Creativity, Community, and Joy
I woke up today struggling with all that is coming down the pike. Some days are harder than others in the current situation and there are specific things that push my buttons even though I’m upset about most of it. I’m sure the same is true for you. We know this is the point of their chaos but that doesn’t change our feelings about it. If you’re struggling, we see you, we hear you and we care. I texted Heather this morning for support and she reminded me this is why we need each other more than ever right now. We can and need to lean on each other when the going gets rough. There are more of us than there are those who want to take away our freedoms. They have the mic and the power right now, but we still outnumber them. We must hold on to that in the face of the scary unknown and threats. Also, it’s the whole entire point of the Activist Care Circle! We are here.
I will share something that has been helping me the last few days. It may seem absurd, but it honestly has helped to center and ground me in the now…helped me live in my body where my feet are planted. I downloaded the Merlin ID app on my phone a long time ago. It identifies the songs of birds that it hears. We had some really nice mornings here in the last few days, so I sat on my back porch with my Merlin app on and watched it identify 10 different birds. I tried to see if I could distinguish one bird from another as I listened to them myself. I now know the calls of a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal and the Mourning Doves. Am I a bird expert? No? Am I even a bird watcher? No. Did I sit for a few minutes and enjoy nature? You bet. Now, when I’m on a walk, I try to identify the songs I can. I just heard all 3 as I am writing this with my back door open. I’m also a ceramic artist, so putting my hands in the clay regularly and expressing myself through the clay helps.
I am reading that any type of creativity (even if you aren’t an artist) is very good for mood, emotional well-being and health. Perhaps your creativity is a meal that you cook or something you plant in your garden or planning a date night or finding a way to engage your pet. Creativity comes in so many forms. It may seem silly, in the midst of so much difficulty, but it is not. Creativity is a path back to joy. We need joy to survive. What brings you joy? What is something that you can do to ground yourself today or this week? Perhaps it’s cold where you live. Can you make a delicious stew that could warm your heart? If it’s warm, maybe take a walk and notice things you see in nature. Your imagination is the limit.
Or maybe your creativity needs to be a little more simple today… perhaps your creativity is finding the softest thing you own to wear or spending extra time petting your dog, seeing how long you can sit with a cat on your lap without moving or making yourself a cup of tea.
When we get stressed, our brain shuts down our path to imagination and we have less ability to problem solve and strategize. It is indeed important to find a path back to some creativity, even if for a few minutes to help our brains reset. According to Joseph Goldstein, meditation can also help us be more creative. So, perhaps some mindful moments or a meditation is in order if you’re not already doing that.
That’s my $ .02 for today. Hope it helps. I would love to have a conversation about this in the notes on this post, so please respond and let us know what you’re doing to continue your creativity and/or self-care in these difficult days.
Much love, hope and support to you!!
Amy and Heather
Thank you; God bless you, you get me.