Your world has been turned upside down.
Whether it’s a divorce, a medical diagnosis, a death of a loved one, or a job layoff, we all go through times that completely change our lives. It’s in those moments where we seek solace in many forms.
When faced with once of these life-altering events, why do so many people turn to music, writing, or art?
HOW CREATIVITY HEALS
Studies show that having a creative outlet to express emotion of any kind gives people a positive option for sharing what they’re feeling. And specially during times of loss and fear, creative projects offer a way to explore emotion and experiment with solutions. Art and music therapy have become a regular part of the healing process used by psychologists and counselors.
A few things about creative therapy:
- Boosts endorphins – Creative work requires using multiple areas within the brain. By activating language, visual aesthetics, spatial recognition, and sound, the brain gets a boost of the “feel good” chemicals. When you engage with your creative side, those positive chemicals help ease stress, anxiety, and fear.
- Acknowledge feelings – Using art and music to express yourself allows you to acknowledge what you’re really feeling. These projects don’t have to be shared with others. This work is for you That means what you put into a creative projects can come from your heart. As you work through those feelings in the form of a drawing or poem, you might come to a point where you feel it’s okay to share those thoughts with a professional counselor.
- Deal with difficult emotions in a positive way – When going through a difficult situation, the powerful anger or sadness you feel can lead to poor choices. That might mean taking out your anger on others, and giving up on things you once enjoyed. Transforming those feeling into a painting or a short story provide a way to release the immediate anger and anxiety without doing something that might add create additional problems with those around you.
CREATIVE HEALING IN ACTION
Rather than focus on the science, I want to share a real-life example of how creativity helps deal with difficult situations. This is only one example, and I’m sure you can add your own. But Megan’s story provides a good look at how creativity works to heal.
Megan, a friend I’ve known over twenty years, has been in the midst of one of these life changing experiences. After nearly two decades of marriage, she is now going through a divorce and learning how to take care of herself and her kids in new ways. For her privacy, I won’t go into detail. But suffice it to say, this life chage came out of the blue.
While her situation is, unfortunately, not unique, she has chosen to utilize her creative instincts to help battle the flood of emotions from having her world turned upside down.
Since I have known Megan since 8th grade, I’ve seen her creative side in a variety of ways. Now, those creative skills provide her with an outlet for the highs and lows that go with moving towards creating a new life for herself.
Megan shared a few insights into her creative journey. While these experiences are unique to her situation, I hope you’ll find some inspiration to utilize creative outlets for your own challenges.
WHY DID YOU FIRST TURN TO CREATIVE PROJECTS AS A WAY TO DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES?
I have always turned to creative projects as a means to deal with emotional challenges. As a teen, I faced a lot of health problems, so I couldn’t go work out or run to “blow off steam” like a lot of my friends did. So I have always tried to pull those emotions out through pen and paint.
MOST OF THE CREATIVE WORK INVOLVES PAINTINGS AND WALL ART, OR WRITING. WHAT IT IS ABOUT THESE TWO FORMS YOU FIND MOST BENEFICIAL?
Painting/wall art and writing are great ways to express yourself. You start with a blank page and you can pour your soul and heart and mind out onto that page through your pen or paint. You can kind of “zen out”, if you will, and just let all the emotion flow. And it’s also a great way to be able to go back and review where you were at during a particular moment or relive a particular time in your life. With writing, expressing yourself is limitless. I write a lot of poetry. Mostly the non-rhyming variety. And you can twist whatever real life thing you’re dealing with into fiction and put your own spin on it. It’s cathartic.
As for my wall art, I take quotes I find that I love and print them out in fonts I like. Then I glue them to mixed media paper and use all kinds of paints, inks, spray inks, gelatos, stencils and stamps to turn it into art. I love doing it because it’s a quote I’ve found that I really connect with at the time and colors and designs I love at the time, so each piece is a true expression of who I am and how I feel at that exact moment.
WHY DO YOU THINK CREATIVE WORK PROVIDES SO MUCH BENEFIT FOR THOSE GOING THROUGH EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES?
It provides a huge benefit because it is a safe and very effective way to express your emotions. You could be really angry or upset and 45 minutes later, you’re covered in paint or your hand is cramping from writing, but you’ve got this finished piece of work that you created from nothing and it usually causes a pretty amazing feeling of accomplishment that changes your entire mood.
FOR SOMEONE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR CHALLENGES, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD YOU GIVE ABOUT HOW TO INCORPORATE CREATIVITY INTO THEIR LIVES?
Just do it! There is no right or wrong way. Find something that interests you and gear up! Even if you think you have no artistic talent, go buy a couple adult coloring books that you like and a nice set of colored pencils. If you like to write, stock up on some cheap notebooks and some pens or pencils you like. Always have supplies handy because you never know when the whim to get creative is going to strike, and when it does, you’ll want to do it RIGHT THEN! Give yourself time for it when you feel like doing it. Your emotions are important and so is expressing them in a healthy way!
(DISCLAIMER: The information provided here is purely from personal experience/research and opinions of those interviewed. This should not be taken as medical advice or replace information you receive from a medical professional or trained counselor.)
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