Exercise as a Creative On-Button

Perhaps you can relate to this. I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer today (go me!) and had to have a note pad and pencil handy for writing down my wonderful ideas. I propose that exercise pushes some sort of creative "on button" in my mind.

I understand that exercise feeds oxygen to my brain, as well as other parts of me. That oxygen may be what is helping me think big thoughts. Maybe as I exercise, my increased circulation loosens up stuck energy, and that helps me open myself to inspiration? When I walk around my neighborhood for exercise, I daydream quite a bit; I can imagine for instance new circumstances for my life. And sometimes, and this is really great, I solve a long-standing problem by the time I've circled the lake! Like a bolt out of the blue, the simple solution presents itself to me and I have to laugh at myself---I should take more walks! Does this ever happen to you?

When I have a pillow in my studio that is very popular, I make it over and over again. Now don't get me wrong---I will never be a mass-producer of folk art. But there are some skills in my artists life that are certainly repetitive, like embroidery or stuffing pillows with kapok! What I am noticing is that the creative On-Button that I'm talking about can be pushed when I stop making art. Maybe that's what exercise does for me? It takes me out of my studio! I can think in fresh ways when I push this button. But exercise is repetitive, too. Maybe it is the fresh air? I really do need to have a pencil and paper to keep track of it all. My mom told me that I should walk around with a tape recorder and talk to myself as I walk. Maybe she doesn't know that I wear a big floppy hat, huge sunglasses, baggy shorts and orthopedic shoes when I take a 6 mile walk. All I need now it to be talking to myself all along the way. The neighbors will go back into their homes, shaking their heads, and tell themselves how sad it is that just last week they saw me at the library and I seemed to normal to them!!

I hope that within all the busyness of your day today, you had a chance to just stop, move your body around a bit, let your blood flow and your mind clear, and say yes to whatever comes to mind...best wishes from here.

Warmly,

Georgianne

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