By Laura Grace

I cannot do without something which is greater than I, which is my life—the power to create.

—Vincent Van Gogh

Summer is a time of growth, maturity, abundance, and creativity. Creative self-expression allows us to connect with the wisdom and desires of our souls. It enables us to deepen our self-understanding and promote healing. It also serves as prayer, drawing us closer to our Creator and our own divinity. As co-creators, it takes a great deal of strength to be a conscious co-creator. Every day, we are given a chance to express ourselves to share an inspired idea which brings some comfort and healing to our community, and the world. It’s as if the Universe is claiming: “I place before you a brand new day. Create with your heart and your soul, and make it the best day of your life. This is my deepest gift to you.” Created in the image and after the likeness of our Creator, we don’t get a choice about whether we will be creative, but we can choose what we create. Our thoughts are powerful beyond measure, and we are capable of creating whatever is in our souls via myriad forms: singing, sculpting, building a business, cultivating a loving relationship. The list goes on and on. Each and every day, every situation provides us with an opportunity to express our deepest selves. As we give birth to the divine spark that is within our souls, we open to the great and abundant lives for which we are created. In my own life, I’ve witnessed how much healing occurs and how much joy I experience when I expose my deepest and authentic self. This can happen while painting, cooking, penning a heartfelt article for Women’s Press, or, as the Spiritual Leader of the Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment, developing an uplifting and meaningful service. It’s less about what I create or how I create, but rather, that I express my soul. As you embark on expressing your soul through your creativity, some questions to ask yourself include:

1. If we are all meant to be co-creators, what is my role?
2. What nurtures my soul?
3. When do I feel most alive?
4. What activities provide me with the greatest amount of comfort and healing?
5. What do I most want to share with others and how might it positively impact my community, the planet?

Become aware of your feelings and notice when you feel inspired. The Divine spark within you speaks to you through your heart and soul, so notice the times when you are experiencing joy, aliveness, and increased energy. Truly, we are the universe inventing itself. And that intelligent, alive, and conscious force is looking through your eyes, working through your hands, walking on your feet. Martha Graham, the great American dancer and choreographer, summed it up eloquently when she once stated, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, or how valuable, or how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly.” May peace and joy be yours as you express yourself through your divine creativity! Laura V. Grace is the Spiritual Leader for the Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment in San Luis Obispo (www.spiritualcircle.org), an interfaith spiritual community. Laura is also a teacher and spiritual director, and a member of Spiritual Directors International. A syndicated columnist for more than twenty publications, Laura has penned 200 articles on spiritual growth and is the author of the books Gifts of the Soul and The Intimate Soul.