The Watering Hole Blog

Showing Up in Sedona

Showing Up & Tuning In to Sedona Magic

 

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

– Maya Angelou

You don’t need to be surrounded by beauty in order to tap into your creativity…but it doesn’t hurt.

This past week, I was very fortunate to be able to return to Sedona, Arizona to focus on a single writing project for an entire week. No e-mail, no social media, no internet, no cell phone service. No people…not even a dog 🙁

All I did was write, hike, think, reflect, eat, sleep and write some more. It was a powerful and productive week…but not for the faint of heart. Sedona is a sacred center known for it’s vortexes – swirling centers of energy conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration.

In my experience, Sedona doesn’t just inspire creativity, it also seems to open up a pathway to…some sort of source, if you will.

Whether I’m sitting quietly with my morning coffee, in the midst of writing a scene, mindfully putting one foot in the front of the other on the trail, or listening to music in the evening, the answers and insights – personal and professional – bubble to the surface, slowly but surely.

The key word, I suspect, is SLOW. Regardless of where we are (geographically or our stage of life) I think we need to slow down enough to be able to interpret what the universe – and/or the soft voice of our own soul – may be trying to tell us. And we may not always like what we hear.

When I was in Sedona (for the first time) seven months ago, I made a promise to myself to return again soon to work on a specific project…a very spiritual one, to say the least.

So this past week, I did just that and boy oh boy, did the magic happen!

“Show up, show up, show up, and after awhile, the muse shows up too.”

– Isabel Allende

Here are some more shots of stunning Sedona:

Check out that massive sink hole!
Evening light on the mountains behind my casita

 

MA & Serena in Flagstaff

On my last night, I went to Flagstaff (an hour north of Sedona) to have dinner with Serena, a student at Northern Arizona University. Serena is the great great granddaughter of Nell Shipman, the silent screen star featured in my God’s Country screenplay. (Hint: this is also a clue to the geographical location I will be blogging about next!)

Take care and have a magically mindful week 🙂

Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here. As a thank you, you’ll receive a short but saucy e-book entitled, Dive into this Chicago Deep Dish – Ten Bite-Sized Steps for a Yummier Slice of Life.

 

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2 thoughts on “Showing Up in Sedona”

  1. Wonderful pictures which instantly transported me back to Sedona. I’ve only ever been there the once and barely scratched the surface of what it had to offer, but I remember feeling like the place had something very special about it. And wow, that drive up to it (I believe from the south, if memory serves) was breathtaking.

    Keep the fantastic blogs and photos coming! 🙂

    Elliot

  2. Yes! That drive up to Sedona from the south is breathtaking…literally! It almost makes me want to cry to see the red rocks coming into view. What a special place, for sure.
    MA

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