E37 - Surviving Life’s Challenges with the Power of Your Creativity
===
[00:00:00]
This has been a lovely summer full of family, growing tomatoes, making art, and spending time chatting. with you about creativity. Now, I am a girl who loves a good routine. My days start with pulling a sleepy pup out of bed, a strong cup of coffee, writing in a journal, having a bit of exercise, and then I dive into whatever creative tasks need to be tended in my studio.
I sprinkle my week with visits from family and friends, and then my day typically ends with sitting on the patio talking to Tom about the day, and then planning dinner of whatever we'll concoct for that evening. And then at the very end, I take A sleepy puppy back upstairs, and I get ready to start my routine all over again [00:01:00] the next day.
I love my routines. But you know how life has a way of tossing those dreaded curveballs? This last Thursday night, Tom and I were finishing up our day, and I was just about ready to gather up a sleepy raspberry and go upstairs to bed when I got one of those calls that you know, before you answer, is going to make the world suddenly me.
Welcome back to another episode of Create Today, where we explore how creativity can make you happier and healthier, and some days, how. When happiness seems far away, how creativity can make you resilient. Now, life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges our way when we least expect them. Whether it's [00:02:00] a stressful event at work or a personal crisis that explodes on you without warning during these moments, creativity, well, it can seem like the last thing we're capable of doing.
And the very last thing that we have time to do. But what if I told you that even when you're drowning in pain or grief or worry, that the smallest connection that you can make with your creativity can be the key to getting you through a tough time. It still won't be simple. but creativity can be a lifeline that helps you hang on and can help your brain to turn to positive directions that will help it solve problems and will ease the emotions that might be paralyzing you at the moment.
Now, my call on Thursday night was from my dad [00:03:00] to let me know that my sweet mom had been in an accident and her injuries were serious and required surgery. So in a moment, my quiet routine had vanished and my plans for the next day were immediately erased and I was instantly planning a trip to my parents who live about 150 miles away.
Then Thursday night, I was suddenly wide awake and there was nothing I could do except attempt to sleep. So of course, I just let my imagination loose and it began to race and draw crazily all the pictures. And this is what it was painting. My mom having the accident. My mom dealing with ambulances. My mom enduring the pain that she was having.
But there was nothing I could do for her that night.[00:04:00]
I realized my brain was running in panic circles. It wasn't helping anything. So I stopped for a moment. And I thought, what do I need to do? To do, to calm myself and think clearer about what is happening. And here's what I remembered. Creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum. And some of the most powerful solutions and emotional support that we have as creatives comes from leaning on our creative communities. When you are part of a creative community, you gain a closeness to people who just get you and understand how you need to react to life. A creative community is filled with unique individuals who have many facets. Some similar to your artistic voice and others with facets that [00:05:00] might be opposite of you.
But like the color wheel. We all know the power of each other's colors, whether they are complimentary or not, and the power of those opposites come together and make us stronger. And because of this, you know that your community can share new perspectives and provide insight that can open up new areas of connection and understanding in your world.
This can create deeper empathy and understanding towards a critical experience that you are facing in your life. So my friend, creative community, these are powerful people to know and to cherish and to have on speed dial. So being creative, having a creative passion, having a creative process. Well, this isn't just about creating that next great masterpiece.
It's about sharing your journey with others who get you and [00:06:00] sometimes the encouragement of a fellow creative is all it takes to keep you moving forward, especially when you're paralyzed by life that suddenly seems too big.
and too frightening.
Here's the real takeaway, my friend. Knowing that you have a group of like minded creative friends to, to turn to, to cling to, this can be your lifeline during a crisis. It's so good to know that you have a few creative folks who think like you or can provide wise insight. Because when you're panicked and the worry is too large to process, it's important to To have a creative friend who is calm in the moment and will say the words that you really need to [00:07:00] hear.
And they won't just say, everything's going to be okay. Because sometimes it won't be okay, or it won't be okay for a long time. These friends are going to tell you what you need to hear so you can be strong enough to face the tomorrow that you're heading into. And this is what I thought about on Thursday night.
I thought about. Who in my community could I talk to? And there were many, and I thought about who in my community had experienced a similar event with, with their parents and would have sound solutions. And there were many, and I thought about who in my community would be able to talk, even though it was late.
And there were many. I reached out to my creative friend Kathy.
My friend Kathy is our write or die friend. You know those kind. Yeah. And she was there for me Thursday night and she reached out instantly to talk. And after I [00:08:00] explained what had happened to mom, she said these words to me, dig deep. She said, you can dig deep for a little while. You can dig deep for a little while as you figure out what's real and how to make decisions and how to best offer the help that you can give to your mom and your dad for what is happening right now.
And I needed those words, you know, my friend,
I needed words. I needed a metaphor that would let me sleep and then help me run straight into that next day. And I could visualize digging deep and, and knowing that I was just going to concentrate on being strong for a little while [00:09:00] for the weekend, it gave me the strength to do it. to dig deep.
These words, dig deep, I realized could make me crazy strong for just a little while. So I said these words to myself all weekend, dig deep. And I did. So let's talk a moment about how we can be in preparation to dig deep on those days when that phone rings with that news. You can build the strength you need to dig deep.
and then reserve that energy for those days when you need to be crazy strong. Research has shown that engaging in creative activity helps your brain process emotions more effectively. and being creative, it's not just about creating that next project and you don't have to be a [00:10:00] painter or a writer or a sculptor or a great knitter or someone who makes amazing music.
You can be just someone having fun coloring.
It's just about giving your mind time to think creatively. And when you do this, what happens is you are giving your brain strength Giving your mind the tools to sort through problems because it starts to realize new connections that it hadn't considered before. And that helps you figure out solutions.
And when we create, we're not just making art or music or writing. We're also building mental pathways in our very brains that help us navigate the complexities of life. And we know that life is. complex. [00:11:00] We're exercising our brains. We're strengthening those brains and giving them better muscles that are needed to run into the storms of life with the energy to allow us to dig deep with crazy strength for a little while.
Creativity allows our brains to approach problems and consider those problems. from different angles, because we know that creativity has many facets. And a lot of times being able to look from different angles will help us lead to solutions that might not have been obvious at first glance. For example, if you're a painter, you might find that working with color helps you process and express your emotions.
that you find difficult to put into words. _Similarly, a writer or someone who keeps a journal_
might discover that words and stories and metaphors [00:12:00] help them make sense of their own life narrative and helps them find a bit of clarity in chaos.
And you know me, I love my metaphors. And they were my lifeline this weekend. I kept digging and digging deep. And here is the beauty of it. Even if you don't have time to dedicate hours every day or every week to your creativity, just staying connected to your passion can make a difference. And some days it can be as simple as keeping a journal, doodling in the margins of your notebook or listening to music that will get your brain making those creative connections,Those neural pathways and if you're wondering about how you could add a bit of creativity to your days That will help you fortify your creative strength So you can better manage your thoughts during the storms of life. [00:13:00] Here's some good news. These things aren't Impossible. They aren't hard to do, and they don't take up a lot of time.
And you don't have to be super talented to create this kind of strength. Here's a small list of things you can do to fortify your creative strength. Number one, simply have a daily creative ritual. These can be micro moments. So micro moments, they don't take a lot of time. So you're going to be incorporating small, manageable, creative activities into your daily routine.
Even five minutes of journaling or doodling, of singing, of dancing, whatever you feel passion for can help your creative juices flow. Transcribed And if you have a spare moment, my friend, be creative and build some strength. Another type of [00:14:00] creative ritual is a creative check in. And I highly recommend this.
Set aside a few minutes each week or even each month to just reflect on your creative goals and your ideas, even if you haven't had time to work on them regularly. This kind of check in keeps your mind engaged with your creative passions, your goals, and your progress. remember, it's not important how fast you create as long as you don't stop.
So having this kind of creative check in is going to remind you of your passion and give you clearance to keep moving on and on and on. And to make this even easier, consider having a standing creative check in with someone in your creative community. You'll find that you work harder when you feel accountable to a goal that you have [00:15:00] shared out loud with a friend. Give it a try. It really works for me, and it makes for some really great friendships.
And I'm looking at you, Virginia. And I'm looking at you, Kat. Number two, mindful consumption. Think about your social media and your TV diet. Pay attention to what you consume in TV, in news, in social media. Is it nourishing your creativity? If it is not, think about reducing exposure to negative news or overwhelming social media, especially if it's draining your mental energy and your creative strength.
And remember to nourish yourself with good amounts of content. So if you like social media and you like TV, just find the content that is uplifting, that is inspiring and motivating for you. This [00:16:00] podcast is our good example of something that is uplifting in the social media realm. Number three, creative networking.
My friends, stay connected, regularly engage with your creative community. even if it's just a quick chat with a fellow creative or attending a virtual meetup or a create today workshop, these connections can provide encouragement and fresh perspectives. Remember that often your nearby friends and family They might not completely understand about your creative passion.
So it's important to find a community of creatives who understand the unique artistic voice that you have to share. Number four, mind and body practices. Now, what do I mean by this? There's two, two [00:17:00] things in mind and body practices that are going to be simple to do and that really powerful. The first one is
practice mindfulness or meditation
Practicing mindfulness or meditation will clear mental clutter and reduce stress, and this will allow space for more creative thinking. Mindfulness is just being kind to yourself. And meditation can be just sitting quietly for a few minutes each day. to just calm down. The second thing here is the body practice part, and that is just basically physical activity.
Just remember to move around, my friend, and this would be activities like walking or yoga or biking or swimming. So physical movement can help unlock those mental blocks and refresh your creative energy. So just get up out of your chair and [00:18:00] move around, even a walk around the block. is beneficial. And number five, that's creative journaling.
Consider keeping a journal specifically for just jotting down creative ideas and thoughts and inspirations as they come. This will ensure that you don't lose touch with a creative idea, even when you can't act on it right away. I have little notebooks and post it notes all over my house, so that when I have an idea, I can just write it down right away before it flits away.
I even have one in my handbag, I have one in my car, because I never know when stuff's gonna, like, just hit, and if I don't write it down, I can't talk to you about it later. You can also use journaling as a way to process your emotions and your stress. Writing can untangle thoughts and clear the path for creativity.
To return. Number six is positive self. [00:19:00] So you're going to start by encouraging yourself. Remember to be nice. to you. Remind yourself that creativity is a process and that it's okay to have ups and downs.
Some days you're going to do some really great work that you're super proud of and some days your creativity, well, just think of it as a good start. And positive self talk also includes celebrating your achievements, the small ones just as often as the big ones. You can acknowledge and celebrate your creative efforts, not just your achievements, no matter how small.
And this will build your confidence and it will reinforce your creative identity. And it doesn't matter if you're a professional artist or someone who enjoys creative hobbies in your spare time. Remember that your creativity is more than just creating [00:20:00] something. It's a powerful tool that can help you navigate life's challenges Because creativity can bring you clarity, and it will connect you with a community that understands and can support you.
Today in my world, the weekend of chaos. has passed, but life is going to be a bit off the rails and complicated for a while. surgery went well, thanks to a lot of prayers. Um, but she's going to need rehab to mend her bones and to gain back her strength and balance.
It's going to be important and it's going to take some time. And the journey for her and for my dad, it's not going to be easy. I've always been incredibly close to my mom, so part of me just feels lost, even as I started my [00:21:00] routine today. There's going to be many trips back and forth to check on mom and check on my dad So I can physically help with whatever I can and just be there to support them with some good old fashioned cheerleading So here's what I know today.
I am Thankful that I am creative because I know creativity helps me to be strong enough to solve some problems recently, and creativity gave me the strength to cope with some wicked chaos in my heart, in my mind, my body, and my soul. have you been upended by a life storm?
Are you walking a challenging path for yourself right now, or maybe for a loved one? Or do you think you maybe need to build up some creative strength so you'll be able to dig [00:22:00] deep when your routine might get up ended. Creativity can help you, my friend. I hope that you found a nugget of gold somewhere in this episode today
that even in a small way will help you connect to your creativity, to your creative community, and will help you build that creative reservoir that you can rely on. Especially when life gets tough. Until we chat again, my friend, hug your family, appreciate your daily happy routines, take care of yourself, and as always, stay creative, my [00:23:00] friend.
00:00 Introduction: A Summer of Creativity and Routine
01:05 Unexpected Challenges: A Life-Altering Call
04:22 The Power of Creative Communities
09:21 Digging Deep: Finding Strength in Creativity
13:20 Building Creative Resilience: Practical Tips
20:18 Conclusion: Embracing Creativity in Tough Times
Links to Create-Today
Get my Free Kickstart Video:
https://www.bdi-create.today/kickstart
Join the Create-Today Community:
https://www.bdi-create.today
