UP #80: Defying the Odds, Embracing the Muse with Charlotte Eriksson

The Unplug Podcast: Activated Living for Truth Seekers and Critical Thinkers in a Collapsing World

We were born to create. We are creation itself – a sperm and an egg united to miraculously create…YOU. We are creative beings. To believe otherwise is a disservice to the soul.

“Creativity is God’s gift to us. Expressing our creativity is our gift back to God”, states Julia Cameron, author of the bestselling book, The Artist’s Way. Creativity and authenticity are essentially one in the same. Creativity feeds the soul…because it comes from the soul.

The creative muse lives within every of us. The question is, do you starve her, or do you feed her? Is she dormant, or is she awake? She is your life-force, your authentic voice. She is the purest essence of you

Throughout history, every cultural tradition links creativity with spirituality. Dancing, singing, music, poetry, writing, and painting are common avenues for creative expression. Creativity appears in our humor, our play, and our story-telling. It aids us in times of need, helps with our relation to others, and inspires innovative solutions for the problems of today’s world. Creativity is at the core of our being.

We live in a cultural paradigm where our capacity for creative expression is thwarted by an endless barrage of distraction. The ceaseless busyness of our minds encourages the disconnection from our life-force. We’ve become mindless consumers rather than engaged creators.

In a culture that worships the frenzied pace of “doing”, our imaginations are dulled into passivity. The disease of “busy” is destroying our overall well-being. It is depleting our ability to think critically, act compassionately, and express creatively. We must remember; we are human beings, not human doings. We are not the helpless automatons with endless to-do lists that we’ve come to believe we are.

Life is a delicate balance between being and doing. Creativity is prompted through our being and implemented through our doing. It is this synergistic relationship that leads towards our greatest authentic expression.

Albert Einstein once said that, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Our imaginations are fundamental for personal and global transformation. Imagination is the driving force behind creativity. It allows us to see possibilities where none once existed. It inspires, uplifts, and empowers. Imagination expands our hearts and opens our minds.

When we flow with the creative process, our mind relaxes, intuition awakens, and we shift ourselves out of “doing” consciousness. Creativity is transcendent in nature. It moves us beyond our small sense of self and connects us with our expansive authentic self.

“I want my life to be the greatest story. My very existence will be the greatest poem.” These are the words of Charlotte Eriksson, songwriter, author, wanderer, dreamer, and creator.

At the age of 18, Charlotte left her home in Sweden and moved to London to pursue her calling and, as she says, “to create the life I wanted to live and find the person I wanted to be.”

After a year in solitude with her mind and her music, she packed light and spent a year homeless on the road, dedicating her life to her art and music, determined to tell the world about it. She learned how to build her home in her music and her art. She defied the criticism, the judgement and the odds. She embraced the muse.

Through pure grit, determination, perseverance, and truckloads of passion, she’s since released 5 critically acclaimed albums. Her single, “I Will Lead You Home,” reached #2 on the Swedish iTunes-chart. All of the money from that single went directly to the Swedish non-profit organization, Ung Cancer, to support young victims of the disease, and as she says, to “let them know that they’re not alone.” Charlotte was also as named ”Breakthrough Indie Artist Of The Year” by Lemonade Magazine.

Charlotte packs a lot of wisdom in her youth and I’m honored to bring this moving conversatio...