You Are A Creative Animal
And as an animal you must think about your physical energy system
I think it is useful to remind ourselves that we have an animal body. I’ve known people who take better care of their animals then they do of themselves, and then wonder why they feel poorly. We must attend to our animal needs.
Your physical animal body is powered by an energy system that may or may not be helping you be creative.
• It’s much easier to be inspired when your body is running smoothly and you don’t even have to think about it.
• It’s a challenge to be creative when your body is tired, achy, limited, or in pain.
• yet creativity can help you feel better at the worst of times (see below)
So what are some things to think about and do to help your body help you be creative?
The Artist as a Physical Energy Being
Each of the various ways you might be expressing your creativity has a physical component
What form does your creativity take, and what part of your physical body do you use?
Painter, sculptor, crafter, physical art?
• How is your posture? Better posture is better energy.
• Remember to take breaks at regular intervals to stretch, get a drink of water, etc.
• How else can you be mindful of your body to help you feel more energized?
Writer, computer user, digital artist/creative?
• Do you sit a lot? How is your posture? You will have more energy with an aligned spine.
• Do you do dictation? How do you take care of your throat and vocal chords?
• Remember to take breaks to prevent hand cramps or carpal tunnel syndrome.
• How else can you be mindful of your body to help you write/type/mouse/trackpad better?
How about food, drink, and other things you take in, might there be better choices to boost your physical energy? Do you get enough sleep?
You get the idea.
But what if you have a physical limitation?
I primarily teach drawing and painting, so those are the students I’ve had the pleasure to work with.
Broken shoulder injury
A lady came to my class wanting to paint but could barely move her arm due to an auto accident. She thought a teacher might help her figure out how she could keep enjoying art while she healed.
The answer that worked perfectly for her was to paint small, 8” X 10” canvas type small. She sat on a high stool, in relation to the table, kept the small paint palette close to her body as well as the small canvas, so she only had to move her hand, wrist and lower arm a little bit to effectively paint with no pain and wonderful success.
Palsy
One student was with me for a long time and did excellent work in both watercolor and oils. During that time she began to have a tremor and was diagnosed with Bells Palsy. She thought she would have to quit painting. I suggested she use the tremor to her advantage, change her method of applying paint to short daubs or strokes in rhythm with the movement of her hand, similar to pointillism or impressionism. She was delighted with this idea and continued to paint successfully, and beautifully, with a new style.
There are mouth-painters, foot-painters, prosthetic-painters, even blind painters.
I knew a quadriplegic lady (paralyzed from the neck down), who used a pencil held in her teeth to type letters to government officials on behalf of handicapped people everywhere (and this was before computers). It’s because of her (and others) that handicap-accessible bathrooms were created, among other important changes.
I remind myself how blessed I am to have a fully functional body whenever I feel inclined to make excuses for not being creative.
But please don’t let a physical limitation stop you from being creative.
Honor your animal body
As a creative animal you want to do your best to nurture your physical energy, so you can make the art you are inspired to, within the abilities you do have.
I hope you think about your animal body with loving kindness, and gratitude, and give it the attention it needs. Treat yourself at least as well as you do your pets.
A color meditation
The colors of red, orange and yellow represent the first 3 chakras in your energy system. These are the chakras that power your physical body. A useful meditation is seeing these colors, in your mind’s eye, growing and glowing brighter and brighter in intensity of color within the part of your body they emanate from.
• Red — at the base of your spine
• Orange — below the belly button
• Yellow — at the solar plexus
If you have a hard time visualizing color, think about and remember colored lights you have seen, such as traffic lights, Christmas bulb lights, any colored light. You could also bring up a solid color on your computer or smart device and simply meditate on that. Allow your creativity to come up with a good way to visualize colors and see those bright colors inside your body.
These energy balls of light can be quite large, and extend outside your body. So don’t feel that you have to limit the size of them.
If you can only “see” muddy colors that’s a good indication you really need to do this meditation, and may need to see a doctor to find out if there is something going on in that area of your body. This meditation can help to heal those areas, too.
Give your creativity a chance to lift your physical energy
Enthusiasm is more powerful than limitations
I am discovering more and more that all I need to do is start. Sometimes I almost have to force myself to start, like when I’m tired or have a headache, and when I do it doesn’t take long for me to forget my tiredness completely and get into the creative mode.
The most important thing to keep in mind is to focus on a Can-Do over a can’t-do attitude. There’s always more than one way to do something, you simply need to find your way.
P.S.
This is Part 2 of my series on Energy Creates Art which Creates Energy
Artists use all four energy systems to create their art, whether they realize it or not. But when they ARE aware of these energy systems they are better able to control or direct their energies in ways that help them create.
In addition, artists who are aware of the four energy systems their art projects are better able to make decisions in the content of their art.
I’m writing about all these energy systems and what creatives can do to develop mindfulness and positive action for their own energy.
Part 1: Introduction — Dead People Don’t Create
