I read somewhere that Matisse believed that the highest expression of art was to create a place of beauty to rest and heal the wounded soul. Or maybe it was Monet. Either way, I’m not interested in any hierarchy of art, but it always gets me thinking about the necessity for art and our own unique flavor of creative expression. Whether it is for the pure joy of it, or art as activism, for relaxing and calming the mind and heart, introspection, therapy, or the beauty of it, it’s been all of these things for me at different times.
We all have a unique expression to share in this life. A radiant thread to nurture and weave into this world. Creativity isn't just for artists. It is inside each and everyone one of us and when we are connected to our own creative flow, it serves as a source of empowerment and agency.
For me, art making or any other kind of creative expression is an effective way to witness the deepest parts of my being and give them voice. That’s when healing occurs.
I don't see creativity expression as a luxury. I see it as alchemy. An imperative for the soul to heal and make whole that which has been rent asunder. Painting, singing, dancing, or writing through emotions, rather than burying them, is a way to be with and transform emotions and difficult experiences that can stop us dead in our tracks, like quicksand. It moves the energy and metabolizes it so we can get back to the business of being the force of good we came here to be.
Creative expression can regulate the nervous system when chaos surrounds us from within and without and recalibrates us to what our true, embodied north is, rather than being pulled into reactivity and a sense of powerlessness. It is also a way to celebrate and be in service to life, connecting with the deeper flows of spirit and the unseen forces that shape and inform our universe.
If you are someone who always thought, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body”, it is simply not true. Every bone, fiber, and cell of your being in embued with creative power. It’s there pre-loaded into your being like a phone with an app you can't delete no matter how hard you try. Open it up! Give it spin.
If you don’t know where to start, I have always found it helpful to look back to when I was a child and what I enjoyed doing. I loved skating, swings, dancing, acting, backbends, fingerpaints, and silly putty. Make a list of your own and see what sparks your interest. Go where the juice and life is for you and it will open a spring of vitality that may feel like a trickle at first, but the more you play with it and give attention to it (i.e giving attention to yourself-hello self-care), it will turn into a steady flow that can support and ground you in times of upheaval and uncertainly, like now.