Creativity as Medicine

It Ain’t Just Kid’s Stuff

September 28, 2023

Hey There!

Welcome to this edition of The Beare Truth Newsletter. Today we’re digging into creativity. What comes up first for you on this topic?

“I’m not creative”
“It’s all kid’s stuff”
“It’s not practical”
“I don’t have time”
Some fear maybe?

Or are you hungry for that wild, creative part of yourself?

Our culture puts minimal emphasis on creative expression unless it is for some practical “innovative” purpose. Creativity is medicine for the soul, so let’s take a dive into the topic together.

And, this is a DIALOGUE! Your thoughts and comments are always welcome. Just reply to this email.

Why is Creativity Important?

We are all from Earth. In fact, we are Earth. Zoom out a hundred miles and look back - it’s all Earth, including us.

We are descended from tribes that paid attention to all aspects of nature and responded to it with some creative expression. Our dance, song, or any creative expression taps into the deepest internal vibrations and syncs us up with the flow of nature and the world.

Shaun McNiff, the great pioneer for the healing power of art wrote, "Creativity is a way of living life, no matter what our vocation or how we earn our living. Creativity is not limited to the arts; it's a way of understanding the world and oneself." He wrote the seminal Art As Medicine.

It is not just kids’ stuff, however. If you want to heal your heart and soul, there is a certain amount of a return to the inner child that is absolutely required. There are many studies that show the benefits of expressive arts in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In my experience, experiential techniques using the expressive arts are the most effective routes to healing trauma.

Consider

"Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist when we grow up." --Pablo Picasso

Carl Jung, the influential Swiss psychiatrist, understood the profound connection between creativity and the unconscious mind. He knew that tapping into our unconscious could unveil a treasure trove of inspiration and self-discovery. Jung identified two powerful gateways to access this vast reservoir: dreams and active imagination - aka creativity.

Many of us put dreams in the same category as creativity - not important, just weird stuff. Jung encouraged the deep exploration of dreams, extracting symbols and meanings to gain insight into our inner world. Dreams, like art, are the language of the unconscious. They are our best ally for growth, giving us spectacular metaphors and images to convey the truths buried within us.

Active imagination is a conscious effort to engage with your inner world through creative expression. This could manifest in various art forms, including writing, painting, music, or even dance. When we create, we tap into that 95% of consciousness lurking beneath the surface. We begin to decipher the language of our inner selves through metaphor and imagination.

What might be buried under your surface?

Of course, we poo-poo dreams and creativity. Most of us are afraid of what’s under the surface of our consciousness. But, consider that we are denying a huge part of our experience of life when we deny the unconscious. This exploration is essential if you want to grow and it requires support.

We are all repressing our creativity to some degree. Creativity releases energies from beneath. Some of it is collective, meaning it comes from the cultural stores of unexpressed emotion. Artists allow that energy to come up and be expressed and often don’t have support to contain the powerful material. If we try to channel this energy on our own, it can be distressing. This is why many poets and artists have mental health and substance use problems.

It is important to surround ourselves with healthy, sober, creative partners if we want to make the most of this healing and creative life. Often, well-meaning people who are not working on themselves will make shaming comments, especially about our creative expression, that can send us back into hiding.

Do you have healthy, sober, creative support? How much resistance do you have to getting support?

In my book The Creative Fire: 10 Weeks to Emotional and Creative Fitness, I point to the specific transformational gifts that each creative expression provides:

Writers see into the unconscious through the advanced language of metaphor.

Artists see the many colors of the world. Many of us are living in grayscale.

Photographers see details. “Care of the soul is paying attention to the details of life.” — Thomas Moore

Dancers understand the brilliance and wisdom of the body.

Singers have found their voice. Many of us need to find our voice in the world.

Musicians are sensitive to the many aspects of vibration. And, if you’ve looked into quantum physics, you know that we are nothing but vibration.

Actors know how to play with life.

If accessed, the arts will put therapists and coaches completely out of business.

Solutions

So, how can we launch into this creative realm and give our inner artist some room to create?

Here are some practical steps:

Get Sober: This has many meanings. But mostly, find a support group to let go of the many ways we self-medicate and maintain a chaotic life. The rooms of recovery are full of recovering artists. There’s even a 12-step group called Arts Anonymous for those of us who left the creative child behind long ago.
Start Journaling: Begin a daily journaling practice. Set aside time each day to put your thoughts, feelings, and ideas onto paper. Don't censor yourself; let the words flow freely. See Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way for guidance on this and much more
Engage in Creative Activities: Take a beginner’s class or pick up that old instrument and play it daily. Experiment with different creative outlets. Whether it's painting, writing, playing a musical instrument, or trying your hand at photography, find what resonates with you.
Imperfection Makes Great Art: Understand that creativity is messy, and not every creation needs to be a masterpiece. “Don’t worry about mistakes, there are none.” — Miles Davis
Join a Creative Community: Connect with others who share your passion for creativity. Join workshops, art classes, or online forums where you can share your work and gain inspiration from fellow creatives. Use caution that it is not a criticism forum. Complete freedom from criticism is essential, especially at the beginning of the experiment.
Make Time for Stillness: Creativity often flourishes in moments of quiet reflection. Find time for stillness, meditation, or simply daydreaming. These moments can be fertile ground for creative ideas to sprout.
Make Space: Whatever the creative project, clear out a safe space. Artists need a cleared-off space, dancers need a place to move, etc. Make space for the creative kid in you to launch without anyone’s incessant feedback.

Questions For You

What are your biggest fears about being more creative?
What were your favorite expressive arts as a child?
Who encouraged your creativity? How?
Who discouraged your creativity? How?
What is the big negative message you tell yourself about your creativity?
How can you bring more creative expression into your life daily?

After we get our chemistry cleaned up (stop self-medicating) and we begin to heal our trauma, there is only one challenge left: LAUNCH INTO OUR CREATIVE AUTHENTICITY! If you need support please go to this link: Recovery and Trauma Resources

For practice, say this out loud: “I am creative.” And again: “I am creative.” Now say, “I’m an Artist.” And again, “I’m an Artist.” You need not believe it, but it is true. With repetition, you will release the delusion that you are not an artist or a creative person.

I give very specific guidance for all of this in both books Stop Doing Sh*t You Don’t Want to Do: A Straightforward Guide to Letting Go of Unresolved Trauma and The Creative Fire: 10 Weeks to Emotional and Creative Fitness

So glad to be on the healing and creative path with you. Please reply to this email with your comments.

With creative fire and love,

Bob

P.S. Share your creative journey with us! We'd love to hear your stories and insights. Connect on social media (see links above and below) BUT PLEASE REPLY TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS! And let us know if you don’t want it published - otherwise, we sure will.

P.P.S. I need your help. The new book STOP DOING SH*T YOU DON’T WANT TO DO is out now! Get it here. Browse the book and write a great review here. And please forward these links to your peeps! We are still in the promo period and sales and reviews are extremely important to get to the top of Amazon’s list. THANK YOU!!!

From our last The Beare Truth Newsletter on “Relationships.” Here are some of your great comments:

Scott F. wound his way from a tumultuous beginning to repairing relationships with the help of recovery.

Two of the most important tasks of our lives, forming and maintaining intimate relationships, and raising children, rarely, if ever, involve any formal training. In fact there are people who vehemently object to even the suggestion that they could use any help in these areas, especially from so-called experts. Instead we are expected to accomplish these important tasks by learning from our parents and the society in which we are raised.

As a kid I struggled with relationships. My self esteem became dangerously low. I had doubts that I was even remotely loveable. It didn’t help that I had absolutely no idea what a healthy relationship should look like. I was attracted to cute girls, cheerleader types, who at the time were out of my league. I ignored the other girls, the intelligent, witty, kind, thoughtful, but less glamorous young ladies who did show an interest in me. It didn’t help that my father once said that I was like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one. It also didn’t help that I learned at an early age that my parents’ relationship was deeply flawed and in trouble, and that despite my best efforts there was nothing I could do to fix it.

Our local public radio station recently launched Time Machine Radio, which plays classic rock, soul, and blues. All of the great music from my childhood. All of the tunes that for many of us, helped define what true love should be. The station plays "Are You Lonely Tonight" at least two or three times a week. If you haven’t heard it in a while, dial it up on your favorite streaming service. It could be the anthem of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous. Elvis asks if the woman who left him is lonely? Chances are she’s not. He’s the one who is suffering.

Popular music does a great job of defining superficial relationships. Love at first sight may work for wildebeests, but more often than not fails to sustain intimate human relationships.

I spent my entire career in the company of other mental health professionals. Most of us considered ourselves relationship experts. The vast majority of my peers had been divorced at least once. Even those of us who were still married had less than ideal relationships. The majority of us had experienced trauma. Our own personal lives were a mess. We were trying to provide for others what we were unable to provide for ourselves.

Eventually I stumbled into a 12 step program and began the long, painful, and to be honest, never ending process of working on myself. The path to betterness lay in the wisdom of the 12 steps. By working the program I began to heal and redefine my relationships. I started repairing the damage I had done to myself, my wife, and my kids.

Scott F.

Rajee R. found the most important relationship.

My big realization is that I need a relationship with me before I can be in/ build a relationship with anyone else! My big issue has been abandonment and my tendency is to abandon myself. I tend to get out of myself when I get into difficult situations. Or I distract myself with my phone, food, sugar and many other things… and keep escalating the level of abandonment. Learning to see my pattern has been big. Gaining some ability to recognize it in the moment is a big step forward. I look forward to being able to connect with the inner child that gets scared, shamed etc that causes the abandoning behavior. It is a very young part and I still have to build the trust.. I’m working on a relationship with me, all the different inner family parts of me!

Rajee R.

Kim R. reflects on how her relationship with herself defined her relationship with others:

When I read this “…..we have failed to define our identity” I realized that was the missing piece of all my past relationships. I did not know who I was, in fact, I am still getting to know myself after 48 years. My biggest unmet need was simply being acknowledged. My siblings were typically the center of attention with their “acting out” behaviors which I now know were a result of their childhood trauma. It was easy to fly under, above, around the radar, it was never aimed at me. In an attempt to be acknowledged, I picked partners who needed rescuing, unconsciously of course, because if I saved the day or was the hero, I would surely be acknowledged. Today, I have come to learn that the more I define my identity the easier it is to acknowledge and validate myself.

Kim D.

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