Umami (n): “a category of taste in food (besides sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), corresponding to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.”
Aloha Sunshine,
From the way you hold a mug of coffee, to the way you sweep a paintbrush across the canvas, to the curvature of your goddess-sent smile, creation is everything you are. The way we, as a collective of individuals, process creation is expressed in a variety of forms and flows. The creative process is presented in so many different flavors, but doesn’t it appear that there is a baseline vibe to the way you create versus the vibe when I create? A totally individualized throughline that connects one piece to another, ultimately, connecting back to the creator. The vibes we express are so real and I feel that part of our expression has to do with our creative processes + the way we process creation.
It’s sort of like... umami... a flavor that is not entirely explainable and maybe not even relatable until you have had a real taste of it for yourself while it is being defined, yet it is something that so many rave about. I suppose, when you know, you know. Then, you can talk about it with others who know it as well. Then, leading more friends to a path of discovering this undefinable flavor to ultimately define the undefinable in conversation with others who now also know.
A chain reaction of realization of the same thing that is somehow connected and undefinable at the same time. This is the conversation I experience when talking to my friends from the Art Institute, as we all know each other’s work and authentic “vibe,” so no matter what subject matter or medium we are into these days, it is easy to tell who created what. A cultivated umami, per say, by simply attuning to our soul selves while processing creation into existence. The creative flow state.
It can be so beneficial to discuss how we process creation on this planet because it can only inspire more creation and more conversation about this nearly undefinable topic. When more are inspired to discover their own “flavor,” the world becomes a more innately sovereign and diverse space to reside in. Perhaps, even more harmonious as well because when all are individually in sync with authentic and natural ways of expressing self in flow. When there is free flow, there is less emotional constipation, as this type of surrender can allow emotions to flow through, instead of building up to later come crashing down.
I curated an Instagram Live today with Mariah Green Photography to talk about the general topic of “Creative Process,” so I thought it would be helpful to bullet point my conscious creative process to the best of my ability. It was surprisingly difficult to explain in words and in order, but I did it and I wanted to share in trust that something might inspire you!
Feel a formation of an idea in the ethers
A spark
A co-creation idea someone else is inspired by
Hang out with the idea and allow it to evolve as needed
Sometimes for seconds, sometimes even for months or years
Gather external and internal information
Inspiration
Reaching out to other professionals... Or Google haha
Meditation or Lucid Dreaming
The idea fully forms and it becomes tangible and/or attainable
Call to action
Supply Gathering and pre-external action
External action could be a pinterest board, people, connections, canvases, attire, seeds, a google doc, a reservation, location scouting, a calendar date, or a pen…
Show up
Relax the shoulders, take a deep inhale, then release all egoic expectations with the exhale. Simultaneously, allowing the forces within and the vibe of the day/project to be embodied.
Imagine steeping the skin and the spirit in the expansion of possibility and the unfolding of the project.
Surrendering to the highest good of all
Trust, smile, and ride the wave!
Feel the notion of gratitude from the heart + celebrate victoriously
These steps occur on both micro and macro levels. During a photo session, I am constantly channeling a stream of inspiration and information from external and internal sources, then translating it in the moment to achieve the overall direction or goal. To honor the vibes of the day and surrender to the highest good of all is what allows true spontaneous magick to unfold!
In short, I like to put the bones together and let the magick flesh out naturally.
When we are true to our own process, the vibe of the moment, and our authentic selves, it does not matter what we create, it will be an absolute extension of our divine soul self. Our souls create from such a deep place and when we sink into that space within, is when we shine the brightest. Trust!
Blissings,
Jayde
