The past few weeks have been a blur sometimes it seems that I’ve been away from home forever and other times it seems like I haven’t left at all!
August started for me with a trip to a reunion of my high school drama club peers. Spending a few hours with these amazing people, many of whom I hadn’t seen or spoken to in nearly 30 years, I was struck by the thought that even though time had passed, and many things had changed, very much was still the same Clearly, central to all of our beings is still an interwoven connection to the creative thread of life.
In recent years, as I’ve reconnected to many of the things that bring me great joy, I’ve discovered that nurturing my creative self is the most healing process I engage in. And it is with this peer group that I first honored my creative nature and allowed myself to imagine and explore all the possibilities that erupted in that free expression.
We were a talented bunch! And in the safe haven of our club, we allowed ourselves the freedom to express our fantasies and to create a magical existence, if only for a short time. In the protection of this group, we could allow our unique essence to show through, and that was our common bond.
Somehow when we performed together, we were free of all of our limiting beliefs, even those that were so prevalent in teen years. We were special, individually and collectively, and our energies gave us all the power to shine.
How is it that some of us lost our way? How is it that we left that wonderful, special world behind and moved into our adulthood in worlds of “what we should be” doing? Why didn’t we feel we could carry that magic into “the real world”? Why was I so sure I had to choose either fantasy or reality, and that reality didn’t include the possibility of making a living in the creative world? Why was I so certain that choosing a life of theatre and art was fantasy? And, how is it that I felt that when I opted to follow a ‘business’ path I had to give up my creative expression that taking time to play was frivolous, unfocused, unnecessary and “off track” and would never lead to success.
Later, as a young woman, I did achieve industry recognition and business success in my chosen field, and that achievement was not a “wow” moment” something was missing. And it’s taken me nearly 15 years to figure out what that was.
When I chose “reality” over “fantasy”, I left a part of me behind. Now I see that it’s no surprise that my success left me unfulfilled. I hadn’t taken all of me on the journey through my reality. I left behind my sense of wonder. I left behind my imagination and I left behind my willingness to dream.
What I know now is that at my core I am that drama club kid– creating, connecting, collaborating pushing my limits, trying new things, finding joy in play. When I stop nurturing that creative child I am left feeling unfulfilled and without identity.
I will be eternally grateful to my high school friends and for this summer’s reminder that my reality does not have to be exclusive of fantasy. Fantasies = dreams. The fantasies we created in a theatre were an expression of our dreams an acknowledgment of our willingness to push boundaries beyond what we knew to take a leap of faith and to trust that our peers would be there to back us up.
If I can create a fantasy on stage, then why can’t I create my reality as I dream it? By translating my imagination into dreams I can create a life full of joy and limitless possibility. This is my journey of creative recovery, will you join me?
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless “
Jean Jacques Rousseau
In the spirit of wisdom, wellness, and prosperity-
Nanette