Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash
"When we wholly concentrate, like a child in play, or an artist at work, then we share in the act of creating. We not only escape time, we also escape our self-conscious selves." -- Madeleine L' Engle, A Circle of Quiet
There is a lot of conversation around the topic of mindfulness, which might better be expressed as child likeness. As children dance among the trees playing, their hearts and minds are wholly in the moment, present in the joy of the eternal now as they revel in the beauty of the instant.
Children are able to celebrate mystery and wonder in magical ways, until they are taught by adults that magic doesn't exist and "reality" is captive to the dark forces of adulthood. Then, many are encouraged to cast aside the creative experience, bottle up their dreams, grow up and face the challenges of the "real world."
But this "real world," with all of its darkness and it's adult "joys" is really the product of a dark collective cultural imagination, which has set the boundaries for our living, siphoning off our creativity to be used by the "masters and mistresses of our fate," enriching their lives as ours remain in servitude.
Granted, there is darkness in our world, but darkness can only be overcome by the light of childlike wonder. This is not childishness which refuses to mature, to gain insight, to set aside untrue imaginations.
Magic is real, it lies in the center of our imagination, and we must learn to think like a child if we are going to reach this space. It is invisible, unseen, the place where we flow most creatively and experience the greatest joy. It is capturing the moment, living outside of time, a force driving us into hope, a promise that we are on this earth for a reason.
Adults miss the innocent curiosity of their youth; artists strive to reclaim their lost childlike creativity. -- Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Becoming young.
Photo by Rafaela Biazi on Unsplash
This is the source of our creative power. It is what we lost in childhood that we must fight to gain back. A sense of play that can lay aside all of the day's challenges and give us respite to live in the moment. It is only when we come to this place that we are able to find creative solutions to the wicked "adult" problems that surround each one of us.
Children aren't without challenges either, but if they are lucky, if they can hold on to the magic for a little longer, they can overcome many things that would destroy an adult.
In the United States, I think this has been one of our greatest cultural failures. We have been stealing our children's childhood for the sake of our own egos, our own selfishness, and our own fears, consigning many to the darkness of childhood trauma that warps and destroys their adulthood, casting aside the magic that our children need and crave if they are going to grow fully as human beings. Instead of "reality," we need to create "mythology" that gives our children hope, addresses their fears and helps them to overcome the challenges and trauma of childhood. Playfulness, joyfulness, imagination are the keys to their success. We must provide children with shade to revel in the wonder.
Photo by Leo Rivas on Unsplash
"I am outside time, outside self, in play, in joy. When we can play with the unself-conscious concentration of a child, this is: art: prayer: love." -- Madeleine L' Engle, A Circle of Quiet
Further Reading
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion | An exploration of grief that leaves you with hope.
The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane by Matthew Hutson | Argues that magical thinking is hardwired into our brains.
Magic and the Mind: Mechanisms, Functions, and Development of Magical Thinking and Behavior by Eugene Subbotsky | Argues that magical thinking is important and necessary.
Magical Secrets About Thinking Creatively: The Art of Etching and the Truth of Life by Kathan Brown | Explores the processes of artistic creativity. You may want to pick this one up at your local library.
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