“I am an empty teacup, ready for a refill…”
This is one of the lines that came out during a quick writing exercise we did during a retreat a couple of weekends ago. We were making a list from the point of view of our creativity, starting each statement with “I am… ”
“I am an empty teacup, ready for a refill…”
It came without thought or editing, it didn’t make sense in the usual way, but it immediately struck me as true.
If I’m ready for a refill, that implies that I have been full before. I used to feel much more productive and connected to my writing, more driven to practice my creativity every day. It used to be more of a priority.
And something about the image of a tea cup being refilled reminds me of sharing tea with someone and having good conversation, creative community. I often used to sit for hours at a coffee shop with creative friends, letting the conversation spiral and drift and come back around again. We’d all leave these visits with renewed spirits and excited minds. I’m ready to bring that back into my life.
I’m also ready for a refill in the sense that I’m ready for some rest and time to integrate all of my experiences so that I can later express and create new things. I’ve had a shortage of being out in the world, observing and noticing… the things that always give me new fuel for my work. Instead, I’ve gotten into a rut where I do the same things every day, and then somehow expect new and innovative stuff to come spilling out of me when I sit down to write. Not exactly a working formula. I want to take time for slow walks, ambling around little towns, reading the stories of other people. Being busy and being productive are not the same thing.
“I am an empty teacup, ready for a refill…”
This was the message my creative self sent me when I wasn’t censoring.
What is your creative self trying to tell you?
[photo: thegeorgieporgiepig]