In an ideal world there would be no illness, injury or suffering. None of us plan on getting sick or injured, so when these life experiences happen they catch us by surprise and can dramatically change our lives. Some may feel that life is less than before yet some of us discover a whole new perspective on life and view it in a way we never imagined. We all react differently to situations but regardless of what way we do react, it’s certain that we need to find a new way of living to help us through whatever we find ourselves going through.
This is where the power of creativity comes in. Allowing yourself to explore healing through creativity can teach you that life can in some ways, be better than before. It can empower you to see your life as a blank canvas and help you truly learn that you alone have the power to design & create it anyway you want to. Yes, it would be fantastic if we just woke up healed upon request (miracles are a whole other day’s writing!) but then what would we learn? Maybe your life needed to be enriched and the only way to help you achieve this was bringing about situations that ultimately lead you to this result by challenging your perspective and thought process towards life. True healing is not just waiting for a miracle to happen or however long it takes for you to heal, it is creating the opportunities that allow healing to take place. One said opportunity is being creative.
Many of us make the mistake of thinking (myself included) that we have to be the next Van Gough if we want to paint or the next Michael Jackson if we want to sing or perform, we don’t. Let me say that again in the hope the reality sinks in and inspires you…we don’t. We don’t have to have a note in our heads, we don’t have to be an amazing painter, we don’t have to be a best-selling author to write (I’m proof of that, I only write because I’m inspired to & love being creative in any way I can because it helps me on so many levels) or a sous chef to bake. What we do have to be however is open to exploring our creative sides. There is no right or wrong, good or bad, just once you are creating. It’s about truly being in that very moment and giving yourself time out from the normal every day routine and living whatever inspires you. Once you are doing that, you are allowing healing to take place.
When we create, especially if it’s a physical form of creativity, we make something that did not exist before. Think about that, that alone is huge. Something that never existed before all of a sudden then does and you are responsible for it. Wow! This enables us to gain a better understanding of life’s meaning. If your creativity involves expressing yourself through dance or song for example, you are still achieving the same thing. All creativity is expression, if there is expression then you are connecting to your true self and we all know living our truth is better than any medication out there. I came across a great quote while watching a movie recently where Rene Russo was defending her disorganised living space ~ “Homes are for free expressions, not for good impressions“!
“Creation and healing are the same energy. They transform pain, rather than being destroyed by it. Art heals by accepting the pain and doing something with it.” ~ (Art Heals: How Creativity Cures The Soul. By Shawn McNiff, 2004)
When you begin to realise the vital link between creativity and well-being not only will you begin to have a better sense of life’s meaning, you will also take great comfort from the part you played in your own healing process. Go, make time to indulge in your creative side – dance, sing, cook, write, paint (note how pain is taken away by adding a T to become paint!), design, sketch, do your garden, act, read, redecorate, whatever it is….Just Do It (Nike knew what they were talking about!). Be part of your own healing process, create your wellness. ॐ