You can’t walk a few feet without seeing one around my neighborhood right now. Their cheerful little heads atop long thin stems bobbing joyfully like little yellow flags in the breeze. They seem to shout out to everyone who passes by, “Hey! Look at me! Wheee!” They are wild and their lives may be short, but together they have the capacity to brighten this dry desert landscape. Their very existence proves that even under the harshest of environments, there is beautiful bubbling life, just waiting for the perfect conditions in which to burst forth.

“Hey! Look at me! Wheee!” said every desert marigold, ever.

Desert marigolds are tough little flowers! They may look fragile and delicate, but they can withstand high desert winds, droughts, intense heat, and everything else that the Mohave can throw at them. Their stems are thin and somewhat crooked, but they are strong and, if you’ve ever given one a tug, not easily plucked. They use a network of roots to bind themselves to one another, and huddle together in a mound for further protection and support. Dare I say… they are intelligent little flowers and even somewhat, I don’t know… organized?

I’ve always believed that the ability to organize is a sign of superior intelligence.

I’ve been creating a painting in honor of the desert marigold for the Helldorado Days Art Show and Auction next month. This painting is large: two feet by four feet. Hopefully it will reflect the big personality of these tiny little life forms. Here’s a sneak preview:

As an artist and creativity coach, everything to me is a metaphor. I see the desert marigold as a symbol of creative empowerment. The bright yellow colored petals remind me of the solar plexus chakra, where self-confidence and empowerment resides. They appear as tiny suns and their energy radiates outward. Though they are small they have big impact.

Desert Marigolds are little flowers with BIG impact.

Likewise, my work as a creativity coach may not seem very significant on the global scale of life changing movements, but I recognize the true impact it has. Every person I get the honor of working with begins to shine a little more brightly. Their stems become just a little bit tougher as they hold themselves high in the face of judgment and outside criticisms. They learn that support and nurturing are things they can give and receive equally. And that together, we can use our creative collaboration to make this sometime hostile world a better place to be in.

May the desert marigold inside of you wave joyfully.

Your Creativity Coach,

Bonnie Kelso is the creator of The ABCs of Conscious Creating and the author of Vitalize Your Creative Life. She uses energy healing and creating exercises to connect people to their higher “creative” selves. For more information about her services read about her ACCESS! program or to schedule a consultation please contact her at Bonnie@CreatingYourExperience.com. Are you ready to vitalize your creative life?