May 2011

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity lately, about how creating is a spiritual act because it reconnects us with the Creator—and ourselves.

Not too long ago, Therese Borchard quoted Thomas Merton in her Beyond Blue blog. The Trappist monk and bestselling author wrote:

I have been thinking lately how I have lost discipline. Last year, I pledged to get to a healthy weight and ended up losing 45 pounds in 11+ months.

But this year, although I have talked about goals—mainly a financial diet—I haven’t really applied myself with single-minded focus. Nor have I begun to walk early in the morning or after work, and my willpower around food is slipping.

I’ve been journaling since I can’t remember when.

Looking back, many, if not most, of the entries were written in stressful, difficult times, when I couldn’t sleep or when I needed an outlet for pain, anger or disappointment.

I also wrote pages upon pages on retreat. Those sections are brimming with quotes from the spiritual books I was reading as well as remarkable insights and yearnings. Having cleared away everyday concerns with prayer and settled into silence, my daily jottings reflected a depth that my everyday self rarely enjoys or entertains.