Several years ago, when I first embarked on the Intentional Creativity journey as a member of the Red Madonna “Queen of the Cosmos” yearlong creative practice group, our teacher Shiloh Sophia asked us to contemplate what she called the “pillars” of our belief. Of the many inquiries we initiated that year, this one has had particular sticking power for me, perhaps because it was one of the first times I began to seriously consider my own inner knowing as a source of authority.

More recently, I’ve found myself revisiting the seven pillars I chose at that time and, much to my surprise, I find that as creativity has moved to the front and center of my approach to life, it has also become a common thread joining the other six qualities in a richly textured weave.

Creativity

To truly live, creativity is essential: everything else is just reading from someone else’s script…even if it was written by your past self.

Love

To live from love is a way of life, and in a world accustomed to operating from fear, creativity is essential to its expression.

Joy

Joy is a byproduct of love-based creativity and a sure sign that I am aligned with my highest path and purpose.

Presence

By being present to the people and situations around me, I open myself to the myriad creative possibilities inherent in every moment.

Intention

From these infinite possibilities, I choose what I want to create in my life, my community and my world with pure intent.

Community

Community exponentially expands individual creative potential. Just imagine a world community creating from love!

Abundance

Abundance is the inevitable result of creating joyfully in community with others, remaining grounded in the energy of loving presence and intent.

The way these principles work seem to me like warp threads through which I can weave the many fibers of thought, word and deed to create a tapestry of great strength and beauty.

Inquiry

Separate from your faith path, what are the values and principles that serve as the warp threads through which you weave your life? Is there one that stands out to you as central to all the others? If so, how?