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"To move with the moment, to surrender to the unknown is to flow with feminine consciousness."
- Marion Woodman |
Feminine consciousness, that mysterious gift which is nature inspired, is a state of mind rather than gender. Creators of both genders tap this extraordinary well to fill their soul with beauty, rising from the peaceful waters, cleansed and refreshed.
 Leonardo da Vinci, as quoted in How To Think like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael J. Gelb, mused, "I roamed the countryside searching for answers to things I did not understand. Why shells exist on the tops of mountains along with the imprints of coral and plants and seaweed usually found in the sea. Why the thunder lasts a longer time than that which causes it, and why immediately on its creation the lightning becomes visible to the eye while thunder requires time to travel. How the various circles of water form around the spot which has been struck by a stone, and why a bird sustains itself in the air. These questions and other strange phenomena engage my thoughts throughout my life."
Time to travel. That is a gift we must give to ourselves, one which we need especially when we feel faintest. It need not be physical travel, but without voyaging upon the seas of creative endeavor, our lives are poorer, hope is extinguished.
"I
like to think of hope as a guiding light for the human heart. It is the
quality that will help you find your way through dark and stormy nights,
through foggy and confusing days... Shining the beam of hope into your
times of darkness, you'll learn to sail with more confidence. The sailing
won't always be smooth. Undoubtedly, you will encounter some rough seas.
A storm or two will cloud the horizon from time to time. But eventually,
you'll find the storms will pass. The rough seas will calm. Unexpected
changes in course may well lead to exciting, unexplored possibilities.
Even better, having gone through the storm and darkness, you will find
you've come a far better sailor. Learning to navigate by faith and to trust
in a dependable providence, you have become a person of unsinkable serenity."
Thomas Kinkade, the "Painter of Light", shared these thoughts
which led him to a successful career in Lightposts for Living: The
Art of Choosing a Joyful Life.
The Chinese philosopher, Lao Tse, appreciated the grace of fluid motion as he explained Tao:
The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.
Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water.
Tao in the world is like a river flowing home to the sea.
The poetry of Lao Tse reminds us the strength of water comes from its very softness, its ability to flow through, around, over, or under all obstacles in its journey from the mountain to the sea. It returns to its home in different forms--water, snow, ice, mist--all the same element differently expressed, differently nourishing the world.
The creative voyage assumes many identities also, enriching your life in unexpected ways. It is hardest to be creative when hope seems extinguished by the stormy seas of change. To survive the roughest gales, we need not alter the direction of the wind because we can adjust our sails. It is the dark hour before the dawn of creation which is the time to move with the moment, to surrender to the unknown.
By Loretta Kemsley
Publisher/President
Women Artists and Writers International
Writer, Editor and Editorial Coach
Loretta Kemsley's Personal Portfolio: Women's Writings
http://lores.lair.moondance.org/
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