Painter
Georgia O'Keeffe said, "The days you work are the best days."
She was referring to her art, of course, which was her passion.
In this New Year, let's begin to view all of our work as our art.
In doing so, every activity in which we invest our passionate energy
will become our personal creativity. In my new book, From
Crisis to Creativity, I define creativity as "the
art of growing self-expression." In every way that we express
and idea, a thought, a plan, a feeling, we give someone - including
ourselves - a gift.
Mexican
artist Frida Kahlo painted her first significant self-portrait following
an accident that nearly killed her. She gave the lovely Italian
Renaissance-style painting to her boyfriend, so that he would always
remember her. This gift to her first love was an obvious memento.
the gift to herself was less obvious but more profound: it was the
declaration that she had survived. After this, Kahlo chose to be
a painter rather than a doctor. Following each of more than thirty
operations, she made bold representations of herself, each one nearly
shouting that she lived, despite her wounds and her physical and
emotional pain. She lived and lives on through her gifts of art.
Businesswoman
Ruth Handler is best known for creating Barbie and Ken, teenage
stars of her mega-toy company, Mattel. In the 1970s, she survived
a radical mastectomy from breast cancer, and from her grief came
the idea for a comfortable, natural feeling breast prosthesis. She
worked with technicians from her company to create the "Nearly
Me" line of breast replacements, and from her vision, manifested
a gift to many other women.
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"The
message I received... was, 'Enjoy the light that you create.
Search no further to find brilliance outside
of yourself.' "
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Sarah
Dixon is studying to be a teacher. This young woman was born
with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, genetic problems that gave
her parents little hope that she would live to adulthood. Like
Frida Kahlo, Sara has had thirty operations to restore physical
functions. She now lives, works, studies, and recently completed
a trip on her own around the world. Sarah reminds us to respect
every life experience for its inherent growth and creative potential.
Her life and poetry exemplify the "determined overcoming"
which is the hallmark of the resilient and creative person.
Near
the end of writing From Crisis to Creativity,
I meditated about whether the book contained enough inspirational
stories and useful information. The message I received in meditation
was, "Enjoy the light that you create. Search no further to
find brilliance outside of yourself. The light, the love, that you
create every single day, from within and in interactions with others,
will nourish you and bring you joy."
So
with the dawning of this New Year, turn within and trust that with
mere intention you will manifest your gifts, your own brand of resiliency,
brilliance and creativity.
Dr.
Gail Feldman is a clinical psychologist, award-winning author,
and enthusiastic public speaker. Her most recent book, Releasing
the Goddess Within, coauthored with Katherine Gleason,
is now available Her classic, From Crisis to Creativity:
Taking Advantage of Adversity, has been published
in an updated edition in London by TimeWarner. She is also trained
in hypnotherapy, regression therapy, and eye movement desensitization
and reporcessing (EDMR).
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PhD
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