"Journeys of the Imagination"

Not long ago I went on a "run" in the mountains above Willard, Utah. I ran up the trail through the beautiful and rugged Willard Canyon and then scrambled up some slabs for several hundred feet before my motivation ran dry. These steep, rocky peaks are one of my favorite places on the planet. In only minutes I can be alone, away from the city, and in an utterly alpine environment complete with circling bald eagles, prowling cougars, and grazing mountain goats. The trail runner/climber in me loves to move as fast and efficiently as I can through this challenging terrain. So why was this time different? I couldn't seem to make myself keep going. All of my usual motivation was drained from me. I felt good physically, but mentally I was completely out of gas. Finally, I just gave up on the notion of a run and sat down on a ledge.

At first, I was angry at myself for not continuing, but then I looked up and saw a beautiful white mountain goat grazing on a ledge not far away. It's winter coat was growing in and it looked gorgeous. With every small movement, I could see his huge muscles ripple beneath his fur. Suddenly, I realized the problem with trail running: You are moving so quickly that your eyes can never leave the next few feet of trail right in front of you. To look up and take in the view, usually means tripping over a rock and falling flat on your face. I had been surrounded by all of God's beauty, and all I was noticing was my own two feet. If I hadn't been having a bad day, I never would have stopped to take it all in. As I sat still and meditated on my surroundings, I felt all of the inspiration of these mountains distill inside me.

President David O. McKay said, "The Lord’s revelations teach us that we should repair to our personal Gethsemanes and Sacred Groves, that we should seek quietude on mountain tops. We must take off our shoes; we must feel the presence of God." That's exactly what I needed: a quiet moment with my thoughts and with God.

This is a pen and ink/water color I did in my journal the day after my "run".

Yesterday, I got back from spending four days in St. George, Utah with my family. We went down because my youngest son was in a soccer tournament. It was a very fun, exciting, busy, and exhausting trip. We went to soccer games, of course, but we also went hiking, bouldering, longboarding, and more. I was enjoying myself and happy to be out with my family, but I was also frustrated. I thought that being in St. George would stimulate my creativity. Instead, I felt brain dead. Then, I met this kid:

Detail of "Journeys of the Imagination" by Gary Lee Price.

He was at the Kathryn Lloyd Richards Sculpture Garden at Dixie State University. He's part of a bronze sculpture called "Journeys of the Imagination" by Gary Lee Price. I noticed the kid was just sitting still, almost like he was meditating, and his thoughts were soaring above him:

"Journeys of the Imagination" by Gary Lee Price.

You can just barely see the feet of the meditating boy at the bottom, left of the sculpture. The composition is, instead, dominated by his thoughts, by what he is imagining. I love the dynamic stance of the boy astride the paper airplane with his arms outstretched going on his "journey". I would argue that if the kid didn't stop, meditate, and let the inspiration of the world distill inside him, he never would have made this incredible journey.

David O. McKay said, “Meditation is the language of the soul. Meditation is a form of prayer. Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.”

Once again, I was reminded that, if I wanted to be inspired, I needed to slow down for a few minutes, sit still, and let all that's been going on settle into place in my mind. I imagine it like a busy day at work where, because of all that's been happening, a huge, chaotic mess has accumulated all over my desk. It's overwhelming to look at and there's nothing I can do with it until I get it organized. Every paper needs to go in it's proper place whether that's an important file or the garbage can. Only then can I prioritize, make sense of everything, and start to get something done. God's house is a house of order and, if I want to be inspired by God, I should have my thoughts in order.

Creativity, I realized, requires moments of quiet solitude and meditation. Taking a hint from the bronze kid, I sat down in the sculpture garden and listened to the trickling water of the fountain. I could physically feel the craziness of the trip start to settle in my mind like leaves falling from a tree and drifting slowly to the ground, each in its proper place, gently positioned in just the right spot by the hand of God.