Rediscovering The Power of Sacredness on My Creative Journey
Once upon a time, I used to create for fun. And I’m quite certain that you did as well. As I kid, I remember doing all the things - making lizard keychains, boondoggle (I saw that some of y'all call it lanyard or gimp), crocheting, sewing, you name it… Then one day it all stopped.
I became an adult and I had so many sponserbileries (IYKYK), that it felt like I didn’t have the time to create. And, even when I did, it was always as side hustle or to use my talents for the benefit of others. I can now reflect on the fact that it pulled me away from experiencing what my creative abilities offered me as it has become this gift that I was pouring out for everyone else to benefit from except myself.
Life has a funny way of bringing experiences right to your doorstep to determine if you are ready to make change. When I first decided to enroll into an Expressive Arts Therapy program, I did it for the purpose of expanding my offerings to the clients I served. Shortly after I began the program, I remembered that with many mental health related educational programs, there is a focus on us doing the work ourselves in order to show up for our clients as best as we can. And I was so grateful to have something come into my life to help me redefine my relationship with creativity.
With excitement, I dove into the program. While I was creating with the purpose of submission for a grade, I also began creating for myself, without expectations and without standards. I’ve rediscovered the joy of creating again, just for me and it’s been transformative in my life. It’s boosted my mood, allowed me to tap more into my intuition and most importantly, it reaffirmed that even if my creativity is utilized simply to fulfill a need in a moment of my life, it has served it purpose.
This experience has supported me in building a sacred creative practice and along with immersing myself in the blog of a professor, has also empowered me to share a few pieces of what I have created with the intention to encourage you to see what you may learn about yourself through the lens of your own art.
Mandala with Oil Pastels, Chalice Nelson, October 2023
The art above was one of the first assignments I created in the program. I had a basis for what I hoped for it to look like. When I first began the design, I set the intention to allow imperfection and therefore I did not use an eraser, telling myself that every line created was needed. While I initially thought that it would be created with one wavy line, as I began drawing I was led to create many waves. It was intriguing that once I started coloring, there was one organic straight line and I was intentional in not coloring in a way to hide it as it was meant to be there. As I colored, there were times when the color to choose next came easy and other times where I sat to be led to determine what color should be next. I love how the colors met at certain corners, which highlighted to me the beauty that comes with imperfection.
So now I encourage you to go make some art, whatever feels best for you. Maybe you even create yourself an art journal and as you create, you can use these blog posts for reflection. Today, I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions:
How much time do you currently set aside for creativity? What impact does that have on your mood?
What does a sacred creative practice look like for you?
When was the last time that you created for your own enjoyment?
How did it feel creating your last piece of art?
In what ways do you embrace imperfections in your art? In your life?
How have your creative abilities served to benefit others versus yourself?