Is Creativity the Key to Resilience?

Being an artist, an entrepreneur…heck a HUMAN who feels deeply…can be hard. Life can feel like a roller coaster ride of emotions. I’m an expert on this, because I am all three of these things (along with a Mermaid soul, but that’s another story for another day).

When you have strong passions and a purpose you likely have strong feelings and emotions running around in your body. These strong feelings are great because they burn the fire for your desires and your actions, but they can also create havoc when you get down or disappointed. As an artist and a professional, I put myself out there…A LOT. I open myself to critique and rejection regularly, and occasionally it hurts. I open myself to collaboration with others which sometimes doesn’t work out and leaves me disappointed. At times, I get restless, and restlessness for an artist and entrepreneur can be mentally excruciating.

I ebb…I flow…I get knocked down…I get back up…

Over the last year I’ve been doing a lot of “internal” work. Healing old…and new…wounds. Discovering pieces of me I wasn’t fully connected to. Listening to the messages from outside and inside with more presence and interest. One of the comments and questions I began to realize I received a lot related to resilience.

“You are the most resilient person I know.”

“Your ability to bounce back is incredible!”

“How do you do that? Go from {there} to {there}? You just never stay down.”

I thought about these comments and questions and began to acknowledge myself for this truth. I don’t stay down. I don’t just take a “no” and stop. The days that find me in a tearful heap in my bed are usually followed by something completely opposite. When I really took in the questions and compliments I started to notice it. But, I was also a little confused.

Honestly, I didn’t think it was “unusual.” I guess I thought everyone did the same.

A friend of mine is an Insight Strategist and talks a lot about our “gifts” and how often times we don’t even realize what our gifts are because they are so easy and natural to us. So easy and “there” we don’t acknowledge or value them. She’s helped me discover some of my gifts, including resilience and I now realize that not everyone has it. So now I take ownership, acknowledge myself for it and take pride in it. I even refer to it as one of my “super powers.”

Knowing it was there was great…But, I still didn’t understand it.

Why was I good at this resilience thing? So good that people noticed it and commented on it. How do I do it? I wanted to know so I could help others do it too, but I really had no idea. Until recently when the answer hit me out of nowhere. Creativity!

Creativity is the fuel for my resilience super power!

YES! Creativity! Something I’m VERY passionate about and have been developing in others for years now. I didn’t know it, but I was already helping others become more resilient.

What you are here to learn is what you are here to teach.

How does creativity fuel resilience? First let’s be clear that I’m not talking about paint brushes when I say creativity. Creativity isn’t about art.

Creativity is a way of being, a way of thinking, a way of seeing.

You can be the most creative person I know and never create a single piece of “art”. When you are using your innate creativity you are creating ideas, opportunities, perspectives, and sometimes “things.” To be resilient, to go from A to Z requires you to create something new - create emotional, physical or mental movement. The more practiced you are in creativity, the more your body and mind feel familiar in that activity and the quicker you bounce. The more RESILIENT you are. That is why the day after my tearful heap in bed is completely opposite. It’s a day in which I’m creating. Somewhere in my heap an idea, an urge, a spark emerges and my brain and body move to CREATION. A new opportunity emerges. I think it’s impossible to be in a heap when possibility enters the picture.

Possibility means action which is the opposite of a heap.

Now notice above I said “the more practiced you are in creativity.” It does require practice. Creativity isn’t something you have to develop, you were born with it — every new idea you have is your creativity emerging. But, if you don’t actively practice it (work it out like you do your body) it won’t be firing at full strength. So if you believe you “aren’t creative” you are just out of practice. You can rebuild it. You can strengthen your ability to creatively see and think. I know because I do it every day and teach others how to also.

Having a fully functioning “creative muscle” can also give you the super power of resiliency.

Ready to be more resilient? Be more creative.

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