When You Live Under a Bridge

I don't live under a bridge. I live here. I ride a bicycle. I'm unemployed. I don't think that I will appear on the cover of Fortune 500 this month at least.

I called a county hotline one night in a bit of a crisis. Divorced, alone, broke, dissillusioned, depressed, and yes, even suicidal, I'll never forget what the gentleman at the call center told me.

He said, "When you live under a bridge, you start where you're at. You work with the resources you have. You don't focus on what you have lost or what you don't have. You focus on what you have. You survive by using the resources at your disposal."

So what does that have to do with my blog about creativity--everything. Creativity by definition means using what you have in and around you. Life is about creating opportunity at the place where you reside. What better place to learn creativity than under a bridge? If you can create there under a bridge, then you can create anywhere. The call center guy got it right and write.

In the creative life you start at the beginning. You start with you, where you are, who you are, and with whatever resources at your disposal. You learn to live faithful to your creativity. You create. I have discovered that when you get good at using what you got, you get more. You start to see more opportunities. You get more exposure. The Bible says it this way, "Be faithful in little things and I will give you more."

Here's an example. I decided to show my AllClear blog to the Clear representative at my local shopping mall. He shook his head. "What a great idea--a place for people to write in about their Clear experiences. Say, you should come to work for us."

I actually have met quite a few homeless folks. I used to supervise crews that cleaned up homeless camps in Portland. I have talked with them and have found a universal cynicism in each. Now you might assume that when life has knocked you down that you grow cynical. Actually, I believe that the cynicim precedes the fall. Homeless folks universally see conspiracy, coverup, and evil under every rock. They have a helpless, hopeless feeling. It all feels bigger than them, and so why try. Just live under the bridge.

You see, they try to create with what they have lost or what they don't have rather than create a new life with what they have. You have to bloom where planted. You have to start with the shopping cart, the people, the gifts, the community, and the life given to you. Sure I want to write a best selling novel about Ryan Rouse my high school imaginary writing hero. It's coming. But I have to live faithful to my bridge first.

Yes, I consider the future. Everyday I explore other writing opportunities. I have started two books and have signed up for contract work on Odesk. My vision of the world and its opportunities increase when I do my daily eye exercises under the bridge. Now, I'm just out there writing what floats up to me under the bridge and have this opportunity to work for Clear. Who wudda thunk it!!!

You don't feel creative? Go sit under a bridge. Talk to the folks there. I guarantee you will have something to write about at the end of the day. Hey, post a comment here when you get home.