Creativity Altar
The sacred space I didn’t know I was creating—but desperately needed
I have not yet been drawn to keep an altar so to speak. In my mind, they are incredibly sacred, beautiful, and I'm generally left in awe at the sheer devotion it took to cultivate them. I often dream of having that kind of discipline.
Yet, I've come to understand that while keeping a sacred space in this way may not be my current superpower, I noticed it presents itself in different ways.
My entire home is my altar. I often fuss over areas, clean my spaces and arrange things just so. As I do, I can feel the threads weave themselves into something soothing and inviting.
That's part of my medicine.
As soon as I finish creating a cozy space, someone from my household finds themselves plopped right in there comfortable as ever. I don’t mind. Except … that was my spot .. but really … I love it!
It's in the way the kids began gravitating to these so-called more “grown-up" spaces over their playspaces, the way folks step foot in my home and instantly feel like they belong.
It brings me such immense joy, I have no words to share how much my heart flutters with delight.
I was a little surprised when I accidentally created what I now call my creativity altar. Or perhaps it’s a creativity portal of sorts. Time will tell.
This secretary desk has a long story spanning generations on my husband’s side.
It stood proudly at the bottom of the stairs of my mother in law's house when she was a little girl. It housed the sole corded phone in the house. I'm often told stories of how they used to sit on the bottom steps and talk over that phone. Oh, the stories it must have heard!
When she was downsizing to move in with us, it was the one of three pieces I knew immediately will come home. Deep in my bones, I knew this desk was not leaving this family.
For a few years, it moved around the house a little aimlessly. In fairness, when my kids were little, we “decorated” in a way to maximize safe play spaces for them. It took some time for me to reach a place where I could start creating little spaces throughout the house that felt closer to my ideas of cozy and beauty.
I like to think desk was probably waiting for me to be ready.
You see, I had lost the deep connection I now have to myself and with it, my creativity consisted of those rare sparks of inspiration that seemed to have no predictable pattern for when they show up. The ones you think come to you sporadically and miraculously. The ones you desperately try to re-create the right circumstances to make them appear again.
It wasn't until recently I could access creativity whenever my heard desired. It took a lot of inner work for me to get to this place.
I remember a time when I was looking at my astrology chart, my Gene Key hologenetic profile, and my Human Design bodygraph and all alluded that I was “deeply creative”.
“What a load of cr*p”, I thought.
At first, I denied it not really seeing how this was possible. I was so far away from being creative, it felt mind boggling to even conceive it was a possibility. A lot of shadow work later, I realized just how much I was operating as my “not-self”. I eventually reached a place where I began to be open that it was maybe possible for me to access this so called creativity.
I've since learned that creativity plays with me in different ways than I initially expected. I don't paint, draw or compose music. Who said those were the only ways …. My conditionning thats who!
It's a new relationship I'm consciously nurturing.
For a little while, the desk ended up living in our finished basement. When I was rearranging down there to make room for a workout space, I knew it was time to relocate it.
This time, I asked it where it wanted to go.
"Upstairs. Upstairs by the window", it whispered with conviction.
The space by the window is a special spot I've been slowly cultivating. For a long time it felt empty. With a plant stand I roped my husband to make, a comfy oversized couch, and now the secretary desk, it was shaping up to be an inviting space where you immediately exhale when you step into it.
For a time, I still didn't know what was going to go in the desk.
Ever so slowly it began to “make sense” for certain items to find their home there.
I added our painting supplies. Next came a few books. My first pottery project. Oracle cards. Crystals. A gifted singing blow I received for my birthday. And of course, more books.
It was the first space that I continuously fussed over. That I came back to over and over again. That I checked in with often.
And I was delighted!
It was a few months before I realized I had been cultivating my creativity altar.
It’s a beacon for me. It holds space for me. Waiting and waiting for me to be ready. Knowing that I take an obscenely long time to take my leap, its loving patience is steadfast.
Working with an altar that tugs me close to my creativity is new to me. All I know is that when it whispers, I listen.
Until next time … stay rooted and be true to your rhythm.
xox,
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