Dr. Metti Amirtham, SCC
Social distancing, self-isolation, wearing masks and disinfecting oneself arouse a feeling that life is at a complete standstill. Moreover, the pandemic has brought life, work, travel, commerce, etc., to a complete halt. Decision-making has been postponed, and plans have been rescheduled; we wait eagerly to un-pause our lives. Having to face such harsh realities of life amid a pandemic is bewildering. Most of us live in a very limited environment with limited activities and no sharp focus to occupy ourselves, and sometimes even find life meaningless or uninteresting. We live in an era of high uncertainty for our very existence.
It is an opportune moment to remake our life — fully human. So often, whoever is kind, sensitive, understanding, and compassionate are considered ‘human’ may be from one angle, but to be human is much more than that. To be fully human is to explore, enhance, and develop one’s creativity and the creativity of others at home and at work.
The sole focus of a good number of people in life is to make more money by doing a lot of remunerative work. Some get caught up in the rat race to secure their present comfort and future security, and they do not worry about money in old age or after retirement. Of course, money is an essential requirement of every human globally, and indeed money buys you pleasures on this planet. In the mad rush of earning money, people get stressed out and find it difficult to establish a perfect balance in their personal and professional life. Increased wealth brings increased expectations. Finally, they lose health, peace of mind, and spiritual harmony.
It is fitting to raise a question here, “What does it profit a person when s/he works very hard to earn more money and ends up getting obsessed and worried about safeguarding that money, all this at the cost of losing peace and spiritual harmony?”
In a rapidly changing world and especially during this depressing pandemic situation, where factors such as stress, anxiety and restlessness flourish, peace of mind and spiritual balance are very important for the well-being of oneself and society. One can achieve peace and harmony in one’s life by being creative, even in small things. Moreover, being creative could play a vital role in our over all well-being by generating personal satisfaction.
People always think of creativity as a rare gift that is limited to certain people. For instance, they associate creativity with highly creative people like Mozart, Da Vinci, Einstein, etc. They keep doing it anyway because it is their passion. It satisfies them in the most soul-refreshing way, nourishing and nurturing them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Certainly, no one can become Mozart, Da Vinci or Einstein.
However, every human being is born to be creative. We are not just born into this world to make money, build big houses, and amass wealth. Making our life beautiful or being led rests entirely on our self-realisation and passion. As long as we are passionate or motivated by beautiful aspects of life, we will find ways to make our existence meaningful. When our investments are aligned with what is most important to us, our investment portfolio will never cause us misery.
We often forget that being creative is our innate ability. Creativity and imagination run through all of us. It simply means expressing ourselves in any manner. We possess the ability to create, to make something new and valuable, just like the divine mysteries of life. It calls for attention; that is all it demands.
Creativity is something that comes from within; no one can use outside influence to make one creative. Creativity is also a way to live a life of discovery, change, and growth. It enables us to be more open-minded and ensures our willingness to accept more ideas and look at scenarios with greater depth.
Creativity drives us not only to create but also to innovate. When we are fully involved in what we do, we feel that we live more thoroughly than the rest of our lives. Creativity goes far beyond remunerative activities. Creativity can be deployed anywhere. Everyone and anyone can be creative anywhere if only one decides to be so. In a way, being creative is good for one’s health.
Early in our lives, we were encouraged and even taught to explore, investigate, and ask questions. However, as we age, that initial spark of inventiveness gives way to a more rigid form of life. I am not born to work for remuneration alone but for creating what I wish, what I love and what I dream.
We become fully alive only when we creatively spend our time, talents, skills, imagination and potentials. The lockdown periods are an opportune time to flap our wings higher and stretch our imagination far beyond. If we want to experience a truly fulfilling existence, we need to be creative in everything we do.
In order to grow in our creativity, it is vital to engage oneself in activities that fuel it. Moreover, creativity is not solely about the creation of something new. It also involves oneself fully in what one does. It is ultimately involvement and enjoyment in what one does. It does not matter what you do, but how you do it matters.
Choose to occupy yourself by doing some creative activities that stimulate your imagination, such as reading, writing, knitting, baking, cooking, gardening, interior designing, composing, playing a keyboard or creating a dubsmash and create an alternate way to be innovative and inspiring. If we strive to take the right approach to find new ways to express our creativity, it will improve our personal lives and our professional standing.
Our finished pieces may not be comparable with the likes of the great masters, but often the process is therapeutic, and the result can be aesthetically pleasing. That is when we begin to realise that spiritual balance and mental peace is the ultimate wealth. Opt out consciously from the rat race to pursue your passions and to rediscover your real self.
About the Author:
Dr. Metti AMIRTHAM, is a religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, belonging to the province of Tiruchirapalli, presently working in Tindivanam as Directress of Lumen Institute, a centre for Theological and Spiritual formation of women religious of India. She is a field-based theologian and an eco- feminist thinker. She teaches theology as a visiting faculty at various major theological colleges and seminaries in India. She is committed and concerned about the empowerment of women and sustainability of nature. She regularly publishes articles on theological and social issues that affect women and ecology. She has made significant contributions to the field of feminist and eco-theology.
From the Editor:
The order of the work and free time. Human being must avoid ‘idleness’. He/she should work, not as a burden or ‘curse,’ but work as a way of being fully human. But still work is not an end itself. For leading a meaningful life belong also other things: listening to the word of God, prayer, singing, sport and art, individually and in community — and finally the festival as foretaste of the ‘eternal banquet.’ “Pray and work”, more authentically “listen and work”, rest and work, free time and work — it is always a hyphenated order of life, which Christianity has in view as fundamental.
Work hours are now prolonged due to pressure from industries. A secular notion of emancipation or salvation which knows nothing of being “banished from the paradise”, proposes immense achievements of work in freedom and does not dare to demand earnestly any work contract in regular basis. Records of speed, bodily achievements, restless activities, tensed-up and strained relaxation are symptoms of the breakdown of the old relationship of work and freedom.
