Cats and Creativity

Ever since I can remember, I have loved cats. I resonate with their purrrrring, relax when watching them groom, laugh when I find them in unexpected places or poses, take photos when they are being particularly ‘cute’, learn from them about stretching, napping, scampering and how to have fun with whatever’s in front of me. Cats rock. Cats are awesome teachers about creativity. Once I decided I could embark along the path known as the artist’s way even though I wasn’t an artist, I began to see everything with fresh eyes. The snow caped mountains in the distance suddenly offered ideas for a talk, the puppy’s wagging tail, an idea for a presentation and the cat’s way of being a template for how to choose to lead a life in support of my (buried) creativity. The energy of creativity is built in to each of us…we’re hard wired with it and it is as unique as our fingerprint. Wow! How do you respond when you read that sentence?rnFor me, the first time I heard it, I resisted cuz I was pretty certain I didn’t have it. I knew I couldn’t paint or draw or write poetically nor build nor invent and I had proof. Happily, I learned that using our own ingenuity, we can surprise ourselves with unconventional ways of being creative. If you are a pet owner, set aside some time to just observe how instinctively pets are creative. That little wad of paper becomes a ball, that piece of string, something to drag around and hide that paper clip a cause for leaping. If you’re fortunate enough to have a cat to hold, notice how you relax and more easily go into reverie when in the resting cat’s presence. It’s a version of ‘use what you’ve got’. If you’re jot a pet owner, consider an outing to the dog park or the rescue shelter to connect with the specialness a domestic animal can offer to boost your energy of creativity. You’ll be doing something good for them and you’ll inspire yourself at the same time. Now, that’s creative!