Express Your (Creative) Self!
Early Days
Tell me this. Was there a time as a child (think 3 - 5 years old) that you LOVED coloring? What about dancing? Singing? For most of us, we would say yes, of course! Well, what changed? Was it that you didn't get the solo you auditioned for? Or another kid in class told you your painting looked stupid? An adult who choreographed you to stand in the back? Maybe your family couldn't afford for you to pursue a creative interest, or didn't value it at the time.
As humans, we are creative by nature. Think about human history. We have told the stories of our lives through art since the beginning of time. Ancient civilizations and native peoples processed the events in their lives and connected to those around them through self-expression quite literally all over the globe. Art has become monetized and judged, especially in capitalist western countries, but that doesn't mean we can't still create. What about intramural sports. Just because you didn't get the contract out of college doesn't mean you can't throw, hit, or kick a ball around with your friends. One step further, consider this. If we completely squashed our creative selves, we wouldn't have break throughs in medical science or technology. That small business that became a thriving small business or even a big corporation started from a person with an idea and a plan.
Does this sound like you?
But maybe you find yourself feeling stuck. It could be in small ways - lost with what to make for dinner or unsure what kind of clothes you like so you have had the same wardrobe for 10 years. It could be in big ways - committed to a job because you're afraid to commit to that idea you had or watching the guitar you bought sit in the corner collect dust. It could be in subtle ways - struggling to communicate with your partner or feeling stiff and rigid in your body. All of these are examples of our creative self feeling hidden, stifled, or ignored. *Quick caveat, there are of course social, economic, and situational factors, even trauma, that could be at play and creating barriers.
Enter... Self Expression
What do we do about it? Start small. Identify something that you want to create. Explore what is getting in the way. Is it self-judgment? Societal judgment? A bad experience (like the peer who made fun of your painting) that you haven't fully processed? Financial? You may find at this point you want to unpack some of this with your therapist - great! If not, let's keep going. Make an achievable and tangible goal: I am going to listen to one piece of music and draw what comes to mind. Or, I am going to tap a rhythm along to my favorite song. Maybe you create a playlist that helps you feel safe and relaxed.
Remember, creativity is not about the product. It is about the journey and what you learn about yourself along the way. Are you connecting to this part of yourself for you or for everyone else?
But Why Should I?
How does drawing to music relate to having new dinner ideas or buying new clothes? The more we allow ourselves to create, the more we flex our expressive muscles. This can allow ourselves to feel more free in moving our physical body, confident in our ideas, and comfortable in connecting and being vulnerable with others. Remember, if you can't open up to yourself, how are you gonna open up to others?!
If these sound like things you would like to try, but it still feels a bit daunting, join our virtual music therapy group! Join me, a music therapist and licensed mental health counselor, on an 8 week journey back to that creative little kid inside yourself.