The noise in the garden is huge, gigantic and not just a little irritating. Our neighbours are having the boundary trees trimmed. It quite a nice day and so the doors and windows are open but probably not for long more. I like it when our neighbours get the trees cut – we get a bigger sky and a brighter perspective. But its time to close the openings and batten down the irritation.

That’s a little better. I’ve been talking to a friend this morning and she mentioned again something she has said before, that she’s not creative. The words jumped out at me this time because I’m reading Julia Cameron’s book the Right to Write. Julia wrote The Artist’s Way and other books and movies. But when I began reading the Artists Way back in 1999 I also thought, “I’m not creative”. I went on to follow the 12 week course one chapter a week and within three months I no longer thought I wasn’t creative. Nine years later I still think I’m creative. But it’s not just me who’s creative everyone is creative according to Cameron. It’s part of our birthright – we have the power to create. Now before I get carried away in the passion of the moment let me explain. We’re not necessarily born talented writers, painters or sculptors, but we can create stories, pictures, clothes, whatever and the more we create the better we get at creating.

So let’s give it a go right now. Lets “make believe” (pretend if you prefer) – You are creative and a magician has made you fearless in your ability to create. Got it? Then, what will you create?

Mmm nice isn’t it. IT IS nice…… Right now what comes to mind for me: is I would create a hand made journal in which I would write every day.

OK, lets keep going (by the way if this is your first time trying this exercise be patient the answer may be waiting to be sure that your “make believe” is fully functioning. Let go and be fearless enough to allow an answer).

If you were sure about your creative gift and fearless about the consequences, what do you want to create?

MMM still nice… Right now I want to create a change in my kitchen table, I want to sand the surface, wax the top and paint the legs blue – my favourite colour.

These questions are useful to ask ourselves from time to time because its usually fear that’s stopping us from taking up our birthright. Do you really want to allow that whiney moaner fear to stop you before you’ve even had time to play at creating? Course you don’t! Now lets get going with another question.

What did you love to create as a child? Was it a little performance with your siblings? Was it drawing pictures with your favourite colouring pencils? Was it writing little notes to your best friend at school because you couldn’t wait until the next day to tell her the news? Was it making clothes for your dolls or your dogs!? Have a daydream and remember what you used to create when it was just playing.

Let’s play! Whatever it was that you used to do as a child find a way to fit in an experience of that this week. Do you need to put coloured pencils on your shopping list? Or, do you need to find some old clothes to cut up, do you have a needle and thread?

Let’s rest. Set up a quiet place to sit for about twenty minutes (set a timer if you think you’ll miss something). Go to your quiet place, close your eyes and allow a memory of your childhood play at creativity to come to mind. There will be no need to force this. It is very much about just allowing the memory to surface, all by itself. Be patient, and when the memory does arrive, enjoy it, wallow in it and relive it gently. All the time allowing the memory to play away in your head while you have an experience.

When the timer goes off allow yourself to rouse slowly and gently and notice how this experience could be useful for you. What is this message or picture or feeling that is now available to you? Take it with you as you go through your day.