I need to go on a diet...and cut out my gadgets. Thanks T.S. Eliot for the reminder.

My life is full of distracting noisy gadgets -- gadgets and their apps fill up my purse like they fill up my life. In the last month I've also filled up my life with running from one job or project to another. And then when all that is done, and I'm exhausted, I run to a gadget like it's some comfort food to make myself more busy. Like some beeping thing is restful. Let's be honest here -- I'm an addict. This morning I took some time to sit still, and re-charge. It was painful to do. And then I came across this dog-eared gem by T. S. Eliot on the spiritual act of creating. And I entered into the first step of recognizing my addiction. I'm on a consuming binge! Someone please stop me. I come home, plop down and look at design websites, read a fluffy book, check Facebook or continue too just busy myself.  As a painter, painting is not a 'relaxing' activity -- it's hard work filled with frustration, and it's not the first inviting thing I turn to when I'm tired. But it does feed my soul -- yikes -- I promise not to turn precious moments on you. Just hold on. The act of creating something -- as both T.S Eliot and my sister Brittany recently reminded me -- is a spiritual act that gets at the heart of the matter. Creating, is like a long run. It hurts, and wears you down, and then -- magically -- you feel purged and rested. Thanks T.S. Eliot for sharing the light.  Let's see if my warm fuzzy emotions about creating will carry me further than a few days...any bets? Hope you get inspired by this poem. 

Here is a snippet of T.S. Eliot, Choruses From 'The Rock' IX:

"The soul of Man must quicken to creation.

Out of the formless stone, when the artist united himself with 

stone,

Spring always new forms of life, from the soul of man that is joined to the soul of stone;

Out of the meaningless practical shapes of all that is living

or lifeless

Joined with the artist's eye, new life, new form, new colour. 

Out of the sea of sound the life of music,

Out of the slimy mud of words, out of the sleet and hail of

verbal imprecisions,

Approximate thoughts and feelings, words that have taken

the place of thoughts and feelings,

There spring the perfect order of speech, and the beauty of incantation.

Lord, shall we not bring these gifts to Your service?

Shall we not bring to Your service all our powers

For life, for dignity, grace and order,

And intellectual pleasures of the senses?

The LORD who created must wish us to create

And employ our creation again in His service

Which is already His service in creating.

For Man is joined spirit and body,

And therefore must serve as spirit and body.

Visible and invisible, two worlds meet in Man;

Visible and invisible must meet in His Temple;

You must not deny the body.

Now you shall see the Temple completed:

After much striving, after many obstacles;

For the work of  creation is never without travail;

The formed stone, the visible crucifix,

The dressed altar, the lifting light,

Light

Light

The visible reminder of the Invisible Light.