Creative Self-Care

What is creative self-care and why does it matter? How would you and your client

benefit from creative self-care? Who would benefit most from creative self-care? Creativity

is like a muscle. If you do not exercise it, it will weaken! With a little training, the creative

juices start flowing again. As human beings, we are a creative species capable of the

imagination and creation of infinite possibilities. Everyone benefits from creative self-care.

It does not matter if you are a CEO of a logistics company, or a math person. Creativity

matters even if everything you do at your job has a specific set of instructions. Creativity

has a space in every sphere of our society. If you have a brain, and a pulse, creativity is

going to expand your life.

Clothing & Style

How exactly can you incorporate creativity in your self-care regimen? We do not

need to visit an art studio to incorporate creativity in our day-to-day. It all starts in the mind.

Let’s start with getting dressed. What we wear can make us feel confident. We can express

ourselves through our choices because we are walking art. The clothes we wear can say a

lot about our values. Do we like comfort? Convenience? Are we always ready for a

gym/yoga session? Do we like to stand out or fit in? Do we follow the style, or do we rock to

the beat of our own drums? Not only do our clothes reveal something about our thought

process, they also can express our creativity. Through color, form, material, shape, pattern,

and so much more; we reveal an inner essence that goes beyond logic. What I find to be the

most important aspect of clothing is the exercise of choosing what to wear. We practice our

color coordination and develop our sense of personal style every single morning. It is not

necessary to have an expensive wardrobe, but a few intentional pieces that you love, a little

variety of your favorite colors, and a few good pairs of shoes can change everything about

how you feel every day. It is important have the mindset of: what do I feel comfortable in?

What makes me feel good? Life is too short to care what other people would think about

how you present yourself. A good rule of thumb to follow: if I love it, other people will

probably love it too.

Meditation Clears the Palette of our Mind

I have and will always advocate for meditation. It is a powerful practice for so many

diQerent purposes. One of which is to clear the mind of everyday stress to make room for

creativity. It is diQicult to be creative when we are not present: thinking about the future or

the past is going to inhibit all creative capabilities. Thoughts about things that cannot be

controlled are going to take up mental space, create stress, tension, and inhibit motivation

to focus on the here and now. The potential to create is in the here and now.

New Environments

One of the best ways to think about things from a new perspective is to change

environments. Go on an adventure. As much as I advocate taking yourself on vacation, you

do not have to go too far to feel different. You can find a new coffee shop, restaurant, a new

path on your walk, a new forest preserve; the opportunities are limitless. Studies show that

going to a new place or experiencing a new activity will lead the brain to release more

dopamine, which increases motivation and pleasure. Dopamine release will lead to

synaptic plasticity. Plasticity is another word for ability to be shaped or molded; synaptic

plasticity means the brain will be more able to fire in new directions. This could look like

thinking about an old problem in a new way or finding a new solution. Thinking in new ways

is the definition of creativity.

Collaborate on a Creative Activity

One great way to exercise creativity is to collaborate with another person. Interacting with

another person’s creativity drives a creative flow, stimulating speed of creation and

providing a springboard of material to work from. Think about how the process of writing a

fictional story could be sped up when working with someone else. Taking turns coming up

with ideas could feel like passing a ball back and forth. Combining humor, experiences,

wisdom, and creative styles creates diverse and rich content. These days, many people

create podcasts and collaborate to showcase the art of conversation. The combination of

people’s unique energies creates a one-of-a-kind bond, just as every friend you meet will

bring out a slightly different side of you. Next time you’re with a friend, try passing a piece of paper back and forth to create an art piece, a song, or poetry, and see what comes up.

Written By,

Rebecca Stamelos, LPC

www.cuttingedge-therapy.com