Pick up that Crayon

Can tango lessons change your life? My friend Jake thinks so.  Prompted by a sign in the window of a studio near his house and, more importantly, by the desire to interrupt the routine of his life, Jake took off his business suit, put on dancing shoes and bravely went out one evening to learn to tango.  He loved it.  Adding tango to his life has energized him, given him a different slant on who he is and what he can do.  He's talking abut Argentina for his next vacation and about learning Spanish though, like dancing, he has told himself languages are not for him.  He has more energy and finds more enjoyment in all aspects of his life.  That's a lot to get from two classes a week of tango.

What happened for Jake can happen for the rest of us.  The secret is to tap into the creativity that dwells in all of us.  We are born with the creative urge; to make something else from what is, whether it's a thing, an idea or an action.  Think of the toddler who picks p a crayon, presses it to paper and, voila, something new is born.  If we think that creativity is only for special people of high intelligence and great talents, we can fail to give expression to creativity in our own, everyday lives.

We get tired of doing the same old things day in and day out and we dream of big changes, like winning the lottery or meeting some gorgeous person or moving to a remote island, none of which is likely to happen.  But, we can choose to do or learn or create something different.  Julie decided to take up painting though she felt she had no talent for it.  But she loves color and she loves messing with paints and charcoals and the hours fly by. And she has that special satisfaction that comes from the outward expression of inner sensibilities.  Whether it's beading or writing poetry, letters to the editor or a blog, decorating your home for the seasons or joining a nature group, giving creative expression a chance will increase satisfaction with daily life and take you places as yet unknown.  Unplug the inhibitions that tell you what you can't do.  If it feels a little awkward, a teeny crazy and not like you at all, go for it.