The landscape of my healing journey looks like the Alps. I crest one peak, but then there’s a whole mountain range with multiple peaks that still need to be explored. This journey is not without its avalanches or crevices, which also need to be experienced and not simply avoided.

I’m still in search of inspiration for a poem that I’m supposed to write, but I’m stuck in a rut – the daily “shoulds / shouldn’ts” of work creep into my thoughts. I easily get lost in all the chaos. I’m torn between flight and fight and it’s left me feeling immobilized by fear, stress, anxiety and bitterness.

So I’m taking this moment to write and to remind myself of the Nine Commandments of Creativity, outlined in the documentary Cue the Muse. It’s a film about re-discovering one’s creativity, and the sense of release and freedom experienced when you allow yourself to follow this path. The film was a re-awakening for me and I’ve tried to apply these commandments as a way of life.

1. Touch an emotional place within – We mustn’t deny ourselves our emotions – good or bad. Emotions are a source of power, and the place they occupy within us can be a spring of inspiration. I’m learning to understand my emotions – how its energy needs to be used then released, rather than controlled and contained. The emotions are often very raw, but it helps me to be and stay true to myself.  

2. Work mulishly with discipline – I hated my daily violin practices as a child. And yet, through practice, I excelled in music. Unfortunately, back then, I didn’t know how to connect with Commandment #1, and so I walked away from my creative self. Now, I am working back towards that disciplined self, setting up a daily practice of exploration, and learning to push through the pain and discomfort. Creative passion isn’t pulled from thin air – like life, it needs to be cultivated and nurtured and that takes discipline.

3. Learn the rules (so you can break them) – This is a commandment that I’m still trying to figure out for myself.  There are a number of life rules, but for now, I’m working on learning and embracing these nine commandments of creativity.  It goes hand-in-hand with Commandment #2.

4. Fall forward with confidence – The filmmaker talked of having a certain attitude, in which I’ve interpreted as involving a certain optimism and conviction of oneself. It’s about staying in the present and not allowing regression to hold you back.  I’m also learning to trust my gut feelings and believing in my abilities to see how things naturally unfold.

5. Never give up – I had adopted the mantra “persevere and live deliberately” a little while back and I’ve resurrected it again. As a being, you make a commitment to yourself and you accept the reality of life’s challenges because the reward is being able to come out on the other side with a body of work that reveals the truth.

6. Take risks and expose yourself – This is a commandment that I struggle with the most – I don’t like being vulnerable. It’s easy to self-censor my feelings and over think things. But through creative expression, it’s become a way to push past my boundaries, test out the impulses to explore ideas, let go of my inhibitions, and connect deeper to my authentic self.

7. Memento mori (Remember that you will die) – This is an artistic expression in which artists use to symbolize and explore the eventuality of death. It also serves as a reminder to clear the viewing lens and experience life with humility, to maintain a level of awareness of body, mind and spirit, and to appreciate that we are capable of continuing forward because we haven’t reached death’s door yet – there is still time and space to create and bring things to life.

8. Invite the muses in – In the film, the artists talked of trust, going into a zone and of something guiding their creativity. I’m learning to understand the difference between being lonely and being alone – that when I’m still, I know I’m ready and I’m able to sense a powerful vibration that ignites my passions. When the commandments are followed, things fall into place – there is beauty, clarity and a deep connection to self.

9. Have fun and be free – I’m re-learning to embrace and call up my inner child and remembering what it’s like to experience life with abandon - letting the energy flow and living with my five senses. But I’m also re-learning to accept pleasure into my life and letting my sense of wonder and my curiosity lead me in this journey.    

  

Which commandments resonate with you the most?