Fear of Art: Creature from the Black Lagoon

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The other night, I had a conversation with a doctor who wants to come on next year's "Weaving Words & Women" retreat in Peru. She confessed, though, that the idea of "being creative" intimidates her. A doctor? Now that's an intimidating profession.
Why is it that the word "creative" causes the pulse to race and palms to sweat? The words "create" and "creature" are rooted in the same Latin noun: "creatura." Like procreate, or bring to bear. Yet the word 'creature" isn't especially intimidating (unless its the Creature From the Black Lagoon). But we seem to think that "creation" is more about how the world was formed, than about how we desire to shape our own dreams, more about making ART, than leaving a simple track along life's path.
What if we put a new spin on creativity, and on all the ways we, as human beings, express ourselves, all the ways we bring our vision to bear on the world around us. How can nature, and animals - our fellow creatures - help us to do this? What is it about being in their presence, or being outdoors, that enables the creative process?   
NATURE LOVES CHAOS--that messy, murky process of creation.  Yet within nature's chaos lurks a grand design.  Does our creativity also have a wild, chaotic side?  Like nature, writing and art and cooking and gardening--all those ways we organically express our creativity - can be messy. There is always deadfall and debris. 

How does nature and the animal world unleash your creativity?  I would love to know.  I hope you'll leave a comment.
An advisor for the Rocky Mountain Land Library and member of the International League of Conservation Writers, Page Lambert has been writing about the western landscape and leading nature retreats in the West for twenty years. Founding member of Women Writing the West, member of Wyoming Writers and Colorado Authors’ League, Lambert’s writing can be found inside monumental sculptures at the Denver Art Museum, online at Huffington Post, and inside the pages of dozens of anthologies. Page designs and teaches graduate writing courses for the University of Denver’s University College. Recent published works include “Not for Sale” (Langscape Magazine and “The Rural West,” included in Fulcrum’s new book, The Light Shines from the West. Forthcoming are 3 poems in DoveTails: Writing for Peace. Page writes All Things Literary/All Things Natural from her mountain home west of Denver.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yep, many of the things you speak of, Page. are messy. My writing circles around the 'messiness' in our own families. Sometimes they need cleanin' up. And writing about the effort going into this clean-up is what my memoir is about. Thank you for more inspritration along this trail... Love to you and "The Hole in the Wall Gang" in Wyo. Camille
March 1, 2012 at 1:34 AM
Sharon Corsaro @growinggold said…
Nature is THE most powerful place for creativity to come alive... In places where energies are raw and crisp with vibrant life force gushing... the same is activated and awakened ever more strongly, in ME! With that, I realize that I always seem to seek quiet retreat in places furthest from the beaten path to unleash the muse that has been waiting through the busy times of life! And so... nature IS the place, without a doubt! :) Thank you so much for provoking me to write this comment, for indeed I am reminded that this IS so true, for me! I appreciate your prompt ~ and always always appreciate your spirit! Thank you ~
March 1, 2012 at 2:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Page,
The hills of northwest Colorado are my inspiration. As a thirty-year writer, I walk daily out through the sagebrush, pinion, juniper and cedars. I am visited by magpie, red tailed hawk, antelope and elk. Visit me at loudean.com and see the beauty of nature in my world through the eyes of local photographer, Ted Harper.
March 1, 2012 at 6:28 AM
Barbe said…
Wow, I'm impressed that your readers are up in the wee small hours of the morning! I wish to report that since I moved to the country, so much within me has healed and my creativity simply flows. It is a natural expression of my being. I have peeled off layers of protection-psychic, energetic, emotional & physical-and find the messages from my heart have meaning for others as well as me.
March 1, 2012 at 9:02 AM
Maureen said…
I loved your focus on creativity in this email, and immediately thought of Amanda's upcoming issue of her online magazine, Sprout. She'll be spotlighting creativity! I don't know if you already know of this new venture of hers, so here's a link if you need it http://www.sprout-mag.com. She has orchestrated 4 amazing collections of beauty and inspiration so far,, on the topics of celebration, abundance, boldness, and home. This next issue, due to be released on March 15th, promises to top them all.

Maureen
March 9, 2012 at 7:56 AM
Connecting People with Nature, and Writers with Words said…
Maureen, thanks for the link to SPROUT http://www.sprout-mag.com/. I love Amanda's focus on CULTIVATING YOUR LIFE - those three words convey a great deal about how we can nurture our creativity, plant seeds in the garden soil of home, and create emotional and spiritual santuaries within our own intimate landscapes. Bravo!

Page
March 9, 2012 at 8:04 AM
Page Lambert said…
Sharon, I love the words you used described the energy in many of nature's places - raw and crisp. Yes, and perhaps those are good words to describe the kinds of attributes we would like our writing to have as well. The rawness of heartfelt emotions, the clarity of crisp mountain air. I love it! Thank you.
March 10, 2012 at 2:49 PM
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