Keeping in Swing: Sustaining Your Creative Energy

On the rare occasion when we find ourselves not knowing quite what to do with some extra time, my family and I go digging through our library of books, games, and movies hoping to find much-needed relaxation to wash the dust of everyday life from our minds and souls. Watching movies has always been a fun pastime for us as a way to get out of our own “stuff,” escape a bit from reality, and just hang out. Movies, coupled with a fresh bowl of popcorn we cook the old-fashioned way (on the stove, in a kettle), can be the perfect combination for resting muscles weary from trying to balance busy work and personal schedules. I am sure that you can relate to how responsibility and commitments keep things busy!

Movies can also be a great source of stimulus. One of my personal favorites is Bagger Vance, starring Matt Damon, Will Smith, and Charlize Theron. It’s a very entertaining and heartwarming film about a young man Junuh (Damon) who, after returning from WWI, struggles with the scars of his wartime experiences and slips into exile under the dulling effects of alcohol. Previously a gifted golfer, Junuh now has no interest in pursing the dreams of his past. Then opportunity knocks and the field of possibilities emerges for him. At first he resists the chance to reengage with his past success. However, he eventually agrees, and enters an historic tournament by way of divine intervention, delivered by his caddy, Bagger Vance (Smith). Junuh returns to the game he so loved and excelled in and develops a relationship not only with his caddy, but also with a lover lost in the space of time and transition. He slowly realizes he has “lost his grip and swing on life.” He sees the tournament as a chance to catch one last moment of glory.

Now you don’t have to be a golf aficionado to appreciate the moral of the story and how anyone may lose his or her swing and, as a result, feel unstimulated about life and work. The trick is, as the movie suggests, to find your swing—your “authentic swing” that is in harmony with who you are and what you can be in relationship to your world. Finding your authentic swing means finding a natural rhythm in which to express yourself and your creative energy. The more you are able to develop your “creative swing,” the more you are exercising your creative potential and on your way to achieving your next breakthrough. So plan a day or evening and watch one of your favorite movies and enjoy the freedom it gives your mind to drift into a creative bliss.