Shining Your Creative Light In The Storms of Life
Have you noticed that when things start to go south in your life (health issues, a family crisis, work woes) your creative "me" time is the first thing to go?If so, you're not alone.It's challenging enough to maintain a healthy creative habit in the best of times, but when the excrement hits the oscillating blades? Anything that feels even slightly indulgent, selfish or non-essential plummets to the bottom of your never-ending to-do list ~ sound familiar?Here's what I want to gently remind you ~ your creative "me" time ~ or as I like to say ~ your Creative Oasis ~ is anything but indulgent, selfish or non-essential!When you show your creative spirit some love (especially during troubled times) you treat yourself with the kind of generous self-care that's absolutely essential to your mental, emotional and even physical health and well-being.Now I'm not suggesting that every once in a while you might not need to weep uncontrollably, punch a pillow or consume the nearest chocolate anything and everything. Those are all perfectly acceptable release valves from time to time.I'm suggesting that calling on your favorite creative experiences to help you process your anger, sadness, frustration, etc... might just serve you better in the long run and help you feel better more quickly than you'd think possible. I've been practicing this myself lately with pretty wonderful results. Here are three examples:#1 ~ When my options are "punch a wall" vs. "play piano" ~ I choose to play piano.Not only do my fingers feel good about that choice ~ so does my heart ~ which tends to feel all light and floaty and free when I give myself permission to make music for a few minutes ~ especially when I'm feeling a tad heart-broken.#2 ~ When a stressful phone call morphs into a tension in my neck that forces my shoulders to creep all the way up to my ear lobes and my head to feel like it might pop-off at any moment ~ I set a timer for 10 minutes and dive into my paint-by-numbers kit. My shoulders release back to a relaxed place and my head remains happily attached to my body when the timer chimes.#3 ~ At the end of a particularly long and challenging day I allow myself the simple pleasure of being fully present while I chop beautiful, colorful veggies for dinner ~ sometimes in blissful silence ~ sometimes listening to some music that I love. I invite you to take a minute to choose a few Creative Oasis Moments of your own that you can turn to when the storms of life start to rain on your parade.Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
- Color a mandala
- Fill a page with doodles
- Flip through an inspiring coffee table book
- Crank up your favorite song and dance
- Write a blue haiku (no one has to see it but you)
- Strum your ukulele
Your mind, body and spirit will thank you ~ not to mention your family, friends and co-workers!
"When it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton
Until next time, shining lots of love and light from my not always sunny my Creative Oasis to yours,Jill