Creativity, Power and Soul-Care

Behind and under all my other musings in the past couple of weeks, the theme of creativity has continued to invite me. 

Creativity is an expression of “power within”. It is how my personal power makes itself visible and audible. It has its roots in knowing what matters to me, and reminds me of my own agency. I believe this is why some of the most enduring music, stories, poems and art have been birthed during times of great personal or societal difficulty. The more challenging our circumstances, the more we need to be reminded that we have agency, that choices are still available to us.

I also believe it is because of this connection to our power that the forces of empire and greed seek to undermine our creative impulse. We are told that it only has worth if it brings financial reward. We are told that it has to look, sound or feel a certain way in order to be “real”. We are told that it only matters if someone else says it does.

Here is the Truth—creativity matters simply because it is creative. Your creative expression matters because you matter.

This is why nurturing our creativity is so important. Actively feeding our own way of expressing beauty and truth and love into the world is a survival skill.

1. Recognize your creative impulse for what it is. Because society is so quick to define what “real creativity” is, it is absolutely necessary that we name our own creativity in whatever form it appears. There is no such thing as a person who “has no creativity”. If there is something, anything, you do simply for the joy you experience in doing it, that is your creative expression.
2. Prioritize your creative gift. Life is full of things we do simply because they need to be done. They feel urgent, and by the time we attend to them, we have little energy for anything else. The fact is that the urgent will always be with us. So, what if we promised ourselves (and our creativity) that for 10 minutes a day, or an hour a week, or whatever feels easy and doable, we would do that creative activity? What if it became the first thing on our “to do” list instead of the optional “when I have time” item?
3. Honour your creative expression. When you take time for your chosen activity, consciously name to yourself that you are being creative. This is not the time for evaluation, or self criticism. Rather, it’s where you celebrate yourself for doing this little thing that brings you joy. It’s where you acknowledge that the activity itself has value, regardless of the result.
4. Remember that a little bit is good enough. Your creativity is not a taskmaster. If all you have to devote is ten minutes a day, that’s enough. Maybe one hour a week is all that works. The point isn’t how much time, but rather that you give your inner spark its own space.
5. Creative expression begets creative expression. When I find myself stuck in my writing, I go spend time with a quilting project or make a batch of bread or go for a walk with my camera. From a soul perspective, what takes form isn’t nearly as important as the act of making.
6. Find creative community. Maybe it’s a quilting group, or a friend who also enjoys knitting, or a work buddy who likes to swap recipes. Creative community can take many forms, but the point is that you connect with others who are also nourishing their own creativity. Creative companionship expands the nourishment available. In the company of other creative souls, we feel our own creative expression flourish.

Tending our creativity is an act of soul-care. Making something that matters to us feeds our inner being, and also nourishes those with whom we share it.

It is also a quiet act of resistance in a world increasingly obsessed with outrage and conflict. As we give our inner power its voice through creative expression, we grow our connection with our inner wisdom. This will then grow into the courage to take a stand, speak truth aloud, or act in solidarity with those who need our compassion.

So, write your poem, sing your song, plant your flowers, decorate your space, sketch, dance, bake, or whatever brings your heart delight. Our world needs your expression.