Thoughts on Diving and Creativity

This is a paper I wrote for one of my classes here at Garrett about my diving experiences and how that connects with the creative process within each of us.

If you have any thoughts, questions or maybe you just want to talk a little more about the creative process, diving or life, feel free to email me or give me a call sometime!

Enjoy, friends!

Connecting with God’s Creation

            On many occasions I have been frustrated with my colleagues in theological education when it comes to the notion of creativity. I have never been the artistic type nor one who considers myself creative by any means. My idea of creativity never aligned with what my colleagues were describing, therefore, I never thought I could be creative or engage in the creative process. It took several intense conversations with a close friend to realize that deep down within each person there is endowed within us an essence of the creativity of creation which has been instilled within us by our Creator. This creativity looks different for everyone and no one can define creativity for another, it must come from within oneself.

            That being said, I find my creative process being engaged when I have discussions with those who share hobbies with me, especially my hobby of scuba diving. I find scuba diving very engaging and a well needed spiritual centering activity. In my many conversations with those around me who share this hobby I have found that they too share this experience of The Holy while diving. Some consider it their prayer time, some say it makes them realize how awesome God truly is and some say that diving makes them feel at one with creation and Creator. When reflecting on these common experiences I decided to create a prayer or mantra to recite while diving as a way to connect with The Holy during the dive experience. 

The prayer:

“O Creator, connect me with Thy creation and allow me to experience You.”

When I recite this prayer during my dive I am intentionally allowing myself to be fully present to God’s creation and those around me. At the end of every dive I reflect on what I have experienced and invite others to share in this experience.

            Sunday I found myself again engaged in this creative process as I was finishing a “check-out” dive for my dry suit class. We had two short dives planned with some skills involved that allowed me to get my certification. The first dive involved my skills, but the second dive was the “exploratory” dive that allowed me to practice the centering prayer forty-seven feet deep at Haigh Rock Quarry in Kankakee, IL. I was on the dive with my dive instructor, John, from Elmer’s Watersports in Evanston, IL. We completed our buddy checks, did our “giant-stride” into the water, descended through the water column and began the dive as we were surrounded by hundreds of bluegill and catfish. We took the dive around the perimeter of the quarry, exploring the rocks and species found in and around the crevices. After 15 minutes of exploration it was time to turn the dive around and begin to head back to the dock and complete our 3 minute safety stop at 15 feet where we were again surrounded by the all too curious bluegill who would swim right up to your mask and have an eye-to-eye stand off with you. After exiting the water we finished our post-dive gear maintenance and began the 90-minute trip back to Evanston talking about our experiences of the dive and how we connected spiritually throughout the dive with The Holy.

            The two key feelings I felt throughout the dive were calmness and vulnerability. Throughout most dives I feel a level of calmness that allows me to focus on the dive and remain calm in case of emergencies, that's is always a key attribute of a good diver. Feeling vulnerable is also a common experience throughout my diving career. I find myself in many unfamiliar places surrounded by creatures I’ve never seen before and depths of darkness that hold new surprises each and every dive. Relating these feelings to the actual dive, I connect calmness with allowing all those bluegill to be curious towards me and actually nibble on the loose hairs coming from the top of my mask. I connect vulnerability with the new experience I had with the dry suit. This was only the second time I had dove with this suit and diving with new equipment is always a learning curve, but allowing myself to experience that and allow the dive instructor to assist me with things I was not familiar with were vulnerable experiences for someone who always likes to be in control. 

            Connecting my experiences to a piece of tradition in Killen and De Beer, I feel like I am engaged more through actions. Allowing myself to actually engage and experience new things has always been helpful in my growth as a person and as a diver. Talking about something lacks the tangible connections I strive for. This prayer is one way I can connect the spiritual side of my creative process to the tangible act of diving.

            In the future I would like to share this prayer with more divers who find diving to be a spiritual connection for them. I would also like to talk with those who haven’t considered this aspect of diving and share with them this prayer and my experiences of this prayer during my dives and how I have connected with creation and Creator. 

Amen, Shalom!