os.me Digest: The Lonely Patience of Creative Work

Sadness and loneliness; we all have in different measures. But we all have it. 

Last week, as I contemplated the course of my life, a cavernous sadness gnawed at me, my life not moving in the direction I would have liked it to flow. Tears that seemed to have deep desperation in their departing left me with a certain paralysis and inaction. Try as I might, nothing moved- not my limbs and not my mind. 

The moment an acceptance for the deep cave within arrives, a stillness comes crawling from the corner. Suddenly clarity comes tumbling, a higher-order lucidity that makes me go above myself. I realise deep sadness cleanses, and the unquiet helps grow. It takes the form of a creative expression sometimes or deep meditation and contemplation on life. 

Stillness has given an inner strength and a revelation. As artists, we create work of art, the meaning of words, or just create our life around us; magic entwines herself around us. All our sorrows and loneliness bleed into the paper creating a story ready to touch and heal fellow sufferers. 

“Go into yourself. Search for the reason that bids you to write; Find out whether it is spreading out its roots in the deepest places of your heart.” ~~ poet and philosopher Rainer Maria Rilke.

For those of us who struggle to find a theme, a prompt to write, and for those amongst us who sit down and dejectedly give up waiting for a new day for inspiration to strike, Rilke says:

“Describe your sorrows and desires, passing thoughts and belief in some sort of beauty- describe all these with loving, quiet, humble sincerity, and use, to express yourself, the things in your environment, the images from your dreams, and the objects of your memory.”

Is this not what we all did when we attended the writing project? The coaxing to do this came as pointers, “Be genuine. What makes you happy? What makes you sad? Express in a way a very young person can understand.” Aren’t we invested and anchored into stories that describe someone’s journey through life that helped them grow and made them stronger?

Our search for our truth and exactness is a lonely exercise. From this loneliness and delving within, comes the churning and the birth of the new. Writing from a place of inner truth, verity, and your own exactness empowers the reader as much as it liberates the writer.

Some jewels that you can read with a sip of curiosity and a bite of wonder:

Transformative Ideas

Silence: Contemplating whether we need to find stillness or awaken silence? In this thought-provoking article, Anubhav Bhatt guides us through our questions with his experiences, peppered with the eternal truth from the scriptures. You will come away knowing what silence does to you.

I Am Taking Care of Myself: Rediscovering herself and creating content gives her contentment. Writing and creating YouTube shorts give her happy hormones a boost, she has done it all. Read Anu at 55+, she will inspire you to just go for it!

The Puppy in the Backyard: Niraj Chandra writes about an overlooked limiting factor. Our conditioning and attachments check us from achieving our full potential. But what has that got to do with the puppy in the backyard? Find out for yourself. 

The Boy who came to Our Dance Class: A little boy watches a Bharatnatyam class in action. Enraptured, he wishes to join the troupe. Vamsi Krishna Ayam writes a heartwarming story.

A Tale of The Start of a Beautiful Journey: Sandeep recalls his struggle to find a true guru. In this lonely journey, he fell prey to many a fraudster. Then one day, he found the person who changed his life for the better. That night, he slept peacefully for the first time, perhaps.

All Relationships Begin with You: Surekha Chandrasekhar has many gifts. She counts, ‘Fairly good looks, intelligence, a love for books, a love for music, wisdom to listen, and love for elders’. She was also a topper. Yet, when she was younger, there was unhappiness that tugged at her heart. Here’s how she fixed it all. 

Yet I lived another Day: Shivani Adalja was married to a person with multiple Swiss accounts, abundant power and money. It also had a cost attached to it — her self-respect and freedom. At 18, she fought fiercely to fly out of the marriage, that was seen as a good catch. What did it bring her — happiness or a life of struggle and loneliness? Read it to find out more! 

I am Brave to Discuss Malaria Problem with Mosquito: In her signature candidness, Meera Om shares an embarrassing moment turned funny. It’s like when you want to fly on the magical carpet, instead your prince charming pulls the carpet from under your feet. 

Watch it now!

Wisdom from Om Swami

The Silent Witness: In this insightful article, Spiritual leader Om Swami offers suggestions on keeping the inner voice audible and clear. “Often, we look for validation of our actions by seeking external approval but the truth is that deep within, we almost always know our own reality. We know our own intentions better than anyone else out there”. 

When You feel in Control: “There is something quite extraordinary about a meaningful pursuit: it makes you feel you are in control. Think of your happiest moments. When you are in control of your actions, emotions, and words, you are in charge of your life. And that, my friend, is a feeling like no other.” Om Swami shows how we can steer our life in the direction we deem fit by being in control — not in the negative sense of the word but by making a positive impact in pursuing meaningful work.

Dear readers, would you say some of your creative energy has been inspired by solitary moments? I’d love to know how you spend time when all by yourself. Please drop in your comments.

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