Who would not want a little more poetry in their life? And I am not talking about drama, I am talking about poetry. And not necessarily Keats either.
Living a poetic life is about seeing your life and your work as an Artist. Creating.
Why is it that the TV program Masterchef makes cooking enticing and is able to motivate half the nation into the kitchen, and yet, as you approach the kitchen, exhausted on a Monday evening to fix yourself some dinner, your creativity and enthusiasm are only marginally higher than the tin can you are about to use to prepare your food.
I would suggest that the Masterchefs do not see themselves as cooks, nor chefs but primarily as artists using food as the basis for their creations. They are obsessed with the technique and artistry of food and food preparation and use that as a way to express themselves creatively.
Bringing the poetry into your life, is not necessarily about starting an art class, or becoming the next masterchef, or dusting off your old guitar, it is rather about bringing the consciousness of the artist into what it is that you are already doing.
Your work is your Art. It is all in the mental approach. Start to see yourself as an Artist and a Creator, and your work as a contribution in the greater sense.
So you may not work for the Sydney Dance Company, or Universal Studios, but just your local furniture store, you may ask, where is the poetry in that?
Poetry is about the imagination. My invitation is for you to mock up a little scenario in your head. On one hand, yes, maybe you just crunch numbers at a furniture store, but on the other hand you are responsible and involved in creating a sense of order and clarity in the running of the company. Also the business of furniture is about creating pieces of art built for comfort and beauty, for customers who in turn, will use them as their 'ingredients' to express their own creativity.
And there is poetry in that.
As you raise your perspective from the hum drum 'doingness' of your everyday tasks, to seeing yourself as creating something meaningful for the world and something greater than just yourself, you will be transformed.
This thinking might be a little radical and simplistic in its presentation - but in a world that sometimes lacks meaning and focus, to create a context and meaning in your own life, that you resonate with, regardless of the outer circumstances, can assist your day-to-day living to become more purposeful and therefore pleasurable. Admittedly it may take a while for you to find the greater perspective in your work but once you do, your life will begin to transform, and the effects will begin to cascade into other parts of your world.
Brushing your teeth, becomes a creation of health, confidence and beauty. Getting dressed and doing your hair becomes a daily artistic self-expression. Catching the bus becomes an exercise in art appreciation as your observe the style and self-expression in the people on the bus with you. Etc.
As you begin to catch a glimpse of the poetry in the world, and tune to the Artistry and Creative flow of things, your life will become, dare I say... "larger than life."