It’s easy to forget all of the awesome hobbies you had as a child, isn’t it?
It’s like you did them for a period of time, became an adult, and the fun vanished.
Maybe you played a sport, participated in music, joined a club, wrote elaborate stories, or created beautiful drawings that your parents put on the refrigerator.
What happened to the days when you were in touch with your inner child?
What I mean by inner child is that creative, imaginative little soul you that's wanting your love and attention.
I couldn’t tell you the last time working at my old 9-5 jobs that I did something creative and was filled with that pure magical, joyful feeling.
There are so many ways we can implement little nuisances of creativity, and not to mention the amazing benefits of creating a piece of art, picking up that instrument again, or playing that sport you dedicated your childhood to.
It is proven that when we’re able to get in touch with our creative side, we are able to express more than what the left side of our brains can portray.
We hear from a lot of our clients that they may have nightmares, reoccurring memories/thoughts, or sudden outbursts of anger that come out of nowhere.
This is your brain telling you that there’s something else there that needs to be processed.
So, what can you do besides talk about it?
Begin to draw, write, dance, create!
Whatever is perfect and available to you.
Most of the time our inner child is dying to come out and play, however, we were told a long time ago that adult life wouldn’t allow for those playful moments.
This doesn’t have to be true for you, and this may be something you do with your own children.
It’s easy to give a child an iPad and tell them to go play, right?
What they might be missing, however, is to exercise their imagination and senses to express their emotions.
For example, if your child is acting out, and won’t listen, communication through creation can allow them to express something that may be going on that they don’t know how to express verbally.
Same rule applies for your emotional wellbeing.
If you’re unable to share what’s going on for you right now, because you really just don’t know, a little self-check in can go a long way.
Taking 5-10 minutes to write down all of the feelings that come up, freehand a drawing, or dancing it out can elicit tremendous relief.
Self-inquiry like this can help recognize emotion and to check in with it through creative expression.
Here are some things we recommend our clients do to get started:
1) Create a self-care plan using any materials you’d like.
2) Create what a support system looks like in your life.
3) Keep them somewhere for reference when you’re feeling overwhelmed, unsure of where to turn, and unsupported. This may help to feel grounded in moments of chaos.
There’s room for creativity in all of our lives.
Nurture your imaginative, soul and watch the epiphanies unfold.