On Friday I had a relaxing afternoon with colleagues at the Spa. A social worker, psychotherapist, psychiatrist and another art therapist and I went to a Spa for water therapies; relaxing in the sauna, hot tub and salt pool before going for a much-needed and deserved massage.  This is the second time we have done this as a group and I am blessed to have such a supportive group of co-workers.
But let’s face it, going to the Spa for most of us is not a monthly reality, let alone a weekly one.  Many of us are bogged down with large to-do lists, errands to run in any spare time we have, and perhaps a lack of funds for such a luxurious endeavor to happen on a regular basis. And to be honest, self-care is more than skin deep; if once you return from the spa you feel inundated with a long list of to-do’s, self-doubt, worry, anxious thoughts or whatever else ails you, then the Spa is just a band-aid. What we need is an ongoing process that supports our mental health and well-being. Prevention before intervention.

We are creative beings, who have the solutions inside, but we need to allow creative BEing the space to unfold in order to access this inner wisdom. I believe that when we engage our creativity, whatever the medium we use, spectacular things happen; windows open to other perspectives, connections to self,  all help us feel stronger when faced with stress.    For me getting out in nature, practicing yoga and art-making are all essential to my inner sunshine.   I believe that when we nurture our own creative life, we connect with our inner knowing and align more completely with our core beliefs.  Aligning with our core values equals a Happier life!

But instead we just get by, interjecting “self-care” here and there as an afterthought, when we are already feeling the built up stress from our busy lives. It becomes a kind of have to, ticking it off our to do list rather than a consistent part of our lives weaved into our daily rituals.  Self-care as a “should” doesn’t work. Self-care as a want, a desire we have for ourselves, that we know we deserve on a daily basis rather than only when we are stressed is the aim. It is what keeps us going in the face of difficult circumstances.

It is a bit of a shift in perspective for most of us living in a medical model culture where we wait for illness to happen before we intervene. Wellness is what we need to focus on for prevention. Balance before the imbalance makes things harder to shift.

Art-making is one way to engage our creative selves so that we stay connected to who we are. Click To TweetAny engagement of our creative muscles for the sake of creating has the potential to shift our perspective on life’s ups and downs.

Participants of my workshops frequently share with me that they notice  when they do not create or engage in art-making they feel it in their being. Making art helps ground us, makes us better able to face the week and any stressful surprises it may hold.  Perhaps it is the letting go of the day that art expression allows. Or maybe the opportunity to focus on the here and now. What about the processing of events and new perspectives creating art gives rise to?  Whatever your reason for engaging in self-care through creativity, remember, it is your right and you deserve to take the time for Self.

What do you do to sustain a nurturing connection to Self ?  

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