Self-Expression for Feeling Better

It can happen when we're very young. An influential figure in our lives gives us a label like creative--or not--and we let that label, possibly well-intentioned, inform and define our abilities ever after.  First of all, you can do anything you want, including create your own labels for yourself. And second, labels or not, you are a creative person! That doesn't mean you were born to wear a beret and have paint-spattered pants (or it might), just that you have been creating since the moment of your birth, whether you know it or not and that creativity is far broader and more accessible than you might think.

Every time you make a choice in life and decide how and when to execute that decision, you are being creative. You don't have to have a gallery showing or be a preeminent tap dancer to be creative; you are creating all the time--your thoughts and perceptions, your experiences. When we inject that innate creativity with our experiences, emotions, or some piece of our authentic selves, it becomes self-expression, a way of saying to the world "This is who I am. I am here. I matter."

Self-expression is both inspirational and aspirational, which is to say that it is both about revealing the spark that lies within us and externally creating the flame we hope to grow it into.  Setting the world on fire aside, the very act of expressing yourself may greatly reduce stress and help you process emotions. A single creative act may encompass any or all of these emotional regulation skills, which create space between feelings and reactions, allowing us to act with integrity to our values and beliefs.

• self-awareness: noticing what we are feeling and being able to name it
  
• mindfulness: noticing and identifying aspects of the external world and our bodies in the present moment 
• energetic release: the intentional catharsis of emotion through movement or other deliberate activity
  
• cognitive reappraisal: the ability to shift thoughts about a situation by simply changing the perspective from which it is viewed
  
• adaptability: resourceful problem solving and pivoting when a problem or blockage is perceived
  
• self-compassion: understanding that we are worthy of love and treating ourselves with care and gentleness in the face of perceived mistakes or failures
  
• emotional support: creating a robust and resourced, supportive "community," that may consist of yourself and/or others that you connect with

Now that you know that you were born to be creative and that doing so is an amazing way of staying in integrity and coherence with your core values and beliefs, it's time to tap into your own zone of creative genius. Think about a time recently when you felt "in the flow." You knew what steps to take; you didn't feel anxiety; you just moved, as if effortlessly, but still felt challenged to use your skills; and time fell away. 

Your passion and natural gifts may be in fashion or cooking or gardening or puzzle-making or basketball or dog grooming or interpretive dance or trombone-playing or web designing or snake charming or crossword puzzle-solving or meme curating or even--it's true!--filing papers or folding laundry, but every moment of your life is an opportunity to express the amazing uniqueness of the way you do the things you do to the world. By doing things in your way, you are owning your agency, connecting yourself more strongly with your people, and taking up the space you were born to take up--and giving yourself a little space between the world and your own precious, unique, irreplaceable heart.

If you are seeking more strategies for emotional regulation or personal transformation of any kind, but feel confused, blocked, stuck, or unsure where to begin, it would be my honor to work with you as your coach to help you help yourself!  I offer group courses, virtual organizing, feng shui consultations, and personalized coaching on your timeline to meet your needs. Visit the contact page of my site to book a session or send me a message to set up a discovery call.