The unique creative spark within you is a gift as much as it’s a healing tool to help you move closer to creative self-acceptance.
People often view their natural creative inclinations as good or bad, obvious or absent, lacking or not quite polished enough – all polarizing judgments that don’t leave you much room to grow. Yet, when you can reframe how you think about your creative self-expression and view it as unique inner healing tool and gift for you to hone – creativity moves past the limited definition of something you “have” or “don’t” and turns into a guide for healing.
Let that one sink in for a minute!
It’s a meaty description, but it also offers you unique opportunity to see creative self-acceptance in a new way – as a tool for you to heal and become an expression of your highest creative potential.
Here’s a quick background story to give you a frame of reference:
I’ve always had a natural inclination to write as a way to express myself, even when I was young. It’s a natural gift that flows through me and I’m very grateful for it. Yet, there were many times when I didn’t feel inspired or like a very good writer. The reality was my gift hadn’t changed, I just wasn’t able to see how the act of writing itself is also a very important way for me to practice creative self- acceptance.
After graduating from my Master’s program, I used my natural gift to write for a living. It quickly took me towards careers and clients that only saw one dimension of my writing – the technical application. They needed content to fill a spot and I’m completely able to do that at a physical level, so that’s what I did.
As the stress of work kicked in, I very quickly lost touch with my journaling and poetry writing because I was so burned out from using only one very limited aspect of my creative writing. I was also ignoring part of the purpose of my gift- to help me heal from the inside out by expressing my deepest self in a safe way and working through limiting thoughts and emotions.
After years of doing the “safe thing” work wise with very little time spent on my own writing, I was very excited to see the rise of the blog. It was like the answer to something I always needed but never knew was possible.
By using a tool that could help me practice my gift for myself and share what I’d been experiencing with others, my creativity was expanded, guided towards it’s true purpose. My creative self acceptance was about more than the words I was writing – it was about feeling like I had a personal voice worth sharing, that my creative gift actually mattered in the world.
How I Practice Creative Self-Acceptance Now
It’s taken many years for me to practice creative self-acceptance, to transition the lopsided see-saw to a more balanced space where I can support clients and my own creative needs, and it’s still a work in progress. Being able to write something from my heart and share it in a way that may inspire someone else is not only part of my creative gift, it’s one of the biggest steps towards healing my “stuff” in order to practice creative self acceptance as much as possible.
To ride the waves of the creative journey requires showing up for yourself. As we move into a season of holiday giving and family craziness, look past the judgments that may come up about yourself and others. Try to see what you can do to create a more self-supportive practice to nourish your creativity in small ways that feel light and fun and make you smile.
Some of my go-to’s for creative nourishment:
- Enjoying live music
- Spending time with my animals
- Writing blog posts on topics that inspire me
- Connecting with new people who share my passion
- Having meaningful conversations with people I respect
- Laughing as much as I can
- Watching inspiring videos or reading inspiring material
- A regular yoga practice
- Joining interesting groups or classes to try them out
There’s no need to make your list complicated, but making it heart-centered helps support you in creating a living, breathing practice of creative self- acceptance. Living it as much as you possibly can is how you keep growing into a more expansive version of the real you that feels fully expressed and happy.
Need a little extra support to help bust through limiting views of your creative gifts? Let’s chat. Want some simple tips to get you started on busting through common creative blocks? Check out the Mini Guide for Connecting with your Inner Guidance and Creative Fire.
Photo credit: Loving Earth, John Hain