This is a poem written during World War Two by a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp. The powerful message of faith and hope in these words have inspired songs that will pierce the veil of your heart.

Maybe you resonate with this poem at this time. Many of us do - given the global crisis we are all dealing with.

If you live in Nashville, you know that our weather lately hasn’t been ‘ideal.’ There has been lots of rain and dreary days, but take this as a reminder to go within instead of being out and about all the time. Yes, I have complained about the weather very much but am making a conscious effort to keep hope alive and continue turning inward. The current weather can be seen as a reflection of what’s going on globally right now. Instead of giving in to the doom and gloom, catapult your energy toward the light. It will come back. It always does.

An opportunity has been given to us at this time – a great opportunity for reflection and change– get off your phone and do something creative. When else would you be gifted this time? Are you going to say YES to this opportunity or continue to behave as the same person you were? I don’t think this time is an invitation to spend more time on our phones. When all of this has blown over, plan to be a better person by the end of it. Not the same.

A recent TED talk highlights the idea that burnout makes us less creative. This is a timely video because maybe being self-quarantined right now is a nice reprieve for you. Maybe you are burned out by life. Use this as an opportunity to recharge.

“Downtime is a necessity for our brain to recover and operate properly,” says digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush. “Letting our minds wander is an essential mental state that helps us develop our identity, process social interactions, and it even influences our internal moral compass.”

When was the last time you let your mind wander? Instead of reaching for your phone or turning on the television, give your brain some space. Who cares if ‘so and so’ has a new Instagram story or if your go-to news outlet posted another news article? You could sit all day long and look at that crap. Take time to uncover your own narrative.

Harfoush says, “Let go of destructive behaviors and make positive, long-lasting changes.” She also encourages us to ask ourselves some hard questions:

“Does being busy make you feel valuable?

Who do you hold up as your level of success?

Where do your ideas of work ethic come from?

How much of who you are is linked to what you do?”

LISTEN TO YOUR CREATIVITY. She goes on to say how creativity has its own rhythms and can fluctuate daily. We aren’t machines. Maybe your creative juices are free flowing one day, but the next day you’d rather focus on personal growth and learning by reading books or listening to a podcast. Don’t put your creativity into a box either. Intend to be creative but be careful in forcing it.

Here are some more questions for further reflection:

Who have you been too busy to be?

What have you been too busy to do?

Slow down and reflect. Try and remember a time before we all had cell phones. How would you spend your free time? (Watching t.v. doesn’t count) Besides watching t.v. and scrolling through endless news stories, how can you spend this time more purposely? Delete your social media accounts for a day or two – or forever. Notice how much more space your mind has after doing that. I would know. I’ve deleted my accounts several times. If you don’t delete it, at least give your mind a break from all that chatter and noise.

How have I been spending my time you ask? I have enjoyed being away from my phone, sitting in silence, listening to the faint pitter-patter of rain, and the birds chirping. Just the sound of nature inspires me write again, read more books, do some coloring, and just SLOW DOWN.

Do some forest bathing. Dr. Qing Li’s book, Forest Bathing, talks about the importance of being around nature and how today’s modern lifestyle often distracts us from what we need to stay healthy. “Recent studies have found that people in the U.S. spend as much as 10 hours and 39 minutes a day consuming media” (Li, 2018, p.35). Don’t feed the ‘technostress’ monster - consuming that much media every day is not healthy.

As I was looking at the word ‘FOREST,’ I realized it is comprised of two words: For Rest. Seek nature at this time. What can we learn from her? Let mother nature help you. We are learning (re-learning) how to take more time for ourselves and listen to what we really need.

I will be honest. I have also had my days of lounging on the couch, watching television- catching up on my favorite t.v. shows. There is nothing wrong with that either - as long as we are not using this time at home to do that and nothing else. There is not a lot of forward-moving energy in the atmosphere, so if you don’t feel like being productive on a given day, don’t beat yourself up about it. The overall energy right now does not lend itself to putting in long hours of sheer productivity. It’s difficult enough to try to create a routine and be structured throughout the day - especially when you’re encouraged not to go anywhere except the grocery store.

That being said, if you decide you don’t want to follow your self-mandated routine one day, FINE! Nobody but yourself is making you do that anyway. Be a little bit nicer to yourself. Used to being a busy-body? Now is your chance to be the opposite. When else will you get the opportunity? Sometimes I don’t want to be creative and try to use my brain. So what? That just means the next day I will likely have more energy for that.

Don’t forget that out of the darkness births some of the greatest ideas, inventions, epiphanies, and gives rise to new ways of doing things. If I don’t respond back to your text or answer your phone call right away, do not be alarmed or concerned. More likely than not, I am taking a break from my phone and reconnecting with myself.

Beautiful rendition of “I Believe”

5 minute TED talk: How Burnout Makes us Less Creative

Sun Photo by James Day on Unsplash

Nearly

Every

Day.

WHAT

IN

THE

WORLD!

I never wanted to be that person. I forgot how to daydream and get lost in a quiet reverie. I started to miss that feeling of getting lost in my own thoughts - free from distractions.

I’m not writing this blog post to offend anyone - if you are reading this, chances are you DO have an Instagram account. I’m simply sharing my opinion and feelings about Instagram (and Facebook) and why I decided they are not healthy platforms for me to use. I will also share how it affected my creativity.

One could make the argument that I just have terrible boundaries when it comes to social media. But for me - the temptation of having it available at my fingertips 24/7 is just too much. I read a blog post about a woman who would delete her Instagram app after checking it in the morning and download again later in the evening — just to delete it again. If that is how you set boundaries - fine. But that’s way too much time and energy to spend on something you can easily live without. If you feel the need to go to tremendous lengths to keep yourself from spending too much time on Instagram, goodness gracious, it’s not worth the worry. I feel a sense of relief that I will be deactivating my account. (Facebook also)

As someone who values creativity, I found it disturbing that I was consuming more than I was creating. I spent more time learning how to market myself than I did creating anything. It’s nearly impossible not to compare yourself to other people on Instagram (and Facebook). How can I know who I am and what I want to create if I’m bombarded with other people’s content? Yes - Instagram can be a great source of inspiration for creatives - But for me, the cons outweigh the pros. Instagram was deadening my creative muse. My mind is noisy enough and that was only adding to it.

I noticed my creativity declining and anxiety increasing. Social media has its own energy and it’s not an energy I vibe with. I was perfectly content for seven years without social media and I’m ready to find that contentment again. I have been feeling disconnected from myself and starving for authenticity and creative expression. There is enough in this world to distract us from what truly matters. I don’t need something extra to make me feel more overwhelmed and overstimulated.

I value is quality over quantity when it comes to the written word. Instagram and Facebook seem overly saturated with content that can be hard to sift through. The breakneck speed at which some people produce and publish content amazes me. When do they have time to just sit and think? What do their husbands or wives think? Do they get annoyed with them? When do they sleep? If Instagram implodes tomorrow, some people would be completely lost. I know for myself that scrolling through pictures on my phone does not boost my creativity. I need to sit quietly by myself, door closed, without distractions.

Everyone craves attention. Instagram is able to capitalize on that need by putting a major focus on the number of followers and likes. I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt said it best: “If your creativity is driven by your desire to get attention, you’re never going to be creatively fulfilled.” His refreshingly honest TED talk on how craving attention makes you less creative is worth watching. He encourages us to pay attention to one thing, focus, and be present in life without thinking about how to market ourselves.

Can you do that?

As much as I would like to go off the grid at times and throw my smartphone into a black abyss, I will still be connected to the world wide web. However, I will no longer be on any social media platforms except Pinterest. Why Pinterest? I am able to share my blog without feeling overwhelmed and I have more control over what I view. It simply feels better to me. 15 years a go, Facebook was my best friend. Nowadays, I don’t even recognize it. I recently reactivated my account but was hardly an active user because of the anxiety I experienced whenever I logged in. My creative muse resonates with one social media platform at this time, and I am also not tempted to use Pinterest on a daily basis. I don’t even have it on my phone.

I am a writer before I am a marketer. I will create before I consume. I need to spend time getting back to who I am as a creative human being. I encourage you to do this as well. Detox from social media for a day or a week. Or just get off and see how it feels. Don’t worry. It will always be there for you if you want to go back to it.

If you are interested in keeping up with my blog, I encourage you to subscribe on my website and you will be notified about the latest blog posts.

I challenge you to stay off social media for the rest of your day today. Hide your phone.

Create something.

Let me know your thoughts on social media and creativity in the comment section.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s TED talk is below.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt on how craving attention makes you less creative

These are questions I have wrestled with for the past six years. As a self-proclaimed bon vivant, dancing the Argentine Tango allowed me to luxuriate in pulsating, sensuous music, socialize with unique intellectuals, encounter new cultural experiences, and explore the creative depths of my soul. (The fine wine wasn’t bad either).

My tryst with ballroom dance was fleeting because there was no authentic expression - just canned, technical movements. Cut the CRAP. I wanted to FEEL SOMETHING…

Argentine Tango is about life: the highs and lows, the celebrations and losses. You and your partner feel a myriad of emotions in just one dance. It’s a lovely, expressive experience. The movements aren’t preplanned - you intuitively and organically feel your way through the dance. The present moment is all there is.

On the night of my 27th birthday, I attended my last milonga (a place where Argentine Tango is danced). After nearly four years of dedicating my Sunday nights and week nights to dancing, my inner muse experienced a death that has taken years to recover from. (I’m 33 years old now).

I knew I had to write about this because whenever I see or hear something that reminds me of tango, it hits a nerve and makes my heart race. The emotional part of my brain lights up evocative of the “Cell Block Tango.” I can easily reminisce about those times in a sort of nostalgic reverence, but I struggle with breaking free of my emotional connection to the music and the dance. I have never seen or experienced something so beautifully captivating and raw. This begs a couple of questions:

Will I always have a soul tie to the Argentine Tango?

Should I keep resisting something that brings me life and joy?

I didn’t stop dancing because I had a negative experience. It was a bittersweet breakup. I liken the feeling to parting from a lover whom you still care about and adore - but know you must go your separate ways. I was entering a new chapter of my life and simply couldn’t make the time to continue my passionate affair.

For years, I would not let myself listen to tango music or watch any tango videos. The easiest way for me to get over it was to block it out of my mind. Just this past year, I felt it was okay to listen to that rhythmic, soulful, music again- the music that feels like a warm embrace as the sweet sounds of the bandoneon (popular Argentinian musical instrument) sink into my veins.

Here I was.
Back on the dance floor.
Wearing my black, satin dress,
sparkly high heels,
fish nets,
and red lipstick.

Just last month, I was watching a t.v. show that showed a couple dancing the Argentine Tango. My memory flashed back to a feeling of innocent giddiness - moving my inner muse to watch Youtube videos of professional Argentine Tango dancers. I forgot I had saved a folder in my Youtube account of my favorite videos and began to watch them. Mesmerized just like I was six years a go, one cannot argue with the beautiful and soul-binding craft of this dance. All of a sudden, a passion that had been laid to rest came alive again.

I am content at this time allowing myself to enjoy listening to the music and watching the dance every now and then because it feeds my soul. Creative drought? I can rely on the Argentine Tango to enliven that part of me that beckons to be explored, tasted, seen, and heard. I may not be dancing the tango anymore, but just allowing myself to experience those tasty tidbits every now and then, reminds my muse that creativity is always within reach.

I will always have my dancing shoes. Dance is simply a part of my life I could never part with. Will I ever dance the Argentine Tango again? Never say never.

Just writing this blog post has helped me come to terms with my life as an Argentine Tango dancer. If you really know me, you may know that when I become enthralled by something, I go after it in full pursuit. I have to know everything about it. I was the dance. In another life, I lived and breathed it day and night. That is not me anymore and I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t be the same person today had I not had those rich dance experiences. I might not shut the Argentine Tango door completely, but unlocking that door and taking a look around helped me redefine and rediscover a new creative drive that I’m still exploring.

Where are you standing right now?
Is there a door waiting to be unlocked?

Don’t be afraid to rediscover yourself in new and creative ways.

Below you will find pictures of me dancing the Argentine Tango as well as two of my favorite tango performances and one hip-hop/tango performance. The videos are breathtaking and beautiful to watch. Enjoy!!

Everyone likes to indulge in some Netflix every once in a while. I watched two different specials that share enlivening insights about life and creativity. If you are looking for an enticing way to stoke your creative fire, if you’re feeling creatively dead, or if you simply want to know what to watch on Netflix – I invite you to continue reading.

What makes you feel most alive? How do you get into the flow of life?

People who have experienced the 'creative flow' can attest to how the act of creating something can pulse life back into their veins. Amen. Let's get that blood pumping.

First, let me encourage you to watch Brene Brown's Netflix special, The Call to Courage. It moved me to tears. If you are ever in a funk or feeling down about your life - please watch her special. Even if you're feeling great – it will make you feel like you can move mountains.

It takes courage to be creative. 

Brown says, “You are going to fail if you're brave in your life. You can't take criticism and feedback from people who are not in the arena."

Preach it Brown! Naysayers be gone!

Putting yourself out there as a creative person is going to be scary because not everyone will like or appreciate your creation. You just have to tell yourself: 

Who cares? It's my truth. Not everybody needs to like it.

My favorite quote from Brown: 

"Belonging requires you to be who you are. Fitting in is you trying to be like someone else. You belong to yourself first."

My whole purpose for starting this blog and naming it 'Create or Conform' is to get the point across that we always have a choice in how we live our lives. Every day we are choosing to create magnificent, unique lives or we are choosing to conform to the expectations of others and imitate what has already been created.

I also watched a Netflix documentary titled The Creative Brain. This documentary boasts that what we create is unique because our life experiences are unique. If you are sitting there thinking your life isn't interesting enough to write about or create anything from,

THINK AGAIN.

You have had unique experiences that only YOU can write about. Your voice and your creation may just be what someone else needs to experience. Or maybe YOU just need to be the receiver of your own creation. That doesn't make it any less special. Use what’s around you to create something new.

The documentary also touches on how creativity (especially writing) dramatically transforms the lives of prisoners. Maybe you can relate this to your own life and creative struggle.

Aren’t we all prisoners of our own lives when we disallow the current of creativity to flow through us?

Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t imprison yourself. Unshackle the chains, grab the keys, and step out of your prison cell. We all do it do ourselves from time to time - myself included. No excuses this time.

Ask yourself:
What experiences are unique to me that I am willing to mold and mend and get messy with?

Life is messy and beautiful and sometimes downright dark. Don’t be afraid to step into the void of the creative process. It just might be what you need to move from pain to healing – or simply as an experience to discover more glee. (Yes, I did just use that word. Isn’t it fun?)

If this blog post wasn’t enough to hit the spot or turn on your creative nozzle, I strongly encourage you to do away with 'Netflix and Chill' this week. Instead, Netflix and CREATE after watching the aforementioned specials. Both specials emphasize that it’s much easier to sit back and be a critic rather than be a creator.

So stop sitting back and critiquing the work of others. Get your own creative juices flowing!

Find the courage to create this week. Don't conform.

The Call to Courage trailer

The Creative Brain trailer

Nine months have passed since my last blog post. It's like I'm giving birth all over again to my blog! I am here to share my inspirational role models and let you in on what I've been doing to kickstart my creativity. 

Julia Cameron's, The Artist's Way, is a surefire way to galvanize creative action through weekly readings and exercises. If you're not sure where to start, I suggest picking up Cameron's book.

For the past few weeks, I shut off the world and sat down every day to write poems - just to see where my mind wanted to go. I also signed up for several writing courses and will be participating in a full day memoir writing workshop this weekend. I plan to attend a couple poetry readings and another writing workshop next month. As I walk my creative path, I feel encouraged and motivated by several remarkable people. Maybe their words will resonate with you as well.

One person in particular who can light a fire under my ass is Elizabeth Gilbert. I devoured her book, Big Magic, and also listened to a master class she led titled "Creative Living Beyond Fear." Gilbert speaks a lot about allowing yourself permission to be creative. You are entitled to live a creative life. It is what our minds are wired for.

Creativity requires persistence- it's not always the easiest road to take. Think about everything that took persistence for you to get through in life. Think about everything you have survived thus far. Fall down? Keep getting back up. We've all been there. As Elton John says, "I'm still standing." If you're reading this right now, you're still standing too! (or sitting).

"Frustration is not an interruption of your process; frustration is the process."

Gilbert goes on to say, "Holding yourself together through all the phases of creation is where the real work lies" (Gilbert, 2015, p.149). 

"Every time you express a complaint about how difficult and tiresome it is to be creative, inspiration takes another step away from you, offended" (Gilbert, 2015, p.117).

Some of you may be saying,

"But I don't have time to play with my creative muse. I have a job that takes up all my time and energy."

"People don't do this kind of thing because they have all kinds of extra time and energy for it; they do this kind of thing because their creativity matters to them enough that they are willing to make all kinds of extra sacrifices for it" (Gilbert, 2015, p.156).

She adds: "There's no dishonor in having a job. What is dishonorable is scaring away your creativity by demanding that it pay for your entire existence" (Gilbert, 2015, p.155). "You might very well kill off your creativity by holding it to such a harsh ultimatum."

What am I supposed to create? Where do I start? 

How do I live creatively? How can I feel inspired to create?

From my experience, I would say

TRY SOMETHING NEW.

It's good for me to get out of my head a lot because I tend to think and analyze to an unhealthy extent. I've always loved trying new things because it opens me up to new worlds and allows my brain to breathe and explore. From there, new ideas are likely to come.

Take some simple advice from writer/novelist, Kurt Vonnegut.

He suggests,"Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will have created something."

I have also gleaned inspiration from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Danielle LaPorte. Their beliefs about life seem to be in harmony with one another. (Fun fact: They were both born on May 25). Emerson was a philosopher, poet, and innovative thinker of the mid-19th century. If he were still alive today, he would understand the essence of my blog. Emerson summed up life's greatest challenge when he said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

As I was sitting here typing this last sentence, I glanced over to a magnet I randomly decided to place in my room today. It's another quote from Emerson. I love synchronicities like that.

He said, "Break the monotony. Do something strange and extravagant!"

LaPorte is an inspirational speaker and author who encourages people to live from their hearts to create an authentic life. I resonate with her message about listening to your own internal desires instead of following the confines of society. She says, "Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?"

Still feeling uninspired?

Gilbert proclaims, "Inspiration will always be drawn to motion. So wave your arms around. Make something. Do something. Do anything. Call enough attention to yourself with some sort of creative action, and - most of all- trust that if you make enough of a glorious commotion, eventually inspiration will find its way home to you again" (Gilbert, 2015, p.254).

Now is the time to do something extraordinary. Get moving!

Dance to this song and get inspired!

I read through my previous posts on this blog and decided to delete a couple of them because they don't reflect who I am anymore. That being said, I've been in hiding and quite fearful of my creativity for a while. My creative pursuits have been dismal to none. As I furthered my teaching career, I became entrenched in red tape and fatigue. My creative interests took a backseat. As a teacher, I create lessons, which allows me to still be creative - but I have another, deeper side of creativity that has been silenced. I am welcoming this shift out of fear. I am saying 'Goodbye' to the F word (fear) and 'Hello' to my budding creativity. She is ready to sprout and grow with some much needed water and sunshine.

Fear

I am learning how intense this word is and how it can negatively impact one's life. I cannot and will not allow fear to dampen my creative pursuits. 

Fear of other people's opinions.

I suppose if I always keep everything private, but still write - I'm still being creative. But there is that larger force that beckons the sharing of creative gifts. I would never publicly post my daily journal for all to read. As a lifelong writer though, I desire to share my writing with others who need inspiration in moving forward as creative, expressive individuals.

I may be a private person, but does everything need to be such a secret? There were moments within the last 6 years where I would start crying in a hopeless panic that I wasn't living my life expressively. My emotions were alerting me that I was casting a deep, dark shadow on my creative joie de vivre. There is a big difference between sharing information on the Internet or social media just to look cool and make money versus sharing as a form of expression. All that to say, I'm not blogging in order to look cool, sell myself out, or kill time. I'm blogging to make connections and share my thoughts on something I still find undeniably crucial to one's wellbeing:

Creativity.

If you are reading this right now, I hope you take time daily for creative pursuits. If not daily-at least weekly. It's all too easy sometimes to come home after a hard day's work and sit mindlessly on the couch watching t.v. Those days are definitely good to have sometimes - but every day? I challenge you to pick one or two days to flex your creative muscle instead of deadening your brain cells.

Dance has fallen out of my life for the most part. There came a point in my late twenties where I had to say goodbye to my Argentine tango chapter - as lovely and life giving as it was. I still like to dance of course - but it's usually only at weddings these days. Who knows - that chapter of my life may revive itself at some point. But for now, my eye is on other creative pursuits...writing being one of them. I don't want to limit myself to just writing or dancing. I'm open to other creative pursuits at this time in my life. If you have some fun ideas, please share in the comment section.

I feel I have been in hiding for months and it's time to throw off the covers and show my face again.  My blog has been 'under construction' because I was dealing with major emotional turmoil and experiencing the end of another chapter.  I needed time to reflect on the decisions I made and felt uncomfortable having my blog up for everyone to read.  I am ready to embark on a new journey in my life.  I am still living out the last couple of weeks of my old life and that has been very painful - to put it mildly.  I have always been a highly sensitive person and when I am faced with a swirling backlash of mixed emotions, it is easy for my energy to get depleted.

The past few months have been a reflective time...really the past couple of years.  I have experienced feelings of guilt, heartbreak, hopelessness, angst and fury.  I don't want to sound disheartened and downright depressing because - as most of you know - I have also experienced blissful feelings of love, happiness, freedom and self exploration.  I am sharing the tough stuff with you though.  I am still healing by practicing forgiveness and compassion for people and circumstances.  I need to forgive myself too and cultivate love for the 'innocent child still learning the ropes.' Anger and dissolution from my authentic self only permeates illness and fatigue.  I would feel so uncomfortable at times that I would detach from my physical body.

Endings are not easy. 

The past 2 years of my life slowly unraveled into a dramatic series of uncomfortable situations that have felt like punches to my gut left and right.  I have learned lessons - some repeatedly - but they have all led me to the road where I can finally start to fulfill my soul's purpose in this life to teach.

And what's the rush - really.  Sometimes I feel I am in battle with the cosmic forces, Divine Timing, and my own ego-ridden impatience about moving onto something greater.  I have found several times now that initiating something by 'force' will always land me in greater despair.  I learned that when I hesitate about making a decision...that is my ego in conflict with God's plan.  This may not always be the case, but the hesitation signals a conflict between what the soul really needs and what the soul thinks it wants.

Have I been creative the past few months?

I am sitting here thinking really hard about this question -- so my answer is: 

Not really.

I have danced occasionally (not much at all) and felt creative at times with grad school work.  I have written a few poems, which is always therapeutic for me.  Teaching will allow me to be creative and explore a new side of myself.  My light has been blown out, stoked and stirred up over the past 2 years.  My job now is to keep my light shining brightly for all to see.  It is all good though.  The death of my old life is about to give birth to a refreshing and divinely authentic way of life.  Pop singer, Katy Perry, recently released a new single that resonates with where I am in my life.  I feel like the lyrics in the song, "Wide Awake," were written to summarize the past couple of years of my life.  The music video tells a vivid and amazing story of clarity and rebirth.

Falling from cloud 9

Crashing from the high

I'm letting go tonight

Yeah, I'm falling from cloud 9

I'm wide awake

Not losing any sleep

I picked up every piece

And landed on my feet

I'm wide awake

Need nothing to complete myself, no

I'm wide awake

Thunder rumbling

Castles crumbling

I'm wide awake

I am trying to hold on

I'm wide awake

God knows that I tried

Seeing the bright side

I'm wide awake

But I'm not blind anymore...

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I am born again

Outta the lion's den

I don't have to pretend

And it's too late

The story's over now, the end

I'm

Wide Awake.

According to Sir Ken Robinson, internationally recognized leader in the development of education and creativity, we are educating people out of their creative capacities. This may be true - in varying degrees. It's worthwhile to look at ways to bring creativity to the forefront of education and improve the system, enriching the lives of children.

"Math is very important, but so is dance," Robinson says."I think dance should be taught every day in schools. We are embodied people. The way we think, the way we feel, is deeply affected by our sense of physicality."

Should math and dance be valued equally? I do think that children need to be moving their bodies throughout the day, but I also believe stillness is important. I don't think anyone (especially children) enjoy sitting in a desk for hours on end. We can't let recess, dance, physical education, art and music fall by the wayside. When I teach, I plan to start my day having my class stand up and stretch and/or dance with me because it will be easier to teach a class who is calm and attentive.

"Our society depends on diversity, not conformity," Robinson says. "You can't make anybody learn anything they don't want to learn. Education has to be specialized - not standardized."

I do believe there is a place for standardized testing but it shouldn't be what school is centered upon. Educators should be free to practice more authentic ways to teach and test rather than conform to an education system focused on competition.

We should celebrate the process of learning. A high score and good grade is nice. But at the end of the day, what really matters is if the child learned anything.

Is the current education system archaic and outdated? Should the linear process be modified to fit today's youth? Have we confused children with the manufacturing process? Can you make creativity systematic?

When I think of the word 'system,' I think of order. Does creativity fit with order? Maybe we shouldn't be thinking of creativity as something else to add to the curriculum standards, but as something to encourage throughout the day. Rule #1 in my classroom?

Be Creative.

Is this a measurable rule? Yes and No. I figure as long as I encourage creativity, my students will run with it.

I have noticed that young children possess incredible confidence. They aren't afraid to take risks. This is why I have found being around young children so refreshing.

Robinson believes if you have a school system which rewards conformity and avoids risk-taking, then students will be unable to cope with the world unfolding before them.

Is this why so many adults are unhappy with their lives and jobs? Were they not encouraged to think outside of the box? What age do people start becoming meek and unsure of themselves? Why does this happen? When do people start getting really serious? Does being creative to some people seem like 'child play?' Is it because there is such an emphasis on right and wrong answers in school? Should we pay more attention to the gray area?

Creativity is the highest level of intelligence.

This ability is distinctive. Creative people who take action and share their originality is what makes the world shine brightly. Remember -my reason for starting this blog was my response to witnessing and working with people enduring their lives rather than enjoying it.

I do think you can be creative in most any profession, if allowed. If not allowed this necessary freedom, whose rules are you following?

Shouldn't children be able to enjoy school rather than endure it?

I recently read a few books about the Montessori way of teaching. I am trying to familiarize myself with different teaching methods to get myself ready to manage a classroom. The Montessori method seems almost ideal on paper - but I have yet to observe this in action. So I can't say much right now. I also read Ron Clark's book, The End of Molasses Classes.

This education enthusiast teaches using an extremely different approach. I think there are needs for all different methods of teaching, so I'm not saying the low-control Montessori approach is any more effective than the high-control Ron Clark approach. My mom, a lifelong educator, pointed out that some children need lots of structure in school to succeed - others thrive without as much structure. This makes sense to me because every child is different and there is no right or wrong way to teach. As long as children are learning in an enriched environment with creative freedom, that is what matters most.

I want to be a solid teacher, yet fluid in my approach.

Sir Ken Robinson is an inspiration. I encourage you to visit his website to watch him in action and read some of his articles. Take a moment to watch his most thought-provoking speeches:

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Changing Education Paradigms

Obviously I still have a lot of questions. I'm not saying Sir Ken Robinson is 'right' or 'wrong' but he addresses timely issues that need to be discussed in an effort to improve education. Once I actually start teaching, maybe I will be able to answer some of my questions. I think questioning the system (not just education) is important to lead an authentic lifestyle. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Check out the article in the Nashville Ledger about why I chose a career in education.

If you want one year of prosperity, plant corn. If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want one hundred years of prosperity, educate people. -Chinese Proverb

How can someone realize his or her full creative potential?

He interviews some of today's enlightening artists. Questions to ponder:

How do the decisions we make define us and help us grow as creative people?

How do you grow if you don't take the creative risk?

Instinctively, are we right most of the time?

Should we sacrifice security for a 'singleness of purpose?'

It seems to work for some people. Listen to what Kevin Spacey did (or didn't do) trying to make it as an actor. There will always be the 'security versus risk' debate. What are your thoughts about living up to your creative potential? Did this documentary inspire you to think any differently?

Now I feel as if I’ve have been shot by a tranquilizer gun because my energy has significantly decreased.

Two weeks a go I forced myself to go back to kickboxing classes and run. Notice I used the word ‘force.’ My body still wasn’t ready to get back into the rigorous workout routine.

I ignored my body’s natural rhythm and worked out anyway out of fear my muscles would deteriorate and my body would atrophy into a fragile abyss. O.k. I am being slightly dramatic but that is a motivating fear of mine. I seriously thought something was wrong with me.

Why do I not want to do what I enjoy most?

I thrive on physical activity. My body is simply telling me to rest….for….a….long….time. I am listening now but at times I still feel uncomfortable.

Why?

Because I would rather sleep than work out. That is not normal for me! But what is ‘normal?’ According to Dictionary.com ‘normal’ is: conforming to the standard or the common type.

Conform? Obviously my soul is getting ready to create something new.

If I continue to conform to my old ways of being, a new way of life cannot be created.

I have entered into a new state of being where I feel calm and sedate. I am learning how to rest and take the time for my soul to re-energize before the next energetic phase of my life.

I did start graduate school this month and that is a big change I am getting used to.

This Time I Dance! Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love by Tama J. Kieves is the most inspiring book I have ever read. Whenever I feel confused about life, I read a few passages in her book and feel like I can conquer the world.

“We experience a form of higher-powered paralysis to protect us from getting in our own clever way” (Kieves, 2002, p.102). This is so true. Maybe the reason I do not feel like working out so much is because my soul has more inner work to do at this time than outer work. Don't worry. I will not 'let myself go.' This is merely a phase of my life. My soul would not lead me to this point to allow my physical appearance and health to suffer.

“Your commitment to time-out in a keep-hopping, no-stopping lazy-phobic society will challenge you” (Kieves, 2002, p.116). The productivity police have a warrant out for your arrest. You are charged with first-degree sleepiness and failure to comply with a strict work-out routine. That sounds ridiculous, right? So don't make your soul feel guilty when all it wants is some time-out of the fast lane.

"It is this time of undoing that requires every ounce of strength, vision and persistence. In the old way of doing things...we insisted that actions furthered us more than feeling our way through healing" (Kieves, 2002, p.105). To everything there is a season. A time to rest and a time to take action. Be perceptive enough to know the difference.

Honor the wisdom of your own process.

Be sensitive. Listen to your body's rhythms. Nothing in life is that complicated from your body's point of view. When your body has an important message for you, it will try to get your attention. Don't ignore the messages. They may start out subtle but ignore them long enough and you may end up in worse shape than ever.

The Intuitive Way by Penney Peirce outlines how to actively use your intuition to make sound choices and ease into your creative flow.

“The creative process is an identical twin to the intuitive process” (Peirce, 2009, p.41).

To develop skill in intuition, we need to decipher our body’s information cues. If you feel tired, go to sleep. If you feel hungry, go eat. If you feel revved up, go for a run. If you feel inspired, create something beautiful. I understand we need to follow time constraints in daily life. If you can allow time for what your body is asking then you should. However, if your body is asking you to do things you never have time for, maybe you should reassess where you're going in life.

“It’s your right to take time and space, to take your mind off things and be aimless, to pay homage to the greater wisdom that guides your course” (Peirce, 2009, p.51).

I have always been a fan of taking naps. They replenish my energy and provide insight and clarity to situations. The book Take a Nap! Change Your Life by Sara Mednick, Ph.D. explains the lifesaving benefits of napping and how naps inspire creativity and heighten perception. "History's great artists and inventors took naps. Napping allows your brain to create the loose associations necessary for creative insight and opens the way for a fresh burst of new ideas" (Mednick, 2006, p.26).

Think of your sleeping hours as a highly productive time.

Rest for the soul can only produce positive results and allow us to dip our toes into the most untapped resource on the planet: creative inspiration.

Your body will tell you when it's ready to dive back in and make a big splash. Until then, enjoy laying poolside and soak up all the sun you can get. Your body will blow a whistle to an almost deafening decibel to save you from contrived negligence. If you dive back in before it's time, the water may be too vast and deep to stay afloat.

Most of us feel the need to assert our independence day after day, sporting bull horns and blowing black smoke through our nostrils of self sufficient willpower. If someone offers to help you out - as simple as taking your groceries out to your car - and you reject the offer without a second thought, refusal becomes habit and a closed off vibration will grow bigger and bigger. Then you become one of those people who complain,

"How come nobody ever helps me?"

The unconscious attempt to close yourself off from human help catapults messages to the Universe to halt the flow of help offerings until you are ready to receive. The frequency of help offerings will wane because you snowballed yourself into a lonely black hole.

What are you trying to prove to yourself by not accepting help?

I have always been the little girl trying to prove to the world how BIG, tough and independent I am.

"I can stand on my own. Nobody can touch me. I don't need assistance. What a sign of weakness."

I have unintentionally hurt people's feelings by not accepting help. My ego and pride get in the way of graciously accepting another human being's willingness to connect. Energetically, I walk around with my arms up forming a big X to make people keep a safe distance. When you take offense to an offer of help because you fear your independence and macho image will be jeopardized, think again.

You are likely hurting yourself by keeping others at a distance.

I will always be an independent woman because that is my nature, but it is human nature to offer help. Shouldn't we then accept help? I often live toward the Independent Extreme. My challenge is to find a balance of being independent, yet open and vulnerable enough to acquiesce to assistance. I want to offer this same challenge to you.

Do you accept the challenge?

I know what you're thinking. Maybe you really don't need help or would simply rather do it yourself. Think about the other person too. Even if it is just their 'job' to help you out, deep down, they really do want to help. Give them the benefit of the doubt. By crossing your arms and being the hoity toity King or Queen of your own kingdom, you are doing yourself and the other person a disservice. People will stop trying to help you because that's what you want. But if you begin to welcome help offerings with open arms, big surprises are in store for you.

The next time someone offers to help you - whether it be with a mundane daily chore or a life altering decision - think twice, get off your high horse and be nice enough to show the other person they too are valued. After all, we can't get through life alone.

It is scary when a new truth takes the place of an old one. This can only mean one thing: Change is occurring and will surely land on your doorstep. Do you open the door to welcome the change or keep it closed and succumb to the death sentence of stagnation?

Here is a dare: When going through a life transition, try not expressing anything and see what happens. Even if you aren't going through a transition period, not expressing yourself for 24 hours may induce catastrophic results on your psyche. We are all walking expressions of life. To deny that is to deny yourself. Some things I say are sprinkled with sarcasm. Please don't take me up on that dare.

How do you express yourself?

Do you wait for a crisis to occur or do you live each day to your fullest expression?

Are you afraid you will feel too exposed and vulnerable if you really expressed yourself? How much should we express? Should there be a limit to self expression?

Express what is truthfully in you and it will be interesting. Do you want to make a major life change? Calculate the risk of your decision before acting on impulse. What is the difference between taking a risk and being reckless? Sometimes the biggest risk is saying "No" to a reckless decision. When it comes to risk, the only thing that matters is you take the ones right for you.

Make decisions with all your Intelligence and delve into creative pursuits with all your Love.

Conscious decisions (risky or not) can lead to change in life. Get used to feeling uncomfortable during periods of transition. Learn to embrace the awkwardness. How many of you have been in socially awkward situations?

You just don't know what to do.

That is o.k. Life is for creating and exploring, not for having immediate answers to all of life's questions. The uncomfortable times force us to grow and invite us to transform. Every transition period is a blessing, sometimes in disguise. And most importantly:

Change begets creativity.

If asserting your creative side feels more like a chore, Stop.

You are trying too hard and nothing worthwhile will come of it.

Wait.

Listen to your body's signals and you will feel when the light turns green. Your heart will open and an abundance of possibilities and creative juices will flood your path. See life as a flowing river and learn to cultivate creative energy by working with the ebbs and flows of your own river.

I am a transformer.

Are you a transformer or a conformer?

Can you break your own rules? What if you are living in a self-made prison abiding by the rules and regulations you set upon yourself?

Yes to answer the first question. Living under too many self-made precepts can get in the way of creativity. I would say discipline is good to a certain extent, but don't be so hard on yourself. You can break your own rules sometimes and it will be alright. Transitional periods give you time to explore new options and new rules, ultimately leading to something better. Emotions are likely to run wild. Don't rush. All will be well in time.

You will never run out of time. There will never be enough time. Make sense? As evolving beings, we live to create. We create ourselves anew each day while working towards something - whether it be achieving goals or acquiring possessions. We take steps to reach a 'destination' only to find ourselves inspired with whispers of new ideas along the journey. Do we ever really accomplish everything we dream? If so, find something new to live for.

Do you volunteer for a worthy cause because you feel like you have to? Volunteer because your heart is in it. Do it because you want to. In the same way - Express yourself when it feels right. Create because you want to.

Create change and use change to create.

Open yourself up to see the

Light.

When one's soul feels trapped in any way (whether it be a relationship or job situation), the soul will inevitably find a way out or rebel. It is only natural. You can make the decision to leave a less than desirable situation on your own or you can let it eat you alive. The latter is what I see happen more often than is necessary. You get to decide though how it pans out. The difference with me is I usually find a way out - even if I have nothing 'to fall back on.

I went from writing diligently every day and making time to be alone with my imagination to --> filling up my schedule with so many activities I didn't know which way was up anymore.

I was scared to face my own power.

I became an adrenaline junkie for a while and would go-go-go until I literally passed out from exhaustion. I fell down so many times. I was forced to surrender my life and creative calling to God, our Creator. This may happen over and over in one's life because our human selves cannot handle everything.

One of the most inspiring books I've ever read, If You Want to Write, speaks of the importance of art, independence and spirit for a creative life. Author Brenda Ueland knows what she's talking about

"Inspiration comes very slowly and quietly...our idea that we must always be energetic and active is all wrong...your soul gets dry because you are so efficient about doing one thing after another that you have not time for your own ideas to come in and develop and gently shine" (Ueland, 1938, p.25). Absolutely...

What is it that I do want?

Trying different things provided extreme contrasts. This allowed me to choose what I like and say 'No thanks' to what I didn't like. I can now compare working full-time at an office job to full-time in retail - as well as freelancing and smaller stints. Oh, and don't be fooled by scammers who try to fool people in their twenties looking for health and fitness careers. I almost was. Nice try. All of these experiences have served their purpose. I'm ready to move onto something greater.

I went a little crazy. But I think you have to go crazy in life. Life is crazy. I made some impractical decisions and do not regret any of them. I learned from them. Variety is the spice of life. You never know unless you try.

Never a dull moment in my life.

Obviously consistency is desirable regarding many situations, but remember this blog is about creativity - so don't even try to argue with me on this one. When it comes to creativity, move Mr. Consistent and Ms. Routine to the side and let them know you're gonna try something different today. A trial separation may be just what the doctor (Kelly) ordered.

They do mean well at times and I have learned routine in life is definitely healthy - in moderate doses. I have become better friends with Ms. Routine but I can tell you that we will always be better off awkward acquaintances than best buddies. Same goes for Mr. Consistent. They throw the lamest parties but always lend a helping hand when it comes to organizing and scheduling. Our personalities refuse to mesh cordially and that's fine.

Trying to make order out of complete chaos has been a challenge, yet was necessary for me to start living a more balanced life.

The past few months have also taught me a lot about relationships and children. I give thanks to the exuberant girls at Edmonson Elementary School I had the opportunity to help coach. Their excitement for life re-ignited my creative spark and gives me hope for a very bright future. They reminded me what it's like to live in the present moment.

Children live spiritually and with imagination. I remember those days.

As adults, we can still live that way.

We just have to understand the importance of creative power in order to live a more enriched life.

You have creative power. Harness that energy and go with it!

Now that my job with Davis-Kidd Booksellers has come to an end, wouldn't you like to know what I am going to do next?

What about taking time to create something?

Learn to focus. How can you be present with yourself if your mind is all over the place? Constant busyness and exhaustion allow zero room for creative inspiration. Slow down and sit still. Make room for your authentic self. Otherwise we're just robots running errands. Fun. The problem is, people don't feel 'productive' if they're not always on-the-go or getting paid to sit in a cube farm. If you really want to be productive, awaken your creative side.

Create!

It will make you feel good too.

Activity feels hard. Inspired action feels wonderful.

Be aware of the big difference between inspired action and activity. Activity comes from the brain-mind and is rooted in disbelief and lack of faith - you are taking action to "make" your desire happen. Inspired action is allowing the law to work through you and to move you.

There is a fine line between activity and inspired action. My thoughts are:

Sometimes you have to plan to be creatively active (even when you really don't feel like it) in order to spark inspired action. But if you truly feel like you're forcing it too much, your body's energy likely is not ready to produce anything at that time. Respect your body's energy flow and come back to it tomorrow.

Twyla Tharp's bestselling book, The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life, asks thought-provoking questions to really make you wonder why you do what you do.

"Creativity is an act of defiance. You're challenging the status quo. You're questioning accepted truths and principles. You're asking three universal questions that mock conventional wisdom:

Why do I have to obey the rules?

Why can't I be different?

Why can't I do it my way?

These are the impulses that guide all creative people whether they admit it or not. Every act of creation is also an act of destruction or abandonment. Too much planning implies you've got it under control. That's boring, unrealistic, and dangerous" (Tharp, 2003, p.133).

But how much planning is too much planning?

Stephen King's memoir, On Writing, talks about the craft of writing and planning a set schedule for your creativity.

"Your schedule exists in order to habituate yourself, to make yourself ready to dream just as you make yourself ready to sleep by going to bed roughly the same time each night and following the same ritual as you go. In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives. And as your mind and body grow accustomed to a certain amount of sleep each night, so can you train your waking mind to sleep creatively and work out the vividly imagined waking dreams" (King, 2000, p.157).

"Don't wait for the muse. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon or seven to three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up" (King, 2000, p.157).

What is a muse you ask?

According to Dictionary.com, a muse is "the goddess or power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like."

So King is suggesting we make ourselves be creative (writing, painting, filming, etc..) on a routine basis? But how do we plan to be creative? What if we just don't feel inspired?

As a writer, I struggle at times forcing myself to sit and write something. I'm not always inspired to write. But after making myself sit there for a period of time, something will come out of me.

"This, to me, is the most interesting paradox of creativity: In order to be habitually creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative, but good planning alone won't make your efforts successful; it's only after you let go of your plans that you can breathe life into your efforts" (Tharp, 2003, p.119).

To plan or not to plan. That is the question. It's up to you to decide how much is too much.

So let's say you are sitting there at your desk, door shut and you have given yourself the next three hours to create something. Man, forcing yourself to be creative can suck sometimes. I can share with you what I have done at times when I'm in a rut. I pick up a book from one of my favorite authors. Then I start copying their writing word for word. (Obviously this is just a creative warm-up and not something I would try to publish as my own work). Sometimes, this exercise will spark a creative idea. Run with it.

It is important to copy someone else's work. You are studying another person's creative process - just like a dancer who stands behind a professional and copies their moves - or like a writer who writes more vividly after copying another writer's work.

"The power of muscle memory gives you a path toward genuine creation through simple re-creation" (Tharp, 2003, p.66).

As a young child in elementary school, I remember taking some of my favorite books and copying the published text word for word. I pretended I were the author. I would even add:

‘Written by Kelly J. Cornelius.’

At the time, I didn't know why I was doing that. It seemed silly. But now I recognize I was smart. I listened to that 'still small voice' of my creative imagination telling me to practice writing. I was honing my creative muscles. It wasn't silly.

The great artists, writers, musicians and poets become great because they acquire the habit of relying upon the 'still small voice' which speaks from within - through creative imagination.

Me at age 2 considering a career as a writer

How does this relate to creativity?

"Just as an athlete performs better if he's in top shape, ideas will come to you more quickly if you've been putting in the time at your chosen craft" (Tharp, 2003, p. 105). Twyla Tharp's bestselling book,The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life, will challenge you to live life in the creative lane.

It takes time and effort to get in top creative shape. "When it all comes together, a creative life has the nourishing power we normally associate with food, love and faith" (Tharp, 2003, p.243).

While working at my previous job, I neglected my passion for writing. The days following my unemployment, I woke up, went to my desk and wrote tirelessly until it pained me to hold my pen any longer.

Was the material I wrote good? Not necessarily. But during that transition time, I was writing as a form of therapy. It felt so good to get out onto paper what had been locked up inside of me. My creative muscles weren't conditioned properly, so I had to get the yucky stuff out first. After a few weeks of practice, I can now say I feel highly productive in about five minutes (on a good day).

"Whatever your medium, if you've been away from it for a few weeks, the first days are going to be clumsy and fruitless. But things get easier as the rust falls away. The ideas come more smoothly. You are fit and gleaming. You can't wait to attack your work” (Tharp, 2003, p. 106).

I can relate this to someone who starts working out hardcore or playing sports after a long hiatus. That person's athletic performance will be less than stellar. Why? Their muscles have been stagnant due to improper conditioning. They will likely get cramps, side aches and tire easily.

I also started experimenting with myself - messing with my head. I tried to change up my routine as much as possible. Try this:

Tomorrow morning, pick a fight with your wake-up routine. Before heading to work, pick a fight with your rituals. Remember 'Opposite Day' in elementary school? No means Yes. Yes means No. Do the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do.

"That quick jolt of defiance might be enough to rewire your circuitry and deliver something new...you're picking a fight with yourself to generate anger, emotion, combustion and heat...there's something to be said for getting into a warrior's frame of mind, especially when you're troubled by some aspect of your creative life" (Tharp, 2003, p. 135).

The hardest part is making yourself take that first step. As Nike says: Just do it. Get yourself in shape and get on with your life.

Tap into your creativity. Attack your work.

The more you work out physically and creatively on a routine basis, the easier it will become for you. I can attest to that.

"When creativity has become your habit; when you've learned to manage time, resources, expectations and the demands of others; when you understand the value and place of validation, continuity, and purity of purpose - then you're on the way to an artist's ultimate goal: the achievement of mastery" (Tharp, 2003, p. 240).

To promote awareness and inspire others to explore their creative passions

You may be thinking -

"But Kelly, not everyone has a creative side. This blog wouldn't pertain to them."

I say:

You’re WRONG.

Everyone has a creative side. I believe we are here on this earth - to 'create.' Expressing yourself creatively can help relieve depression and lead you down the path of your desires. There are countless ways to be creative. Off the top of my head I can think of:

- Painting/Drawing

- Dancing

- Singing

- Writing

- Performing

- Scrap-booking

- Designing

Really - any way you can let your unique personality shine through is a form of creative expression. The possibilities are endless! Be creative!! I dare you!

What really sparked me to promote awareness about creativity were the answers I would get from people after posing the question:

"What is your creative outlet?"

More often than not, I would receive a blank stare. They would look at me with the most confused expression, as if this was the strangest concept. I would then probe them with follow-up questions such as:

- What do you enjoy?

- What makes you smile and laugh?

- If you weren't working, what would you be doing?

- How do you express yourself? (Usually another 'blank stare' question)

Then I decided: This is a major problem.

Why is this a major problem? Because I cannot imagine my life without creative writing and dancing. Outside of work, writing and dancing is all I would focus on. Without engaging in my creative expressions, I may as well be dead.

Are you dead?

For me, writing has always been my creative outlet. Ever since I can remember I have kept a journal to record my thoughts. As of recent, writing poetry has helped me deal with pain and suffering. I also write fiction stories and have always had a passion for learning new words and their origin of meaning. Proof: I subscribe to Dictionary.com's "Word of the Day" and always look forward to checking my inbox for that daily dose of fun.

On a physical level, I express myself through dance. Talk about releasing endorphins.

On a typical workday morning - let's say around 7 a.m. - you would see me dancing like a crazy person to the popular Kenny Loggins song "Footloose." After coming home from work, having built up stress and tension you would find me getting down to the club poppin' Ludacris song "How Low."

My life is truly entertaining.

As a young child, I began taking ballet lessons. I took a few year hiatus trying gymnastics and other sports, but eventually came back to ballet. My dream as a child was to perform in "The Nutcracker." So I did. I performed in this classical ballet for 5 years. Around the same time, I became enthralled in the world of hip-hop dancing. Complete opposite of ballet but I enjoyed both just the same. I took hip-hop classes and very much enjoy learning choreography as I pick it up quickly.

Then I went to college and landed my first 'big girl' job. It wasn't until this point that I realized something was missing in my life. I started to ask myself:

"What can I do for fun?"

The word 'Dance' popped into my head, as I seemed to have partially neglected this passion whilst being wrapped up in academia for so long. Although going clubbing on the weekends and dancing for sorority functions was fun, I was ready to embark on a more disciplined and fulfilling approach to dance. This led me on an intense journey as I began taking ballroom lessons and trying to learn everything I possibly could about my re-discovered passion. Ballroom lessons taught me how to dance with a partner, whereas in ballet and hip-hop I danced on my own. Now I'm playing in a whole different ballgame.

"What - I'm supposed to follow my partner's lead?"

Talk about frustrating.

I don't 'backlead' as much as I used to, but sometimes it sure is tempting. My new-found passion is the Argentine tango. I absolutely love all Latin dances with salsa coming in a close second behind tango. Dancing the Argentine tango is one of the most intimate and challenging of the Latin dances.

In the near future, I plan to perform tango. Performing is how I truly feel expressive. I remember the feeling of waiting in the wings on stage to pirouette out for the "Waltz of the Flowers." I always felt such a rush of excitement mixed with heart-pounding nerves. That is the best feeling for me.

To summarize:

Writing and Dancing are my creative outlets. What are yours?

Please share and you will be helping me spread the good word that everyone is unique and has an innate desire to express themselves. Go on. I dare you.