4. Creating When We Feel, "What's the Point?"

In this episode, here are a handful of topics mentioned:

02:00: Creating is messy by default, so use it for expressing all the “messy” feelings [and get assistance from an expert or culturally aligned wisdom keeper, if needed]

04:45: Sapphics can continue to increase equity in community and use our inherent strengths together

06:40: Find or create a community to increase support within and for each other

Virginia [00:00:02]:
Welcome to Sapphic Rising(TM), where we embody our creative muse, our wild authenticity, and share in a little bit of rebelliousness. Hey there. It's Virginia. And it's good to be back. I've been gone for a few weeks from the microphone because I've been in summits a lot. And I'll tell you what, after being on the computer that much, my brain just fizzles out. And so I wasn't even sure if I had a good talking point. But one thing I've seen lately, especially with current events and what's been happening down in Los Angeles, I'm up in the Seattle area, and I want to honor what's happening on the west coast and throughout this country.

Virginia [00:00:42]:
I wanted to come and answer, at least from my perspective, somebody's question that. That is raised rhetorically and maybe also very specifically in our spaces as creators. But the question of what's the point? Right? And I've been reflecting on this because there's Sometimes I feel. I feel this way too, when there's. We see, we sense and we recognize and witness and. Or even go through some very ugly, awful, evil, shadowy things. Okay. And so I know for some of us who are creative and we like to go with the flow or we want to do our work with beauty and intuition and all the things.

Virginia [00:01:29]:
I just wanted to bring a few thoughts to the table today. So it's a little heavy. And I just. I want you to also recognize if you don't have the spoons or the silverware or the toothpicks right now to listen to me, it's all right. Save this. Come back to it when you do. If you do, or if you're not vibing with it right now, it's okay. I'm not mad.

Virginia [00:01:50]:
So you take time for you. So let's just back it up just a little bit for a moment, and let's look at the aspect of creating or creations. They're already messy by default. They're not perfect. And so when you're looking at everything going on in the world, which is also very messy, it kind of feels like it compounds things. Like, for example, for me, right now, I've got a to do list a mile long, but I will own that. I want to also be aware of what's happening in the world and in this country and for its people, and the people will say, so I'm not detaching myself from it. I also have recognized that there are times when I need to.

Virginia [00:02:34]:
And I'll make this point later on in the episode. But there are some times I'm like, okay, let's just stop going down the rabbit hole, give myself a few minutes, recharge, reboot, that kind of thing. Okay, but when we go back to this concept that creativity itself is messy, and frankly, life feels very messy sometimes. And especially, especially right now, as everything's seeming to transform and transition and just go wonky, I still highly, highly, highly recommend that you get the feelings out however you can. Whether you're a writer, a painter, a collage artist, illustrator, it doesn't matter. Digital artist. I don't care what you do for your mediums or medium. Get it out just for you.

Virginia [00:03:17]:
Do it for yourself. You don't have to do it for customers right now or unless you feel like sharing your story later and like, wow, when we were all witnessing this or continue to witness this, this is what I was feeling. Can you relate? Etc. Okay, so get those messy feelings out. On the flip side, if you're feeling gratitude for something or. Or see beauty in something that us as people or our natural animal can. Are doing for each other in the messiness, during the messiness, that's. That's a reference point there too.

Virginia [00:03:48]:
Okay, so I just wanted to say, number one, if you're feeling stagnant in your creativity because of everything going on that's incredibly overwhelming, create, create. Even if you don't feel like it, just pick up something. Get the. Get whatever works for your mind and your soul to get it out. And sometimes I like to burn things. Sometimes I like to douse them with water or put them away to revisit later. And, you know, because sometimes the healing can't be done in that moment fully or ever, really, because some of this is lifelong work. But anyway, get the messy out, get it out of your body, get it out of your mind, put it down, have that experiential expression to kind of cleanse your body and your system.

Virginia [00:04:39]:
Okay. Because we got some other points to make here in the episode. All right, so number two, as Sapphics or two SLGBTQ plus women, we are creative, we are fluid. And I think there's a lot of us. Not all, all. Let's be honest about that. Not all, but quite a few of us, I would say, at least in my own circle, we stand on equity. We stand on equity.

Virginia [00:05:01]:
And we want to continue to increase our knowledge and act from what we learn from and we know from other people who are further marginalized than we are. I'm a white woman here in the Pacific Northwest, so, like, I am always learning something that I didn't learn before for and try to increase equity. So what I want to say is we always have the opportunity to stand on equity, to live in it, to give it to others, to, to protect others rights. Okay, Sound familiar? So as creators and creatives within this frankly value system, that it doesn't matter what you create or how you show up, like have equity in mind, in your soul thinking, think of what others needs are as well as your own. Okay, but when we're creating or we're expressing ourselves, remember that community exists in all of its faces and facets and, and marginalizations and, and multiple layers. And so as you maybe like I said earlier, you're releasing your tension. You're releasing the what the. You're releasing all the things that just keep piling on us, frankly, and stresses us out.

Virginia [00:06:11]:
Also remember this aspect of community, all of our differences and where can we help each other shine? All right, and then my third point that I want to say, because I know this episode's getting a little long compared to some of our others, but I also want to say in this aspect of creation, expression and community, you are not alone. You're not alone. You're hearing my voice or you're reading a transcript. You're getting this through another device in any means. And I want to let you know I am with you. There are others with you. Even if you feel so overwhelmed by this right now and all the shadows that feel like it's that, frankly, sometimes it feels incredibly suffocating. This is where we can help each other as much as we can.

Virginia [00:06:58]:
Tap in, tap out, tap in, tap out. Okay, so like I said earlier at the beginning of this episode, if you don't have the spoons for it, don't listen to me right now, that's totally fine. Okay. If another person has a spoons in your lives and you don't have the spoons, how can that person with the spoons help you out while you gather your spoons again, so to speak. So when, when I feel very alone in this because there's some times like as an intuitive person and I look at things from a lot of different dimensions, this feels heavy to me too. Even though my historian mind could see this coming a mile away. Even though my spirit self says, well, we're coming into this new age and, and this sucks, but like, how can we get through this? You know, Da da da da. So there's, there's different ways of looking at it, but when, when you're.

Virginia [00:07:49]:
What do they call it in the social media world. Oh, doom scrolling. Okay, if you're doom scrolling, like I'm saying, you gotta tap out for a little bit as much as you can while still being informed. We need to be informed. We need to be aware. People are like, oh, I don't pay attention. Politics. Oh, it's not in my city, it doesn't really matter.

Virginia [00:08:08]:
Well, that's that shit. Because we're all interconnected. We're all interconnected and how can we keep each other safe and protected and. And help each other thrive, right? So when you are feeling deeply alone in this, very stressed out from it, like I already said in point one, try to get that out of your body, out of your wiring and your nervous system. Because a lot of us, especially those of us with a traumatic history, we're on edge. We're all on edge right now. Okay? So how can we soothe. Soothe ourselves as much as possible with each other, helping each other soothe.

Virginia [00:08:45]:
This is kind of the last thing I want to say is like, frankly, I don't, I don't disregard the power of somebody else's comment these days, who. And I try to do the same thing when I can, is that we're in this together. We're in this together. I know that might feel very empty, but it. Or over simplistic, maybe that might be a better word for it. But when you see that comment or that article or you overhear or witness a conversation, let it remind you of the strength that you have. Because you have it. I fully believe in it.

Virginia [00:09:18]:
And let it remind you of the strength in numbers, right? The strength and the sacred power that we all carry within ourselves. Some of us know it more than others or d. Or work with it differently than others. But I just want to let you know you are not alone. Try to get this out of your nervous system, okay? As creators and intuitive sapphics like we are here to continue to change the world through our art, through our words, through how we show up. But we can't do that from an empty cup either. So sit with this. It was a little longer episode today.

Virginia [00:09:55]:
I just wanted to get out some of the feels and some of the thoughts. Of course, there's more. And if you have any questions or thoughts on this, let me know. And I want to let you know that for me personally, it kind of feels weird to be like happy pride, you know, but. But frankly, it is our pride month and. And I show up with pride for you, my rainbow sibling. I show up with pride for myself. And what I've been through as a Sapphic woman.

Virginia [00:10:27]:
And we can share in this together while also fighting for those who need it and all the things. Okay. All right. I don't want to get luxury. I'm going to end this now. I hope that you have as soothing of a day as you can. Take care of yourself. Let's take care of each other.

Virginia [00:10:50]:
And we're going to keep showing up. I'll talk to you soon.