The lyrics of ‘The Logical Song’ resonate deeply when I think of creativity and imagination.
As children we tap into the wild and free realm of our imagination and create without restriction. We play, make music, dance, believe in magic and create stories always using our creativity to navigate the world. We problem solve, figure things out, break things and put them back together. We don’t define our imagination or creativity and limitations are kept at bay, then something happens.
We become entwined in this myth that creativity is something that only a select few are blessed with. Our external environment helps re-enforce this thinking. We start to categorize what being creative is and who falls into that category and who remains outside. Then we just go along go along with the show.
We start to hear ourselves say and accept …but I’m not creative, I don’t have a creative bone in my body!
Well if this was true then only a blessed few have the ability to pursue a creative life and what about the rest of us?!!
For the record, I think it’s bullshit and believe that every single one of us is a creator being.
With age and endless external noise, we become conditioned and detached from the very essence of our own creative essence. Without focussing our consciousness and energy back into into our own creativity that is held deep within, we can miss out on one of the most vital elements of nurturing our mental health.
We know from countless studies that creativity reduces anxiety and helps us manage and deal with stress. In therapy, I love using creative processes to help with anxiety and the processing of trauma. Creativity helps bring emotional disturbances out of the psyche with things like art, clay, sand-play, journaling, movement and music. Creativity holds a unique place to bring out of the body what words cannot express. The power in creativity is we bypass the rational part of our brain and just express without limitation.
The simplest way to bring creativity back into your life, is to ask yourself
1 What brings me joy?
2 What am I doing when I am just in flow?
3 When do I love using my imagination?
Then ask yourself, how you define creativity and see what restrictions and limitations you are putting around what is creative and what is not?
Creativity is not just being a great artist, writer or musician. Creativity is everywhere.
David Parish does a wonderful job of bringing to light the issue we have with the terminology in his Tedx Napoli talk www.davidparrish.com/a-creativity-i-creativity . In his book, he talks about “Creativity is not the monopoly of the artist” and asks us to view creativity from a broader perspective.
“a- Creativity” for artistic creativity of all kinds and
“I- Creativity” for the wider version of creativity; ingenuity
Recognising both types of creativity, opens our eyes to how we can acknowledge and embrace more of what resonates with us into our own life. This article is well worth a read.
Having shared it with a client who believed he had no creativity, he started to acknowledge the creativity he had in problem solving for his business, for his ingenuity to be able to use scrap iron to repair his old washing machine to replace a missing part!
If you feel creativity is missing from your life is to take the challenge to practice ‘Everyday Creativity’. I love the simplicity of this idea. Just make time, carve out 15-20mins per day to pursue a creative activity.
The idea is not to be amazing or have to be super proficient but to notice how you feel following the activity. Keep a simple activity journal and just notice how your mood changes, how you feel in your body both before and after.
Many of us have become so disconnected from our roots and the things that nourish us on both an emotional and physical level. I have always loved music and played the piano for years as a child. I went back to playing to help deal with loss and nothing could have been a better healer with my grief. I now use my everyday creativity to compose pieces of music that bring me joy. Not to perform for others but for the joy the simple act of using my imagination and creating something for myself brings.
Helen O’Byrne
Registered Psychotherapist @Celticsoulgoddess.com