Take a moment- see the beauty on a "TwitterBlogVacation"

Time away from computers and blogging is something I thought I would struggle with.
However I feel it has given me some space to really see things through different eyes.

As I sat over looking the ocean- and thought about the last 6 months of work, of the NHS, of pieces of work I have been involved in, new people and peers whom I have worked alongside, I feel really privileged to have had all these opportunities.

I asked my partner the following question.

What allows us to inhale- take a deep breath- look at what is often right in front of our noses?

 

For me- the sea, the waves and the fact that there is nothing on the horizon.

A deep breath- a cleansing sigh to me that says " ok- breath, relax and restore"

The reply from my partner was - "getting into my own bed"

I pose a question- "but what allows you to feel truly relaxed"?

Reply- " I have never really thought about it in that way"

In healthcare and as professionals I wonder if we ever truly have that moment of looking out and seeing nothing on the Horizon- no lists of things to do, projects to complete, patients to spend time with.

I am a bit of a workaholic if that's the right word, I love all the projects I am involved in, and work like crazy in an environment that is highly charged at times- and I love it- wouldn't ever think of anything else, the challenges, the teaching, the patient care- these are all music to my ears.

However - we all need that space in time, that gap, that moment of stillness- in order to do what we do, to recharge our batteries, and see our families, in order to top up our "cup of kindness and compassion"

I then got to thinking about how creative we could be in our workspaces to provide a moment of calm, a breathing space.
We would all have different things, images or ideas about what could make this happen for us.

I have recently shared a blog space with @johnwalsh88 - it was so uplifting, and a learning experience to write alongside him, and we shared our thoughts of creativity, kindness and compassion.

Perhaps we could all do with a place to take a breath.
 A sign on a door " Horizon Space" where you can go for a few moments just to be.........
How effective would it be?

Creativity comes to us in many different ways- over the next few weeks I will be using mine to celebrate and highlight the Power and Passion for Play In Hospitals- with National Play In Hospital Week.
We will be welcoming visitors and working alongside Music In Hospitals to create a space of joy and support for C&YP and their families.

Sian Spencer-Little.



 

The Creativity Flow

The Creativity Flow.

'The most childlike thing about a child is his curiosity and his appetite and his power of wonder at the world' - G K Chesterton


"I can do great things- great things. You can't stop my dreams and ambitions" - NehrurianDoom


We all value and love creativity although there may be creative expressions we don't like. The artists, singers and writers we enjoy are often people of deep creative power. This power is often created deep in their souls by painful and traumatic events. This sense of disjointedness gives birth to desire and design. It leads to attempts to porray and capture. We are allowed to experience and view this in many different forms and platforms.

  If we think of the history of music  - whether it is reggae or rock, opera or oriental metal  - whether we love or hate it we see a constant experimentation and creation of new forms and shapes of music. When we think of those artists who touch our soul what is it that does so? There are probably many things. One answer is creativity. There is something powerful there and it is not like other things. Creativity opens new portals and vistas and communicates itself to others. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi the psychologist has written extensively on creativity - one of his books is called 'Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.' He notes how 'most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity.' This blog will offer a few thoughts on creativity and how we might start or continue its flow in our lives.


Ken Robinson the educationalist links creativity with imagination. He says 'Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it's produced the most extraordinary results in human culture'. Imagination is a tremendous resource that humanity has. It allows us to dream and soar. Imagination has birthed all the dramas, books, songs and films that relate to us in potent ways. Imagination links us to another key aspect of creativity - meaning. Creativity is all about meaning. Csikszentmihalyi notes how creativity is 'a central source of meaning in our lives'. This connection with meaning is so important as creativity allows us to make sense of life and the universe. This tells us something about the human mind and spirit. We often see the mind as a  complex computer. While this is a helpful image there is another image to complement it. It is the phrase of the English psychologist Charles Sherrrington who spoke of the mind as an enchanted loom. A loom which was forever making sense of what we were seeing and experiencing. A weaving loom spinning patterns of meaning. Creativity is all about joining up the dots and making seeing meaningful shapes. 



Creativity can be a very demanding activity. Csikszentmihalyi in his work notes how creative people tend to have two things - curiosity and drive. That they take intuition as a serious and key source. That they become authorities in their areas so that they can see their subject from every aspect and angle. Can we then be creative in our lives with all the challenges and pain? Yes we believe we can. It is true that culture and patronage play a big part in big creative expansions and explosions. It is said that if Michelangelo was born 50 years earlier there would not have been the culture of patronage for the arts for him to grow and flourish in. In terms of our everyday life we can think of two ways in which creative activity and actualisation can start to happen or grow. There are many others but we will focus on two. They are pictures and moments. They are all about seeing the picture and seizing the moment.



The first way is all about finding the canvass. One of the authors found this quote many years ago - "You were born to use this life to refine or improve yourself. You were born to use this life as a canvas to paint yourself across." It sums up so well the first way. These beautiful words tell us how our life is a canvass which we paint every moment. Our thoughts, words and actions are the brushes we use. The strokes made and paint used a vehicle for trying to express the journey, the struggle and the hope. The canvas can shimmer with the inner dispositions and emotions freely displayed. In this world we are very fortunate that many decide to paint with kindness, goodness and love. They bring a brightness to dark places. This creative painting impacts what we do in our day to day working and personal lives. It can be found in the smallest of things and the biggest of acts. The second thing is how we can use moments to have that drive and curiosity that true creativity is all about. Of course the heavy demands and pressure of work can take away our moments for reflection and creative action. We may well need to make a conscious decision to have these moments for creative possibility and power. If life or work won't give them we may have to carve them out ourselves. One of the authors recently met someone who shared how each evening he makes ten minutes of writing to reflect on the day, the days lessons and how he can grow. He spoke of it as a key part of his development. This is creative space. This man was and is practising creative inquiry and we are sure much good flows from those moments where he is there in reflection and openness.



There is a famous fresco painting by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel called 'The Creation of Adam.' In it there is Adam and God - a chasm separates them. Both are reaching out to connect. This touch will be electric and wondrously creative. To us there is a picture here of our own creativity. Lying deep within us all lies a deep source. If we can make the contact the creativity flow can start or spread. It is part of the 'vast inner resources' that Carl Rogers spoke of. To reach and touch this reservoir of potency and creativity brings magic into our life.



One of the  authors is a Specialised Play and Activities Practitioner within an acute children's ward at a district general hospital. She speaks of how creativity and play are connected within healthcare and symptom control. How it can they can be invaluable in supporting a child or young person share and manage long term conditions and lengthy admissions into hospital. She writes ' 'The use of live music and the the sound and feeling it creates leads to the vibrations that can be felt across the ward. Paint and painting makes you feel free- it allows freedom to make mess, within the sterile boundaries of a clinical setting. How sharing a song, or humming softly whilst soothing a baby is an act of deepest significance. It allows the child, young person and family a creative space  - a special moment in time. How using a drum to allow expression of feelings when words alone are just not enough. As a practitioner hearing that anger/sorrow that comes from the very core of a young person. Being there and with that young person looking for ways forward - ways from within and outside the box.' Creativity is all about imagination and intuition. It is all about using the gifts we have - from intellect to emotions - as paint for the canvass. Creativity whether in a laboratory or a commune often has an element of play about it. Creativity is part of that dance that we as humanity is engaged in -  that work to create, dream and make meaning . We have the tools and resources - its really about being open to find our place in the creativity flow and to let that flow operate in us.

 In finishing we recall the words of that American dreamer and creative artist Maya Angelou - 'You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.'    

Sian Spencer-Little

John Walsh.