Voyage of Discovery by Lisa DeYoung

This month the creative dreamers were prompted to think about the rhythms and practices of our creative lives. Part of my rhythm right now is to be part of the dreamers here at the Creative Dream Journals each month. For this I've decided to make a practice of creating a hand lettering piece that speaks to me about our prompt for the month.

This month, the quote in my piece above, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, spoke to me – it seems to describe how I think of my creative life very well.

I imagine myself on a ship where sometimes the waters are easy to navigate, and sometimes the swells make it difficult to see beyond where I am currently navigating. Along the voyage there are things that must be done regularly to keep the ship on course. And the ship must be kept nimble for when a reason to shift course, to explore a new discovery, comes along. Sometimes my chart takes me into familiar territory where I can be with friends and loved ones, and some times I'm in unfamiliar territory where I have to go it alone. If I'm lucky I have friends I can call on when I'm in unfamiliar territory, and I also realize that I need to be prepared to take responsibility for my decisions on how I proceed.

This voyage I am on is never quite the same from year-to-year, day-to-day, and sometimes even moment-to-moment. It is at the whim of the many factors that make up my life - including my physical wellness, my desires, my emotions, my obligations, and even the weather.

My creative life sometimes does not feel like it has rhythm at all - but is moving along an erratic path that has no clear direction or destination. It used to make me crazy and frustrated when I felt this – which only made enjoying the journey and discoveries very difficult. In recent years I have found that relaxing as I navigate rough terrain make things clearer. And it makes the discovery of the unknown that much sweeter.

When I feel overwhelmed and I cannot see over to the next swell I take a deep breath and strive to enjoy the process of navigating the current swell – keeping my eye on the horizon scanning for the next discovery that is inevitably just beyond.

Lisa, aka the mountain mermaid, is a creative, independent spirit who loves to explore and play outdoors. She lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Embracing her creative life is an ongoing adventure, a journey that she loves and trusts more each year – and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She is also an entrepreneur providing innovative business support, including graphic design services, for passionate creative entrepreneurs.