WHAT KILLS CREATIVITY?

I had a sudden thought last night.

One of those simple thoughts that feels “uncomfortable”:

what kills creativity in the human being?

Creativity is pulled down every day of our life, and this is a non recognized crime.

It is the society’s crime based on the principles or pillars of “what is to be done, what is good to do”.

So, our society provides us with pre-built paths of life, which are, according to the common sense, the good ones to follow.

We want for our kids an “established” life, because this is the safest way to go to pay bills, to afford “good education”, to buy a house, to get married, to have a stable job. In all this, we never take care of mind and feelings.

We do not teach our kids how to focus on happiness and how to be a fulfilled being. When we recognize a talent in our child, we immediately put it on a competition level. The child must be no.1!

Then, we just teach them what we were taught. We lack trust in them and we can destroy easily their freedom to express themselves and self-esteem.

So there is no evolution. And worse, we kill the Artist Child in each of us from early age.

Creativity for me, as a broad meaning; I believe we are all creative beings as creativity resides in our Inner Self. We create life, we create our reality, paintings, photos, poems, problems and their solutions. We create every single instant of our life, creativity is a synonym of Life. The thing is that most of us do not acknowledge this power, so it exists like a dormant force, or a negative pole into our daily routine.

And enthusiasm dies. Biologically enthusiasm cannot die before 70 years of age but researches have shown that nowadays it dies at 15 years of age. We have depressed teen agers who will turn into stressed and unsatisfied adults, who will most probably develop some kind of disease sometimes in their lives.

Good to know. But who really knows?

Some people wake up at a certain stage of their life, I am one of those. What we usually do is to deny what makes us happy if it does not “match” with the general rules of society. So we give up writing because it is impossible to publish, we give up painting because it does not pay the school, we give up dancing because it is time to get married and on and on the list can be long.

How many of us are living the lives they really wanted to live? Just because we do not believe in the power of creativity anymore.

We are creative Beings. No one is deprived of creativity, but most of us build up the conviction that we are not.

I like to quote the BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVITY according to Julia Cameron:

1. · Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy, pure creative energy.
2. · There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life, including ourselves.
3. · When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity in within us and our lives.
4. · We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.
5. · Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.
6. · When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction.
7. · As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.
8. · It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.
9. · Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let’s fly high.

Love&Rainbow

Copyright2010LorenzaVerdini

MIRACLES

"MIRACLES ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES FOR WHICH SCIENCE HAS NOT FOUND ANY LOGICAL ANSWER OR EXPLANATION. A PHENOMENON SUCH AS A FLOWER OPENING IS ALSO A MIRACLE"

H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

I wanted to write a post to celebrate the miracle of Life.

I wanted to express my deep gratitude for every single thing in my life, including my problems, because it is thank to them that I can challenge myself and learn to go through everything with a smile on my face.

It is thank to the OPPOSITES in life that I have learnt to appreciate.

I do not have many words today, so I express it with these photos taken by my daughter.

Love & Rainbow

Photos Copyright2010LaviniaMustapha

YUMMY AND SIMPLE

This is the simple and yummy menu I cooked for Easter.

1.CANNELLINI BEAN BRUSCHETTA

· 1 can of cannellini beans

· 5 fresh tomatoes

· 3 tbsp olive oil

· 1 garlic cloves

· sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped

· 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

· salt and ground pepper

· fresh basil leaves to garnish

· Italian-style bread

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, peel them and chop the flesh. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes; crush the garlic clove into the pan and add the rosemary. Cook until the tomatoes are soft; add the cannellini beans to the mixture, season to taste and mix well. Grill the slices of bread and spoon the cannellini and tomato mixture on top of the toast. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil.

HHHmmmm….enjoy it!

2.RIBOLLITA

· 3 tbsp olive oil

· 2 onions, chopped

· 4 carrots, sliced

· 4 garlic cloves, crushed

· 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced

· 4 large courgettes , sliced

· 400 gr. can chopped tomatoes

· 2 tbsp pesto

· 900 ml vegetable stock

· 400 gr. can cannellini or borlotti beans

· salt and ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and fry approx for 10 minutes. Add the courgettes and fry for a few more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, the pesto, stock and beans and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, till the veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Grill a couple of slices of Italian-style bread per person, put it on the plate and spoon the vegetable soup on top of the bread. Drizzle with olive oil.

This second dish is typical from Tuscany where they use a specific kind of cauliflower that I have not found here in South Africa. Still this variation is light, healthy and delicious.

In the next post I will write about the trick to make the perfect lasagna and the recipe of my pearl barley salad…

Bon Appetit

Copyright 2010LorenzaVerdini

SOUTHAFRICAN EASTER

We had a lovely Easter day at my best friend house.

She lives in a beautiful place in the nature, 10 minutes driving from my home. The way to reach her place is really countryside; it is incredible, in Johannesburg! The road skirts riding schools and horses browse on the meadows like kings of Life, untouched by earthly things and weather. It is a breathless landscape and while I drive to reach the destination I cannot help feeling that time stops and I am in such a state of bliss. I am listening to wonderful acoustic guitar music; the kids are quiet, also captured by the beauty outside. I relax, and although I know I have got to get there, I wish I could stay and whisper in the horses’ ears…

There is a nice smell of homemade cooked food in the car; I have been cooking since early morning for our lunch, not at all the typical Italian dishes that we eat for Easter, but still very Italian. My friend is Portuguese from Mozambique, a very Mediterranean special soul. She’ll be cooking baccalao the national fish dish in Portugal. We reach her property, 10.000 square meters in the nature, with the most incredible view, her golden retriever Rocco running happily to us and her twins, who are 7 and are my youngest daughter’s best friends since we moved to South Africa welcome us saying “ hey guys you know that Limbs has caught and killed the snake?” yes, this is real. We are in Africa, after all. They are talking about the snake that was hiding in the garden; a real spitting African cobra…brrrr I shiver ….. At least we know that today the kids will be able to run for the Easter eggs hunt without risk of meeting the non-invited snake…

So I set out for the kitchen, hmmmm I have the feeling I am going to spend quite a long time in here today but I am so glad I can have a privileged time with my special friend catching up about our busy lives in the kitchen.

How many feelings do we share alone or with the beloved ones in the kitchen? It is such a central place in our nests… So we start having coffee and, after a while, probably a long while, we realize that the other friends will arrive in no longer that half an hour and we still have to cook the vegetarian lasagna and the baccalao! I get my focus back to the béchamel sauce and all the rest, forgetting about the coffee, the dogs, the kids and I feel grateful that I decided to cook half of the things early in the morning. So the sauce for the bruschetta is ready, the ribollita (typical Tuscan vegetable soup) as well, and the barley salad too!!! Phew, they could be hungry! Somehow we manage to get everything ready, the baccalao smells so good but I am vegetarian since January so I’ll give up the pleasure of good champagne and this delicious fish.

Everybody arrives and, as a usual, we’ll be eating much later that we would think, so there is plenty of time to finish cooking and lay down the table with a nice table cloth, candles, small chocolate eggs oh no! I forgot my camera again!

The kids look like real warriors. There are three couples of 7 years old twins (six!) plus my kids and this is so special! But everything goes well, some boys fall into the pool, some others climb the trees, the girls are interested in stealing make up and wearing heels but when the never ending lunch is finished for them they polished their plates in one minute they start waiting for the highlight of the day: the Easter eggs hunt. I can say that the dads have lots of fun in hiding few kg. of chocolate in the huge garden, probably some of this chocolate finds the way of their stomach before finding a quiet corner to hide…

The hunt is like Katrina, the hurricane. And it last 3 minutes. I mean, I was in the kitchen, probably looking for the sugar, and it was OVER! The boys found all the chocolate in such a short time that we have to beg them to share it with the girls. Now the concept of gallantry is really “stinky” for 7 years old dirty and barefoot boys! So what? We appeal to the more popular “sharing is caring” till the moment when the twin sisters of the twin boys decide that it is time to fight.

So they all start running after the boys and, in the general stampede, some of the eggs fall from the boys plastic bags.

Happy warriors girls with the new spoils in their hands. It is time to put on a DVD, something cool and not too exciting.

I look at the landscape and I see the most beautiful sunset. I know this is the sunset that our kids will be enjoying in few years time and I know, again, that we are all ONE.

In the next post I will write about the menu and the recipes !

Bon Appétit

Love&Rainbow

Copyright2010LorenzaVerdini

LOVE & LAUGHTER

I was reading a small book from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s knowledge last night, called POWER OF LOVE. Very easy but yet deep and powerful.

I like to share with you a small chapter, Love & Laughter, knowing that I am doing it with Guruji’s blessings, because wherever we can spread His knowledge, there is ONENESS, and I feel one with you all. The following are His words.

When you stretch a sound, it becomes music.

A movement, when stretched, becomes dance. Doesn’t’ it?

You simply move your hand in a certain manner, and it becomes dance!

A smile stretched, becomes laughter.

Love stretched, becomes service.

The mind stretched, becomes meditation.

And life stretched, becomes celebration.

This is all we want-right?

So stretch!

When we stretch ourselves, the whole world becomes our family. Everyone is part of you. We live this world to live in love, to spread love, and to enjoy love. Isn’t it?

Laugh more and more!

What happens when you laugh?

Certain substances, called endorphins, are produced in the brain. When the system produces more endorphins, then our immune systems become stronger, thus preventing cancer and other such diseases.

As children, see how much we used to laugh, dance and sing; see how much we used to celebrate!

However, as we grow older and older, are we doing the same? We have to question ourselves about this.

We need to start smiling and laughing more…and more!

We should start laughing clubs everywhere.

Laugh for 10 minutes, without any reason, every morning. You don’t need a joke to laugh. If your laughter is not genuine, never mind, just imitate! Fake it till you make it, because it is our nature to laugh.

Only human beings are endowed with this special gift of being able to laugh.

You know, if you keep using your fingers, then you can play the guitar; if you don’t use them, you cannot play the guitar. In the same way, if you keep laughing in life, then laughter becomes your nature. Hmm?

You need to do this! Isn’t it a good idea? Yes?

Everyone just laugh for 10minutes, for no reason. Then all the pain, all the problems in life, will dissolve.

Wouldn’t all of you like to be in an atmosphere where everyone laughs?

Well, we have to create our atmosphere; we have to create the atmosphere around us. We cannot have someone else do the laughing for us: “Okay! You laugh for me today!”.

We have to laugh by ourselves. If there is nothing to laugh about, we can just look at our minds and laugh!

The main message of the Art of Living is :laugh more…and more…and more! Sing more…and more…and more! And meditate! Know that “if I am happy, all will be happy!”

This is my Master…H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who won me over with his sense of humor…

Love & Rainbow

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED!

Oh Gosh I have been tagged by the special soul of my blog friend BETTY from www.cut-and-dry.blogspot.com. This is a big honour because I know that my kids tag themselves and their friends on Facebook so it must be something real cool…
Well well. I am supposed to say where am I going to be in ten years time.

I guess I know because I had a vision, not long time ago...

I will in between the mountains and the ocean. Feeling the breeze of the sunset. In a place where I can feel the unity with nature. Cape Town and the area are good candidates. I would probably spend part of the year in Europe and South of France comes to my mind with its lavender fields. But it could be my Tuscany as well…why not? I would go and say hallo to Betty in Greece as well…Ah Greek food… But what I know for sure is that I am becoming a SOCIETY CHANGER which is a new profession with no income. I basically will be very active to change society, regardless of people thinking and behaviours. I will not get involved in these petty things, I will follow my heart. I believe we can all do things to improve society and it only happens from the bottom. Have you ever seen politicians doing good? I haven’t, so far; so I will not waste this life time waiting for the “big ones” to do things while they drink champagne and fly first class.

Ladies and gentlemen now my 10 beloved tagged ones:

MARCELLA of Belly up www.tinkerbellys.blogspot.com
MARLA of Butts and Ashes www.buttsandashes.blogspot.com
NEVINE of Dreams Delirium and other mind talk www.nevine-sultan.blogspot.com
BOB of Just kicken it around www.plainolebob.blogspot.com
JUSTYNA of Love lives in the kitchen www.lovelivesinthekitchen.blogspot.com
SHAWNA of My sacred insanity www.mysacredinsanity.blogspot.com
SARAH of The Good girls www.thegoodgirls.blogspot.com
DAN of Vacant Mind www.brody-ninjafunk.blogspot.com
KATE of Secret Office Confessions www.secretofficeconfessions.blogspot.com
LILY of Becoming an author www.lilianrobinson.com

Dear blog friends I have tagged you because I do love reading your blogs and , although I am very busy at the moment (as SOCIETY CHANGER!) I try to be there for you , as much as I can. Please tag other 10 bloggers and let us know where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing in 10 years time.

Love & Rainbow

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF CHEMISTRY

Less than 100 days before the kick off of the FIFA World Soccer Championship.
I feel a kind of excitement all around. Not always the good one.

Road works are everywhere, the traffic situation is getting worse every day, traffic lights of the main roads don't work. The police is putting road blocks everywhere, at pick hours. I am sure they want to have the "crime rates" reduced to tempt more visitors to come and spend their money in this exotic destination. Johannesburg has a very bad reputation crime wise... But Johannesburg has also the most beautiful sky I have ever experienced, the most incredible summer storms and weather, the most amazing smiling people.

I decided, quite a while ago, that I was responsible of what I would see and sense living here. I have met quite a few unhappy expatriats who had to stay here for two, three years. Their attitude was to choose to repeatedly practise to complain the whole day long. They did not get good things from that. I feel it is just an innate attitude of being able to see the glass half empy. But the other half is full of fresh spring water.

I have a simple question today that probably will not find its answer. Why human beings have a strong inclination for negativeness?

I do believe we are born almost "perfect" in the purity of feelings and openess. As babies and small children we show to be open to life embracing daily experience with love and curiosity. Then, something happens, and things start going the other way round.

Children at school struggle to find their own balance, under pressure from performing in schools at the highest standards. The general culture is to divide kids in teams (A, B, C, D,.....Z!) and according to their marks. You do well , you get awarded. So probably schools put pressure on kids to meet the parents' needs of realisation. As young adults we need to fit the society's pattern and the more we "grow", the more we lose contact with our true selves, because we are living only outward. But Life is inwards.

Is is an EGO orientated society.

We need to classify things and people in order to feel SAFE. We need to rationalize everything in order to understand. Because we relate to the external world by understanding...And then we become slaves of the "judgment" thing. But to judge is looking for the half empty glass of water.

I actually believe that to become non judgmental is very difficult if not almost impossible but it is the highway to freedom. I was very judgmental and I was wrong. I thought that judging people and facts I was "free" to express myself. I really smile at myself, I mean my old self. I look at it like a worn jacket abandoned on a chair. Motionless. Lifeless. And I laugh, because the I am very alive and aware of the fact that I don't want to wear this jacket again.
What if I can accept people and things the way they are? What if I can live with no expectations from others, including my kids? I would not be bothered by the road works, but I would see them as the way to have a better service ; I would not think "bloody weather" but wow...it is cooling down, how wonderful.

I could see God in my kids, especially when they swim and end last or when they fail a test. Because by the end of the day they show me Love and that is what they are. And Love embrace everybody and everything. It is only a matter of chemistry.

Love & Rainbow

Copyright2010LorenzaVerdini