YES! Your Creativity is Important Right Now
Big issues are on the line right now and it is so easy to get swept up into the churning energy around them. With all that’s going on, I’m hearing from womxn that they’re questioning whether creativity is actually important right now. In the face of the election, pandemic, and social challenges it’s easy to downplay the importance of creative self expression. You may be thinking that creativity is frivolous, self-centered, or selfish.
But I’m telling you, when the world feels like it’s ripping apart is when we need our creativity the most.
BUFFER ZONE
If you’re spending most of your time glued to the news or caught up in arguments on social media your nervous system will pay the price. Much of what is happening is out of your control. And when you worry about it all the time your fight/flight/freeze response kicks in. Stress and anxiety skyrocket. You lose sleep. You can’t pay attention to anything. Creativity is the last thing on your mind.
Taking a break from the stress to spend some time creating builds you a mini-buffer zone. Your creation starts to take up more of your mental space, so you can’t stress over things you can’t control. Given enough space, your creativity will move you into flow. And when you’re in a deep flow state, nothing from the outside can touch you. That’s good because the flow state is a state of relaxation. It helps lower your blood pressure, calm your nervous system, and bring you more internal balance.
Create several times a week or a day and you’ll start to feel some changes.
PROCESSING
I’m not saying turn away from the world and hole up in your creativity. Using creativity to bypass what’s going on in the world might feel good for a little while. And yes, you deserve to feel good. I fully support JOY.
But continually ignoring the bigger issues in the world doesn’t support you or anyone else. So I don’t suggest using creativity to avoid the world. Instead, try using your creativity to process the news and the personal experiences you’re having.
Art is not separate from the circumstances that surround it. It’s born from it. They say that Shakespeare wrote some of his best works while theaters were closed because of the plague. (No pressure!)
Creativity that is about processing instead of avoidance means that you aren’t acting like the world isn’t really hard right now. It means you are recognizing that this world takes a toll on you. And you’re using your creativity to sort through your thoughts and feelings about it.
As examples, you could write a fictional piece about someone dealing with virtual learning. You could knit a shawl using colors that express your rage, fear, sadness, or disgust. Or If you’re feeling frustrated, find a creative way to paint out the frustration on your canvas.
Creating helps you release emotions instead of being caught in them. And it helps you integrate your experiences. Integration is key if you want to take skillful action.
MINDSET SHIFT
The other thing that being creative does for you is that it shifts your mindset. When you’re being hit with all of the news it’s very common to feel helpless. You’re just one small person trying to deal with this world. That can feel really hard. Helpless mode is a victim mode. And if you’re in victim mode you can’t empower yourself to make changes.
When you create you are not a victim you are a creator. You pick where to place your brush and you respond when the paint runs in an unexpected direction. You choose the next step in the dance combination. You pick the exact word to express your feeling. You are the one making the artistic choices.
The creator is empowered.
When you’re creatively expressing you spend time in the mental groove of empowered creator. You know it, live, it breathe it. It shifts you from victim mentality to creator mentality.
Faced with real world decisions, challenges, and obstacles you aren’t as likely to slide back into victim mentality if you’ve spent time in creator mentality. You bring it with you and are empowered to meet your circumstances. You can respond to the world by taking action and problem solving.
TRY THESE CREATIVITY EXPERIMENTS
Here are some ways to explore tapping into flow, processing, and creator mode through your creativity.
I love to dance and it’s quick, so the examples use dance. But if you have a favorite medium, feel free to adapt these instructions so that they work for you. And, remember, this is an experiment, it’s not a performance. There’s no need to be self critical or self-conscious.
Buffer Experiment - Go into Flow
Pick a song you enjoy
Play it as loud as you dare
Close your eyes and let your body move to the music
Lose yourself in the dance as deeply as possible.
Leave your worries behind for a few minutes and touch the flow state.
Processing Experiment - Let it Go!
Pick a song that gets to the heart of what you’re feeling right in this moment
Play it as loud as you dare
Dance your heart out and use your body to express the thoughts, words, and feelings that come up
Allow any feelings that come up to come out (cry if you want to!)
Mindset Shift Experiment - Victim to Creator
Pick a song that is interesting to you
Play it as loud as you dare and pick out your favorite part
Make up a few dance moves to go with that part.
Be particular and specific
Repeat that part over and over until you feel satisfied with your moves
You just choreographed a dance! Own your creative power!
NOW MORE THAN EVER
If you start to question the use of your creativity right now. Remember, it’s doing more than distracting you and making you feel good.
Your creativity makes you into a powerful creator. A woman who has integrated her thoughts and feelings. A woman who is mentally clear. A woman who is empowered to respond, not react. And, that is a woman this world needs.