When life gets hectic, we tend to pause the things that give us meaning and focus purely on surviving
There are the things we need to do to keep life going, like working, eating and sleeping.
And then there are the activities that aren´t necessary for our survival but that give life meaning, like creativity, connection, purpose and adventure.
These values come to life when we spend time with our loved ones, practice our favorite activities and take care of our emotional wellbeing. We are all unique when it comes to what lights us up, but we all have these ways of spending time that are life-giving and nurturing.
When life gets stressful or chaotic, we tend to focus solely on the activities that keep us alive and temporarily set aside the ones that give us meaning.
We fall back on what we know, on the routines that don´t require any capacity of our overstimulated brain.
We go through the motions and hope that this time will pass, so that we regain the space to do the things we long for. And this is very understandable.
But it is precisely in those moments of stress that we need those activities the most.
Today I would like to speak about creativity. Creativity can seem like this mysterious force that only a few lucky ones were naturally blessed with. The painters, writers and sculptors of this world. But that couldn´t be further from the truth. You may not think of yourself as a creative person, but you definitely are.
Life itself is creative, and you are constantly creating. Every time you choose your outfit in the morning, redecorate your living room or cook a new recipe you are making a creative decision. Owning a business, raising kids, even doing household chores all give us the opportunity to express ourselves in creative ways.
We are creative anytime we move out of autopilot and are deeply engaged in the activity we are doing
The reason why I believe creativity is so important is because it is the antidote to the survival energy that many of us move through life with. We spend so much time trying to bend life to our will and control the outcome of everything we do, and creativity is the opposite of that.
When we are creative, we surrender to the present moment. We allow something to unfold in front of our eyes, not knowing exactly where we will end up.
To be creative is to use our imagination and see life as an endless series of opportunities to express ourselves. To approach life with curiosity and playfulness, rather than a rigid focus on the outcome.
Children know how to do this effortlessly, but as we grow up and gain responsibilities, we start seeing life as a series of tasks to finish, rather than an opportunity to experience life as it reveals itself.
In turbulent times creativity is often the first to go, as we cling tightly to anything that helps us feel safe. But when we feel stressed and overwhelmed, creativity is what we need the most.
Creativity helps us move out of the fear-based rigidness that takes over our minds and bodies and allows us to see different options and alternative paths.
It may feel counterintuitive, but when we are stuck in fear, we need playfulness. Unstructured time where we focus on one activity without needing to fix or overcome anything.
When we are fully engaged in an activity, especially when we are creating something with our own hands, we get out of our heads and into our bodies. Our nervous system calms down immediately, and we move out of survival mode. The calm, connected and playful state we enter creates space for new options, perspectives and paths to come to us. When we let go of trying to find a solution, even momentarily, we often find that the answers will find us.
We all have different outlets for creativity. Personally, I love writing. Apart from writing these blogs, I am working on a novel, and I sometimes write poetry that no one will ever get to read. Because that is the thing with our creative pursuits: we don´t need to be good at everything we do.
The point of creativity is not that we achieve a certain outcome in the form of money, success or recognition. We don´t need to share our creations with the world or master the art to perfection. We create for the sheer joy of it. To move out of autopilot and into aliveness.
We live in a time where we can purchase almost anything, and we can let technology do much of the creating for us. But to create is, in my not so humble opinion, its own form of magic. Whether you write, paint, sculpt, cook, find alternative ways to hang your laundry or make a snowman, you are choosing to live more fully.
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