The magic of the creative process
Art making has always been an outlet for me. From a young age, art class was my safe space to play, explore and be present with my experience in a way that I did not realize until I was older. While I have made a career out of supporting others in their own creative and healing process, the magic of the experience never fails to surprise me - both when I am a witness to my own process and that of other’s as well.
What happens when we engage in the creative process?
As you step into the magic of creativity, you tap into a sense of play and come out of your thinking mind and into your body. Engaging in the creative process can help bring you into the present moment and immerse yourself in a new experience. We can also use creativity as a way to honor our inner child’s desires, needs and impulses.
Remember, the creative process doesn’t just mean painting or drawing; it can also be dancing, moving, cooking, decorating, singing - whatever allows for you to tap into that experience of presence and play.
The before…
While there are many of us who may have enjoyed engaging in the art-making process as a child, there is also a big number who became discouraged or felt defeated by the process when we no longer felt we were “good” at making art or began to judge our abilities. I know that certainly happened to me as I progressed in my career as an artist. It wasn’t until I went to grad school and; both gave myself and was given by others, the permission to engage in art-making simply because it was fun and felt good that I was able to really feel and come back to those therapeutic benefits of the art-making process.
In holding therapeutic art-making workshops, classes, groups and even with my private practice clients, it is not uncommon that people look at me with a face of confusion and possibly think I am a little out of it when I ask people to simply use lines, shapes and colors to express their current feelings and inner experience. And while it may not be the reaction I want people to have, the experience after when people share how it made them feel is so very worth it.
The After…
While I may get the reaction I mentioned above of confusion when I invite people into the art-making process, 99% of the time the reaction after includes something along the lines of:
really being able to visualize and process a challenging topic, emotion, or sensation
tapping into my inner child to find a sense of play and creativity
proving to myself that I can do something I haven’t tried or done in a long time
gain some clarity and discover something new about myself
And that makes it all worth it. It’s these types of reactions that keep me going every day. They inspire me to keep sharing and moving through this work and support people on their process. It’s what helps remind me that art-making is truly magical and has the power to heal.
If you want to experience or explore this magic for yourself, you can schedule a consultation call with me for free to discuss ways in which working together may feel like a good fit. I work with clients in person or virtually in Miami or FL and NY. Or you can purchase your Creative Journal Workbook to begin your creative and art-making journey!
