Life is too challenging to face without creativity.
The creative force is present everywhere there are human beings. Knowing how to harness your personal creative energy and use it for personal growth is one of life’s pleasures.
What is creative force?
It is your way of stepping out of your analytical brain. When you are out of touch with creative force you are missing a whole set of tools to point you in the right direction.
Creative force is expressed and cultivated in a variety of ways.
- Listening to, singing, and playing music
- Moving, dancing
- Collaging and scrapbooking
- Poetry, writing and journaling
- Drawing and painting
- Or simply playing with color…
- …and imagining..
All of this, when used intentionally, can serve as a tool for knowing what is important, what is joyful, and what will help in your life.
An adjective describing you does not have to be ‘creative’!
There is no need to identify as being a creative person. You still have a non-verbal, more impressionistic part of your brain. There are simple strategies for using this section of the brain that do not require you to be able to draw or paint, etc.
How creative arts and emotional wellness affect me
The interplay between the arts and emotional wellness is the first thing that brought me to study to become a therapist.
I was sitting at my desk at Christie’s auction house in New York City a few months after September 11, 2001. I was completely unfulfilled by the work; it felt so unimportant given what had just happened. But I loved the art itself.
Family struggles had meant that I already knew that my path to being of service would involve being a counselor of some sort. I had studied the history of the art, and creating it and learning about it would be a life-long passion. I already knew I would make art for the rest of my life.
“But, how is this going to work and what will it look like?” I wondered.
And the search began..
I entered “art” and “therapy” into the new-fangled search engine with the funny name and discovered a whole new world. Art Therapy, Expressive Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Movement Therapy, Biblio-therapy… these are all a thing!
Since then I have been on a personal and professional journey of learning and applying the creative process to help myself and others process life, connect to inner wisdom, and create direction
Expressive Arts Therapy
At Growing Life Therapy, we primarily utilize what is called Expressive Arts Therapy. This is where the process of creation is the jewel itself, and the final product is often just a bonus. It is not required that you make masterpieces!
Collage and creative journaling are the primary mediums we use in office sessions. Until we have a bigger space, we save the painting and other fun stuff for workshops!
Often when it feels right, we incorporate some creativity into your regular sessions. I may also suggest some creative homework.
Extended creative sessions are also a great way to address “stuck-ness.” These are usually 90 minutes to 2-hour-long intensive sessions, designed to add momentum to your wellness journey.
Live life intentionally
Your creative self is in there, even if you don’t think so. And it is one outstanding tool for living life intentionally.
A life that incorporates creativity holds a lot more joy.
This isn’t a time to sit and wait for the perfect moment. This is when you decide. If you are curious about therapy at Growing Life, reach out!