Creative Every Day

Our Magic Dance with the Universe:
Guest Post by Silky Hart

September 10th, 2009

There are tried and true elixirs that always work their magic on me. When my vibration sinks, I’ll watch the “Where the Hell Is Matt” video and dance right along with Matt and the folks from around our planet. Within minutes, I begin to breathe in my connection to All That Is, and I truly feel inspired.

As many times as I’ve seen Paul Taylor’s dance masterpiece, “Esplanade,” his breathtaking artistry never ceases to make my eyes swell up with joyful tears. The blissful, energetic everyday movements which are accompanied by Bach’s gorgeous Double Violin Concerto make my heart leap.

I’ve always loved Renoir’s painting, “The Luncheon of the Boating Party.” The dreamy way everyone seems to be enjoying food, drink, each other and life makes my heart sing. When I was in my 20s and living in Manhattan, one day I was walking around on my lunch hour and happened to stumble into an exhibit that featured this painting. It was the first time I had seen it in person. I had no idea it was so BIG! I confess I wept big ole tears.

And speaking of Manhattan, I used to live on the Upper West Side by Central Park. No matter what frame of mind I was in, I knew if I meandered through this glorious park soaking up the vibrant energy, I felt uplifted. I also had my secret nooks and crannies where I’ve written hundreds of journal pages. So, whenever I see a photo or I’m just there, I feel connected to the best part of myself and that’s inspiring.

I’ll share one more of my inspirational touchstones. I love Audrey Hepburn. Her precious, authentic essence is one of the reasons I think she is such an enduring and endearing icon. I’m in awe of both her artistic talents as an actress and her extraordinary humanitarian accomplishments. She also loved to dance and had early dreams of being a dancer.

Well, I’m sure you’ve experienced how clever the Universe can be. When I’m in need of a little inspirational lift, Audrey will show up. I swear it! For instance, I’ll be walking by a store window, and there will be a poster from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The number of times this has happened over the years is uncanny. I even confessed this to my husband, Tom. And now, he has experienced this, too. I personally think it is a wink and a nod from the Universe. Somehow, someway there will be Audrey reminding me of who I really am.

What is so much fun about these Audrey occurrences is that they are a surprise. I never know when she is going to appear. I find it inspiring to be delighted by something that is out of the blue.

From my own experience, I’ve learned the value of keeping inspirational touchstones close by as well as being open to new sources of inspiration.

I’ve also discovered the importance of the unexpected. We’ve all experienced the thrill of a new culture in a new land. We’ve all tried something new, and to our delight, discover we loved it. What is inspirational about being pleasantly surprised is that we are reminded that the sky is the limit. There is no end to splendid experiences when you are open to it.

All in all, I think these inspirational gifts are us co-creating with the Universe. We are connecting to our truest, creative essence. And, from that place of alignment, we are our own best source of inspiration. When we connect in this way, we twirl around in our own inspirational vortex on the dance floor of the Universe.

So, in the immortal words of Eliza Doolittle:

I could have danced all night! 
I could have danced all night! 
And still have begged for more. 
I could have spread my wings 
And done a thousand things I've never done before. 
I'll never know What made it so exciting;
 Why all at once My heart took flight.

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Silky Hart is an expressive arts goddess who relishes in empowering and inspiring people to realize their creative dreams. For more than 15 years, Silky has passionately led workshops, classes and retreats in creative expression. She has also led expressive arts sessions in a wide variety of settings including psychiatric hospitals, schools, shelters, treatment centers and healthcare facilities. Silky is a Certified Expressive Arts Therapist with a BFA in Modern Dance and an MBA in International Business. Next April, she is co-leading a yoga and expressive arts retreat to Costa Rica. Recently, she started a blog called Expressive Hart. Silky believes in the transformative power of the arts and creative expression to restore, expand and transform physical, emotional and spritual well-being. She lives with her husband, three cats and dog in the historical section of McKinney, Texas.