When life throws you lemons, you make art! That’s what I do anyway. I HAVE to create. Creativity is a way to process my emotions, trauma patterns and triggers. It’s how I can tap into feeling grounded, safe and held…
When I was young, my father caused me a great deal of harm. He was wounded so he kept wounding those around him. My mother was hurtful in her ways too, despite trying very hard not to be. So I spent many years doing my absolute best to heal from the decades of chronic emotional, mental and physical abuse. I did therapy, I did Yoga, I did various diets, retreats, books, courses, therapeutic approaches. I even went to university to study Psychotherapy. Nothing wrong with any of those things. They all served their purpose in my life. But what truly helped me heal my heart again and again, through life’s various “bumps” has been my art. The healing that comes from creativity and expression is truly understated in the world. Throughout history thousands of artists, writers, painters, philosophers, who studied the nature of human consciousness, have shared their insights on how repressed creativity is poison for the human psyche. I agree. We are born to create, to feel, to express and to evolve. Creativity is our medicine!
Something magical happened within me the day I walked into my local community centre to watch a group of random people paint. I was encouraged to join in and once I started putting paint on a blank canvas, I felt a spark! A spark of fear and a spark of joy. A sense of excitement for the unknown. I didn’t know how to paint. But the feeling of being able to express myself freely without judgement (something I later came to recognise as crucial for creating authentic art), has been priceless. The same goes for my writing. When I write, I feel free. I feel myself. I can go to places inside of me that no thing or person has allowed me to go to. I can breathe more deeply and reach the depths of my ever evolving Self.
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