Creativity as Self Care

Have you ever considered adding a creativity practice to your self-care regimen? Personally, I hadn't until a couple months ago when I was invited to beta test a mentor's new program. This was a writer's circle -- a safe place where I could come together with others to explore what it meant to fill my well, to feel into the areas that I'm stuck creatively, to see what keeps me stuck, to learn what releases me, and to actually get some writing done.

I got all that and more! Much to my surprise, I learned that the simple act of creating (writing short fiction, in this particular case) IS what fills my well. When my creative well is full, I am contently sated and at ease, yet somehow at the same time bristling with energy. Creativity is one way for me to raise my frequency, as it were, so that I feel soul-fed and, well, happy. ...but, alas, I found that it was really about the creative process becoming a regular practice. Something that I had to make room for regularly. For some, that means daily. For me, it's more like 4-5 days per week on average. It also integrates well into my life. I found that 30 minutes was sufficient for me and that using a timer freed me from distraction. The time flew, the words came seemingly out of nowhere and before I knew it I had the makings of a surprisingly adventurous tale. Never, before then, had I suspected that I would actually be sitting down to write a short story!

More surprising than all of this was the way the rest of my life began to flow after these creative writing sprints become a devoted practice. I found that I looked forward to each next session, happily anticipating how the story might unfold. My imagination and sense of things expanded in a way that felt right deep down in my cells. Solutions to long-standing problems began to simply come to me in moments of quiet. There was a strong sense of being cared for in a way I hadn't felt before. I was allowing myself to create, finally! It seemed awkward at first, but then it came into its natural, albeit somewhat chaotic and often fumbling, flow.

If you're a writer or simply have a sense that creative practice is missing in your life, I highly recommend setting a creative practice in motion for yourself. I like to do all sorts of creative things in addition to my fiction writing, like cook, draw, play/work in the garden and imagine. I think I might even learn how to knit to see if that's another outlet for me! Much of the work I do with my clients could even be categorized as creative as we explore the unknown together, discovering important guides and resources that are steadfast champions and always abundant. I want you to feel the freedom that comes from having such a practice for yourself. I wonder where you might find it?

So, next time you find yourself wishing for something, get creative! It might just be as easy as letting yourself do that artful thing you've not been letting yourself do!

Your creativity will thank you. Big time. I'd love to hear how it goes!

...and if writing IS your thing, my mentor, Jenna Avery, is starting her next Writer's Circle this coming Monday, November 28th. Check it out at: Just Do The Writing
(Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link and I earn commission from sales generated through this link. I highly recommend Jenna's work with or without the commission. ;o) )