The Marin Pink Posse With Our Desires

Hiya Pinkies!
Every day, new Pink Posses are forming all over Pinkdom. Have you formed yours yet? Join the Collective Pink Posse and tell us what you’re up to!

Last month, our local Pink Posse had its second gathering. The theme this time: Owning Creativity. Our posse has decided to pass the Pink facilitation torch to a new member each month versus having one person lead each meeting. This meeting was facilitated by Mojo Mentor, Creativity Coach (or, as she likes to call herself, “creativity activist”) and all-around Pink Goddess Mayala V. Quinn. Here’s what Malaya cooked up for the evening … use it (or give it your own creative spin) at your next Pink gathering.

1. Opening meditation. Set the energy and intentions for the evening by taking a few moments to ground, gather your energy, and call in your creativity, muses, Mojo, and anything else that will help you Own Creativity. Intend what you – both individually and as a group – wish to own by the end of the meeting. Acknowledge the vast wisdom that is alive in the room – each member of the Posse brings their own aliveness and creative spark. Honor that!

2. Creative Introductions. Pick a partner and tell the story of your name. What are all the names you’ve been called throughout your lifetime? Who has been a mentor for you? What is his/her name? What gift did this person (or being) give to you to help you Own your creativity and authenticity?

Then, introduce your partner by telling the story of them based on the information you received. Remember to be creative … the story you tell doesn’t have to be verbatim from what your partner told you. You don’t even need to use words.

3. Review the five assumptions of creativity. Take them into your heart and hold them there for the remainder of the meeting.
a. It’s innate in everyone. We’re all born with creative genius. It’s real, it’s present, and it wants only to be expressed. Have you seen Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk on creative genius? Check it out – she breaks it down beautifully, as only Liz can.
b. It’s essential for health & happiness. As naturally creative beings, we are indulging, nurturing, and healing our bodies and minds each time we engage in an act of creation. Malaya speaks of creativity as “preventative medicine.”
c. It’s blocked by voices of judgment. I’ve spoken before of Ella (left brain), and Ari (right brain), and their constant battle for our attention. Ari is generally half responsible for our dreams and openness to possibility. She’s the half of our mind that is tapped into the universal well of creativity. Often, while Ari is whispering sweet truths into our ears, Ella is loudly shrieking things like, “What would people think?” or “You have FAR more productive things to be doing, young lady!” or “What kind of crap idea is that?” We need to be constantly mindful of this, and always listen intently for Ari’s voice.
d. It increases by paying attention to it. As with any person, phenomenon, thought, or idea (good or bad), creative energy is enhanced and strengthened by our focus on it. What if you did one thing every day – cooked a meal, colored in a page of a coloring book, wrote a haiku, collect a handful of colorful pebbles from the beach – to exercise your creative muscle?
e. It’s idiosyncratic, just like we are. When it comes to creativity there is no right or wrong. It changes, it evolves, it’s imperfect, it’s capricious, it’s ever moving … and thank goodness for that! Could you imagine being told that the way you had of expressing yourself in the world was incorrect? Nothing that comes out of you will be perfect, because you’re not perfect. Isn’t that comforting?

4. Guided imagery to find your deepest desire. What is it that you desire for your life? Yourself? Your creativity? Move through the following guided meditation:
a. Close your eyes. Take a few deep, settling breaths.
b. Imagine yourself in a beautiful, safe place – somewhere you are completely free to be yourself. Take note of all the details of this place – sights, sounds, smells, colors, time of day, temperature, etc.
c. Now, invite an image to come to you that represents your desire. Allow it to materialize in front of you. As it does, absorb the details of the image as much as the senses allow.
d. Ask your image what message it has for you about desire. Why has it come? What does it represent? Ask the image any other questions you may have.
e. Thank the image and allow it to fade. Then gently bring yourself back to your body, and back to the room. Know that you can return to this place and be in the presence of this image any time you wish to experience your creativity and be in touch with your deepest desires.

5. Take DESIRE for a walk. Have paper, crayons, and markers on hand. After the meditation, write out the word “DESIRE” in whatever way it feels best for you to do so. It doesn’t need to be in English, or legible, or even a word. Then, reflecting back on your meditation, see if you can render your image of desire around the word on the paper … combine the image by drawing around, on top of, and next to the word.

Keep in mind that Ella might be screaming her head off right now. As much as possible, ignore her. There is no wrong way to breathe life into your desire. If you wish, share your image with the Posse. What surprised you about this exercise? Did anything happen that you were not expecting?

6. Review the five assumptions again. What rings true for you now that you’ve engaged in this exercise?

There you have it, Pinkies … six very simple but totally inspiring steps to walk you toward your own bright shining Pink spark of creativity … the one that we now know lies dormant (or very alive) within each of us. We had a fabulous time!

Creatively yours,
Lissa