Over the past week, I’ve gotten a lot of emails reminding me to tell people “Happy Easter.” Most of the emails asked why I don’t often post blogs about holidays. I do, but with a different perspective.
Not everyone is ready to celebrate. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays.
The first is simple: Many people don’t celebrate Easter or Christmas. That would include Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Quakers, Sikhs, Taoists, Hindus, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pagans, atheists and several others that don’t jump to mind. Those people feel left out and different in our culture. I’d like them to feel part of something inspiring and I welcome them on my blog. Creativity doesn’t have a religion. I’ve often said that creativity IS my religion.
Second: Many people remember friends and loved ones who are no longer with them. It’s easy to feel alienated and alone when people are celebrating and you feel lonely and sad. I’d like people to find a place of comfort and rest, and I try to create that on holidays.
We don’t like to think about lonely and sad. It’s scary, those places that require comfort and care. We don’t know what to say to those who are sad. If we are suffering, we feel guilty for ruining other people’s joy. It’s a tough place to be, and knowing that there’s a blog where you can be yourself might be a comfort.
I’ve posted blogs about being alone on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not everyone likes to be alone, but there are sports that work well–hiking, walking, jogging, even squash and handball can be played alone. Of course, I can also recommend reading or listening to audiobooks, drawing, journaling, knitting–whatever creative project heals you is a good project for when you are feeling lonely.
Celebrate the holidays that bring you joy, comfort, and community. And if you are not in the mood for celebrating, you aren’t broken. Happy isn’t the destination emotion, it’s a way of being. And sometimes, it’s hard.
—Quinn McDonald is a certified creativity coach and a holder of the space that allows for different.
QuinnCreative 
Holidays are an interesting concept. We are immersed in the day, whether it ‘s a holiday we celebrate or not, in every store, in the media. And what I find surprising, personally, Easter is a holiday I celebrated as a child, and then with my children. Perhaps there was a basket of goodies and a breakfast out. And today, as I spend my forst ever Easter on my own, I sense an odd sort of disconnect, as if I am missing something.
You may be missing connection, shared experiences and chocolate–the chocolate part you can fix.
I am so happy that you are in the world…hopefully, one day our paths will cross-physically. Until then, know that I am ‘with you’ each and every day..blessings,
I’ve met people all over the world that know me from the blog–so our paths will surely cross!
Good point, creativity needs its own religion. Here’s how it might work:
Like some other religions, there’s a big book. But this one is blank. There’s a standard hymnal, but it’s full of empty musical staffs; you have to compose the music yourself. Rather than commandments, there are prompts. You can have any dogma you want, but you have to dream it up and it only applies to you. Oh, and you can call it catma instead if you want.
In other words, grab a blank journal and create your own meaning. YAY! Pete, welcome to journaling!
This is well known in the spiritual realm, that a solitary man would miraculously happen upon wisdom and record it. The wisdom later becomes the religion’s dogma, or in this case catma. For some reason the solitary catma man is often more productive in particularly spiritual places somewhere in the world. Why do you think they call it Katmandu?
I knew that katma was going to lead to a shaggy dog story.
I agree completely~ another very thoughtful and right-on-target blog. Actually, if you mentioned every single religious holiday, you’d have maybe six days left to write about the fascinating creativity ideas you have. Tho next time you list our glorious rose garden of humanity’s faith connections, you might add Baha’i if you’d like!
I didn’t include Baha’i on my list of religions that don’t celebrate Christmas because I wasn’t certain–what I was sure of, is that the Baha’i are encouraged to celebrate with all religions, as they believe all religions celebrate the same god. So I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t celebrate Easter or Christmas for the sake of community–can you add some good information? That would be useful.
I appreciate “creativity does not have a religion”. I find it jarring when even some newscasters say “Happy Whatever” and then go to some dire event report. There is a time and a place for most things; let’s just keep them straight!
From a different one, too.
And I’d like to think that creative approaches will find the best answers, too!