111 Day Artistic Spirit Pledge: Spiritual Growth Through Creative Expression

Day 106: A Spirited “Dream” in Ireland

Creativity Prompt #15 (on Day 103) was as follows…use the terms DREAM – SPIRITS – AWAKE as creative inspiration.  The piece below is the result of Friday’s prompt.

My grandmother was a practicing psychic, and I’m entirely convinced that metaphysical, spiritual, and holistic abilities were passed down through the generations.

I don’t see dead people, though the joke in my family is that I talk to them because I’m the family genealogist. I never encountered ghosts or the supernatural-type entities growing up, and I can’t predict or see the future. The gift I received is one of a more spiritual/metaphysical nature. I’ve always sensed something deeper and more profound than what our five senses convey. I believe in angelic beings, déjà vu, and the healing energy of art. It wasn’t until my trip to Ireland in 2004 that I experienced a spiritual moment that would change the course of my life.

As our tour group rode horseback-pulled wagons through the Killarney National Park, I allowed the summer air to kiss my cheeks while the mid-day sun warmed my skin and spirit. We stopped a few times along the picturesque route then continued on our adventure.

My breath caught and my senses tingled as the horses trotted down the tree-lined path towards the Muckross House.

While we awaited entrance inside, I strolled around the outside – admiring the beauty from every angle. When I stumbled upon the back garden, my watering eyes had nothing to do with allergies. The colors of the flowers, trimmed hedges, and stunning green grass mesmerized me. I felt an odd sense of familiarity as I stood among the garden, a feeling I couldn’t place and didn’t try to.

As I do with any tour through a historic building, I take my time admiring the artifacts. I love the details in the furniture, the artwork adorning the wall, and the energy that fills the air. We arrived in a small bedroom that a young girl once called hers. I stood at the window and stared out towards the beautiful scenery below. All of a sudden I had this sensation that a young girl of maybe 8 or 9 stood next to me. She had a long black hair and wore a white cotton dress. Never before had I experienced something like that. I didn’t feel fear, panic, or worry. Instead, I wanted to know more. I smiled and wondered what it was she wanted me to know. Eleven years later, and I’ve yet to figure that out.

That moment, however brief it was, lingers with me to this day. The blurry image in my mind of the unnamed child, and the room in which she stood, ultimately became the inspiration behind a pivotal scene in my YA novel. I spent the rest of the day and evening thinking about that experience and woke up the following morning with hives. What one has to do with the other still baffles me, but the timing still intrigues me.

Whether only a figment of my imagination or a spirit trying to communicate, the result remains the same – I found creative inspiration at a time when I needed it desperately.

**I am an Artistic Spirit! For most of my life I’ve used the creative arts as a source of spiritual exploration and healing, even though I didn’t always do so consciously. Sometimes I was the instrument creating the art and other times I was on the receiving end. The connection between art and spirituality is so significant in my life that it’s infused into everything I do. I love music, theatre, television drama series (daytime and primetime), and creative writing and find fulfillment in artistic expression of various sorts: singing, acting, and jewelry design. Throughout the next 5 days, I’ll delve into how all of the above strengthens my spirit and has saved my life on more than one occasion.**