When Creativity Came Back Around
When I was growing up, many people knew me as an artist. I was always drawing something and was in every art class that I could possibly get into during high school. If I didn’t have to take those required classes, I probably would have only done art. (I got out of math class as soon as I could.) But this wasn’t always the case as I continued into my adult life, though I didn’t realize it would come back around and help me heal when I really needed it.
Then I went to college for art, which in many ways pushed my thinking and creative practice to new levels. I also felt super burnt out afterward.
I created less and less artwork during the time between 2013-2022. I was using my creativity but not creating nearly as much art as I had produced in those early years of my life.
Part of it was exploring other areas of myself, like teaching yoga, exploring energy healing and my own spiritual practice. Part of it was feeling like everything I did had to be a masterpiece and everyone had to like it or else I failed. (A story for another day)
Then came 2021, which was a particularly hard year in my life. I was very stressed caregiving for my dad and he ended up passing at the end of the year.
That stress and grief threw me back in my creative practice like nothing else.
I couldn’t do much BUT create. I was incredibly unregulated in my nervous system as I was processing all of the stress and sacrifice of caregiving along with this new intense grief.
Within that time period of early 2022 came so much painting, writing poetry, reflection and lots of release. It wasn’t planned, it just flowed out me from this intense need to move through my emotions.
I believe that these creative acts are what got me through my early grief, which is why I believe so strongly in creative practice as a way to regulate the nervous system. I lived it and came out the other side, still creating.
Flash forward to now, I have not only used my creative process to feel better in my body and continue to process those deep emotions, but I’ve begun moving through my creative block of needing things to be an absolute masterpiece. I don’t think I could have even faced this creative block without my body being more regulated in the first place.
I realized that the reason I make art is not for a masterpiece at the end, but for my own exploration of myself.And my Loves, I love some self exploration.
All of this to say, this is why I want to share this creative process with you. It has affected me in such profound ways that have literally changed my life.
And like I always say - no, you don’t have to have ever drawn or painted in your entire life to participate in creativity! Creativity is for all of us, no matter if we’ve ever picked up a paint brush (or any other creative tool).
This week and each Wednesday, we are exploring this on my YouTube channel. This is a 30 minute opportunity for you to get out of your head and drop into your body, take some deep breaths and release whatever you’ve been holding onto this week.
You don’t need any special materials - you can grab some pens and sharpies if you want to or even rip up some junk mail to collage together.
Reset your system and ease into the rest of the week with me. I hope you’ll join me and allow your body to release and relax today.
And if you know someone who could benefit from this practice, forward this email their way as a way to send some love in their direction too.
Sending you so much Big Love,
Mackenzie