What Does Creativity Bring to Your Life?

By Linda Dessau

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Creativity brings a return to home, a "normalcy"

"Creativity IS my life" and "creativity is unavoidable." For one artist, creativity is "a reason to live", and for another "it helps me live." Creativity is what we know, and when we're expressing it our TRUE selves are shining through. As one artist commented, it's a "relief." Another artist noted that creativity often brings "more creativity." Which make perfect sense when you apply the law of attraction — the principle that states that whatever you focus on is what you'll attract into your life.

Creativity brings a sense of self-worth and identity

For the artists I spoke to, creativity brings a "reward", "satisfaction", "pride" and "accomplishment." It contributes to their "self-esteem" and "sense of self and identity." For artists, who often feel so misunderstood and different from other people, creativity provides "a way of explaining myself to the world." Creativity celebrates the fact that we're different, by showing us "a sense of purpose" and "a sense of my uniqueness." One artist said that creativity "puts me in touch with the core and essence of my being."

Creativity heals me

As a music therapist, this theme was not surprising to me. Not only are the arts amazing therapeutic tools to use in treatment, creativity can be extremely therapeutic for the person expressing it. Some of the therapeutic benefits of creativity that the artists shared with me were "relaxation", "centeredness", "possibility", "hope" and "connection with self." Creativity "lifts me from my sorrows" and is "a way to translate my hopes & feelings."

Creativity brings happiness, energy and power

The "endorphin rush" that one artist described was echoed by many as "joy", "energy, vitality — it’s a rush", "pleasure", "magic", "fullness", "happiness", "passion" and "a high." Creativity is "uplifting & motivating" and gives "the impetus to push further" and "a sense of power."

What does creativity bring to YOUR life? What do you miss the most when you're not actively expressing your creative ideas? What's the first thing you notice that changes in your life when you're in the "creative flow?"

Naming the gifts of your creativity can help to re-ignite your passion for your creative work and can excite you into courageous action. Thinking about these gifts can also put a mysterious smile on your face while you're traveling through the other parts of your life.

Whatever you're doing — whether it's taking care of life's little details and obligations or taking care of other people's needs — you can remind yourself that you're one of the lucky ones with access to creativity. You have this incredible source of adventure, self-discovery, connection, spirituality, awakening, normalcy, self-worth, identity, healing, happiness, energy and power. •

© Linda Dessau, 2005. All rights reserved.

About the Author | More by Linda Dessau
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for the FREE e-course, "Roadblocks to Creativity" by visiting www.genuinecoaching.com.

8/16/05 OA