The spirit or energy around your creative self-care practice is driven by your desire and willingness to listen to what resonates, then act on it.
I think of creativity as a spiritual energy. It’s an impulse that comes from somewhere deep within me that I don’t have to understand. I do have to give it permission to be expressed. When I’m stressed, tired, not taking care of myself or have no room for play or visioning, it’s hard to connect with the spirit of my creativity and where it tingles in my body.
Over time, a disintegrated connection to the spirit of your creativity can make a lot of things out-of-whack, including your immune system, self-esteem, joy levels, as well as your ability to feel grateful and take on new experiences in life.
This is what makes the spirit of play so essential to creativity and well-being.
When you welcome the invitation to play in the energy of nothingness, allowing creative inspiration to be revealed in your own unique creative language, there are no rules, no guidelines. There’s only the space you create to connect to and talk with your creative spirit and what its guiding you towards, helping you evolve into brighter and deeper versions of yourself.
It’s also serves as a way for the mind, body and emotions to join forces.
The Spirit Engages the Mind, Body and Emotions in One Space
To wrap up my series on creative self-care, I want to talk about the spirit of what drives you; what that makes creative effort meaningful in a bigger sense.
The spirit of creative self-care is a simple idea that covers a lot territory because it’s an idea that pulls together the mind, body and emotions into one clear intention. It’s easy to think about each aspect as a separate part of creative self-care, but they do need a space to come together and “support” each other.
For example, a to-do list is something for the mind to tackle. Emotions are something tangible to feel, process and heal, or simply express for the joy of it. The body is your physical vehicle to fuel, treat well and honor.
Yet, the spirit in which you approach all three of those things is what makes the most difference on creative self-care.
The spirit is the intention of what you want to build in a creative self-care practice. It’s like the headliner that holds the space for the other three to adjust as you move through change or stressful times, like the holidays. Think of it as energy that invites you to balance all aspects to keep self-care flowing and creativity growing.
Cultivate a Spirit of Awareness and Resonance, Especially During the Holidays
Simple intentions hold great power when it comes to honoring the spirit of self-care.
The mind, body and emotions blend together to create harmony that you resonate with, then radiates out to the world around you. No matter what your spiritual beliefs are or how you practice honoring your inner creative self, tuning into what resonates is essential.
When you are doing things for the sake of doing them, there is no meaningful aspect to the act. This is why the holidays or times when we are overloaded with stress can feel so hollow – there is an over-focus on getting things done. The intention is on completion and to power through, not about something meaningful or inspiring that resonates with you on a heart level. While it’s important to do what’s needed, the spirit of how you do it makes all the difference.
The energy of resonance also enables you to connect with universal energy in a meaningful way. It fires you up and plugs you into nature, ideas, and brings new people into your path and so much more – all pieces that fuel creative inspiration and shape a bigger picture.
This time of year always invites the heart to review what’s important, what’s true at the deepest level.
Instead of setting goals and specific new year’s resolutions, look at the spirit of your creative self-care. Shine fresh light onto your attitude towards creativity, or brainstorm new ways to bring creativity into the mundane or during stressful times. Let go of the things that make you feel limited or trapped to make room for what needs to grow – even if you have no idea what that is yet.
Then, once you’ve cleaned the slate, set a few simple intentions that resonate with the true spirit of how and what you want to create in 2017.
Remember to breathe as you dare to step into the space of the “dark” to listen deeply and create with a new, refreshed spirit!
Interested in additional posts on a similar topic? Check out Nurturing the Creative Spirit in the Face of Criticism and Self-Judgment. If you would like to connect with me for some guidance or creativity coaching in the new year, take a peek at my services. Looking for a quick zap of insight? Tune into my podcast, Flirting With Enlightenment.