Learning to Fly

When it comes to your creative life, do you ever ask yourself “what the flock am I doing?” Have you been perched on that partly-written book for far too long? In need of some bird-brain-storming?

Are you flocking tired of your life? Daily life can get in the way of true creative work. A writer may spend hours, weeks, even years on THE BOOK. Yet when it comes down to finishing there are blocks — internal or external.

Some may have trouble even starting. The ideas and words incubate in the mind, waiting to be manifest on paper or screen.

What keeps us from truly flying? It’s the parakeet in the cage syndrome. We don’t know our own freedom. Fear of failure — or of success. That old Tom cat may grab us just as we spread our wings. Isn’t it safer to stay caged? No. We need to sing. To fly.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Paul McCartney wrote Blackbird in response to the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. For far too long, voices have been suppressed. Freedom stifled. Often it’s the self-imposed cages that keep us from flying. The baby birds and partner come first, the job comes second; our creative work — lucky if we can spare a seed towards it. 

We have the power of choice. We can choose to continue the way we have, putting everything and everyone first, or we can step into the wild and allow ourselves to be supported, voices heard.

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night

The unknown is the dark black night. The Mystery. The place where magic happens. Embrace it. Unfold your wings and learn to fly.

Ride the current of your creative life. In his book Animal Speak, Ted Andrews talks about bird medicine. He tells us birds never run out of breadth. They simply fly into it. Opposite of human breathing, when birds relax their lungs are filled with air. Creative inspiration is the same. When one relaxes, they allow themselves to be open, full of creative flow.

Birds have the ability to enter a torpid state, slowing down heart rate and breathing so all their energy can take them further on less food. We’ve all heard the saying “slow down to speed up.” Bird medicine is related to the element of air.  Air allows you to enter into a lightness of being. From this lightness, creative focus becomes brilliant. Creative berries become ripe for the picking.

 Surrender to the bird brain way of being. Bird brains operate with a singularity of focus. Their consciousness is on their own life process. 

Nature and Nurture

Be the bird in hand. Here, on your resilient writer retreat, space is held for creative inspiration and focus. Distractions of your everyday life can be left behind. No outside pressure. A place to let the wonder and miracle of creation fly.

Over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about creating peaceful, calm space. I know how to work with nature to ground the energy — sort of like an invisible electrical grounding cord to keep the free radical chaos from affecting the occupants. I don’t write the book for you. I don’t teach you how to write. I create an environment where you can do your work, supported in what ever way is helpful. One key element is eliminating the distractions of everyday life. I will help you step into a practice of writing.