Creativity, Choreography and the Muse

Let me start by saying we are ALL creative beings. Whether you channel or actualise your creativity or it lies dormant and yet to be discovered. By the very nature of being human, makes us infinitely creative. If you believe, as I very much do, that we create our reality with our thoughts then you will know how powerful our creativity can be!

Before I became physically c

reative with hoop and dancing, I was a writer. From the age of about 6 or 7 years, I was writing poetry, not particularly good poetry mind, but all the same I was creating. I was given very little encouragement but it felt compulsive, I needed to write, to express myself. I still write poetry although not as often and I've written short stories, I've also been crafty creative - making cards, clothes, costumes, painting and drawing (my painting leaves a lot to be desired but nevertheless creativity is flowing with a complete disregard for any technical skill!). And I think that's how it needs to be - Because once we've been told, maybe by a well-meaning teacher, or parent, that our singing, drawing painting, dancing was not really where our talent lay - then I think a bubble bursts within us, a sense of loss, which sometimes can destroy our confidence and self belief.and our ability to create freely. When we were young, we didn't know "we had to be good" at something - we we just did it, the outcome or end result didn't matter - it was the creative process that was important, the absorption in the moment.

So, as this is a hoop blog, I wanted to talk about my new found physical creativity, (well, since 2007) when I found hoop love and co-created my circus company "Shambolic SideShow". Suddenly my creativity had found a brand new outlet that I could never have forseen - oh the joy! :-) Teaching myself routines and choreography that I could perform with the company, designing and making costumes, visualising and creating story boards and dance routines for the whole group and then bringing them into fruition. This has given me unbelieveable satisfaction and pleasure!! I LOVE the creative process.

What I've learned - to slow down and trust!. Sometimes the ideas come straight away and sometimes they just don't - and you're thinking "aarggh, I've got a show and no routine". However, I've learned that once I've decided to create a choreography and my first inspiration is ALWAYS the music, I then go through all the moves I like and feel confident with and then I let go. Because the harder I try to make it happen the more the ideas seem to move away from me - it's as if I'm sending desperate signals into the ether, hoping for inspiration - my mind is no longer open, it's too busy with trying to work out ideas and everything I try seems clunky and doesn't flow well.

Once, I've let go of trying to come up with this "great routine", and I focus on other things, practice my guitar or just play with my hoops for fun, or sleep, or have fun with friends, loved ones. Then when I return to my practice - the MUSE appears and she appears without fail, because I have become an open channel, she has heard what I want to do and when the time is right she flows and so does the choreography.

I've heard this many times about great writers, musicians, and artists, that they have no idea how their books get written or their paintings and compositions are finished, because they have almost taken a back seat and are completely channelling the Muse.

I also love the idea that in the ether is every single idea that has ever been thought or will be thought and that the muse is looking for open channels in which to express herself and all we have to do is think about what we want to achieve, quieten our thoughts and trust that our wonderful muse will choose us because we are open to the experience. Trust. That's the key I think :-) xxx

Tags:

choreography

Creativity

The Muse

Trust

Dancing

9 muses

Visualisation

hoop journey

creative hula hooping

hula hooping

creative process