish in our beginner mind.

 

I have too strong a tendency to judge myself and my work, and sometimes that is appropriate.

However over time I've found it is more useful for skill development, to allow the mistakes to occur, and sometimes in public! To make room for more understanding and ability.

 

Creative pursuits are rife with difficulties in this area, because we can so easily judge our poor attempts at painting or playing an instrument etc., and give up. How sad that is, if it is due to criticism, as opposed to a lack of desire.
 

 'feel the beauty

of the origin of an idea.'

 

If we truly want to continue studying and growing in that area, we need to allow the mistakes, and the beginner mind to have its moment.

This can be challenging to our egos, especially when you are a person who usually performs at a high standard.

But there is a place there in the vulnerability and humbleness that can be a highly creative space.

We can allow more room for our ideas to flourish and our new thought patterns to develop, if we hold off on the judgement for a while.

 

Of course there is always a time to sit and reflect if we want to allow others to see this work.

But in this instance, after editing this video three times, and cutting it back by half (!), I decided to let you see the wobbles and wind gusts. To let you hear my silly singing, and include my son's beginner guitar playing, because we celebrate the attempt at creativity as much as the finished product.

I released this work so you can feel encouraged at my beginnings, and maybe have a go yourself.

 

We need to rejoice in our vulnerable starting points, and feel the beauty of the origin of an idea.  

 

 

 

I think this mindset is why I love Unschooling so much. It is a space where we allow beginnings and endings. It is a place to explore our interests and desires. It makes room

for imperfections and creativity, and gives time to expand into ourselves.

 

I am finding as a parent who is Unschooling my mind is becoming more relaxed about "the way things should be". It is an expansion where we need to gently guide, be aware, but leave our hands off until absolutely needed or wanted. I am more able to trust that things will work out in time if we let them. My need for control of every little educational moment is releasing and I'm gaining such wonder of the naturally perfect learning my kids are creating in and around themselves.

 

We are creative people underneath, and if we can silence or ignore our critic long enough and open up to love and trust and play, we can find wells of new ideas just waiting to rise.

 

So do yourself a favour, and give it a go.

 

 

 

Open your hearts

to your simplicity

your beginnings

your humbleness

Celebrate the imperfect

the feebleness

the wobbly lines

the hesitancies

Smile anew

at the sweet joys

of vulnerability

of trembling tries

Let yourself laugh

at your playful

and inconsistent

ability

 

(I hope you like my playful creative examples above)

 

Til next time,

keep on creating!

 

Love,

Jazzy Jack