4 minute read
Artist of Life, Drawing from Within
by Patti Lightflower
About 2300 years ago a Greek philosopher, Epicurus, wrote letters to his friends encouraging them to enjoy life now while they are living. His writings inspired people to spend quality time relaxing, enjoying the arts, music, reading and writing with no particular purpose but to enjoy the experience. A few centuries later his work was cast as debauchery by the Catholic Church, and he was not to be found on recommended reading lists. Yet, immoral and lazy behavior was not Epicurus’ teaching or intent.
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“We also need time to rest, which is essential to regenerate the soul. The state of rest is not only sleep, but also, no less, creative idleness. For the ancients it was the moment of the care of ideals because everything that occurred in that idle active time was free from any material purpose. Thought, writing, reading idle even today represent the flower of knowledge and food of the gods.” – Epicurus – Greek Philosopher lived from 341 to 270 BC. “Creative idleness”. What a fascinating and inviting phrase! This is as good of advice today as it was a couple thousand years ago. Epicurus taught that happiness was key for a healthy and productive life. This was to be practiced with a mind to balance and harmony rather than selfish indulgence.
Burnout and boredom make good antonyms. Being productive is considered a virtue in most societies. This has led to so many of us judging the quality of our lives and the virtue of our souls by some standard of productivity. Appearing bored or idle can be viewed as laziness. Just our choice in simple words can make all the difference in our attitudes towards whether a state of being is an indulgence or a virtuous activity, is self-destructive or rewarding, or righteous self-denial versus being nourishing and restorative.
Near my bed is a book which I purchased solely for the cover and title. The content is excellent, too. It is
called “Permission to Nap” by Jill Murphy Long and it has been placed in an easy to see spot now for several years. There are suggestions for creating a perfect soothing atmosphere to rest and replenish yourself. Adding sounds such as chimes, water flowing in a fountain or relaxing recordings of nature can make for peaceful background ambiance. Various essences used in aromatherapy can help alleviate tension and create a specific mood. It is important we learn to treat ourselves as someone deeply cared about. The more we give to ourselves, replenish ourselves and find peace and contentment, the easier it will be to share our abundance of wellbeing with others. Happiness is contagious.
Silence can be very calming. There are many ways to practice meditation. Meditation helps one learn to not dwell on multiple worries and problems and quiet endless mind chatter. Immersing ourselves in “creative idleness” can give birth to ideas and inspirations that can only arise from being in a state of bliss or relaxation.
Epicurus was way ahead of Bobby McFerrin telling those who would listen to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and long before Ram Dass recommended we “Be Here Now”! We have spent a few centuries on lectures about early birds getting worms and that hard work pays off, but there is a balance to be had between continuously pushing ourselves to snatch a bite of that never quite reachable carrot dangling out in front of our noses and realizing that if we stop and just let go the entire world will not fall apart. When putting together your weekly schedule, remember to mark off generous chunks of creative idleness time for yourself as essential for success.
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci
(Photo credit: Judy Peace) Bio for Patti Lightflower: I have always enjoyed working with textiles. As a child I watched my grandmother turn colorful cotton feed bags into play clothes. I designed and made dresses for my dolls from scraps of fabric and shoes for them from orange peels, which I pretended were leather. I’ve attended art classes at the University of Cincinnati in the 70’s and have studied with textile artists at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as with many other professionals in their studios over the years. My long-time passion has been the study of hands along with their owners, being creative and expressing my artistic side allows for manifesting something tangible whereas reading hands is more esoteric.
Patti Lightflower can be contacted at pattilightflower 2@gmail.com and more information can be found at her website: https://www.ireadhands.com/
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