Living the Life Creative

You don’t have to be an artist to have a creative life. 

When I got out of art school, I thought life was divided into two parts: the working life to pay the bills, and the artistic life to feed the soul.  At that time, I didn’t have a clue about how one’s attitude and “altitude” could allow you to be completely creative in and out of studio and how every second of every day could feed your soul.

Everyone WANTS to live up to their potential...or at least they say they do.  We walk around with so many fears and imagined limitations, inner anger, and old non-productive stories; some of which we aren’t even aware.  These get in the way of our excellence and our creative flow.  Many of us have a negative mantra or two looped in our heads... “I’m not good enough”, ”I can’t”, or “why bother?” are some examples that just keep us stuck in a rut. What are YOU saying to yourself that’s keeping you from being the best you can be? NOW IS THE TIME TO STOP THE SELF-SABOTAGE.  And to make matters worse, we even seek the company of others who, through endless commiseration, keep us from improving our situations.

As Kundalini yogis, we are encouraged to UPLIFT AND ELEVATE others...not sit around and wallow in our stories.   That’s because we have the technology to rise above these misfortunes and obstacles through mantra, meditation, and yoga.  Our self-discipline keeps us out of trouble and gives us the strength to help others.

When you write, count beans, study, play music, think, make “art”, meditate, cook, garden, do sports, heal, teach, or whatever it is that you do....you are there to practice your craft.  You might have an argument with yourself about it beforehand, but you will eventually show up and practice. How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice.  That’s right...the secret to YOUR success in anything you do is PRACTICE.  

Through practice, or self-discipline as we’ll now call it, you can take yourself from average to sensational in a relatively short amount of time. Since I’m a yogi, I have experienced the effect of that discipline on one’s well-being and how it gives you strength and power, self confidence, and projection.  Meditation and a regular spiritual practice can give you the grace and altitude you need to navigate the challenges of the world today.  And it connects you to your higher self, your cosmic flow; your SAT NAM so that everything you do is infused with the creative flow that is the Kundalini energy itself.

When you live your life with the creative flow activated in you, it doesn’t matter WHAT you do, you are living a conscious life. You can have a more positive effect on others by flipping greasy hamburgers in higher consciousness than if you feed beautiful vegetarian food to others with a bitter and angry heart.  You can be a creative accountant, lawyer, stockbroker in the same way you can be a creative artist or musician.  WHAT you do is just a vehicle for the cosmic flow.

I noticed that when I taught Kundalini yoga, I had the same feeling as when I made art.  This was a a big AH-HA moment.

The cosmic flow will come through you as a result of discipline and consistency.  In much the same way that a violinist will become a more proficient and talented musician through practice and rehearsal,  you can become a more balanced, energized, focused, and compassionate person through yoga and meditation.  In the same way a top athlete can transform themself into a champion through effective coaching and practice, you can become a saint through the guidance of your teacher and the discipline of a daily sadhana.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir