"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics, and brings healing" -- Julia Cameron, 'The Artist's Way'.
I've recently been reading the book mentioned in the quote above - 'The Artist's Way' about the possible creative blocks that people can have stuck within themselves, and methodologies to unleash your creative side. There is a lot of food for thought in this book, but the phrase above struck me in particular.
Art Brings Healing
We know that being creative can do wonders for our wellbeing, and there are numerous studies and articles explaining this concept. Being creative allows us time away from the stresses of the day, enables us to create something tangible, and gives us a sense of achievement as we see our skills progress and improve (all of which I approve of, and would prescribe to everyone!)
However, what about healing?
How can painting a picture, doing a cross stitch, quilting a bed cover or writing a poem heal you? It implies that something must be wrong with you in the first place. However, I take issue with the phrase 'something must be wrong with you' - that in itself implies something negative, or something that makes you 'less' of a person. I wholeheartedly disagree with this assumption. No matter what stage we are at in life, no matter what difficulties we're facing, there is nothing wrong with us.
What probably exists is a space or need in us that is currently being unfulfilled. It might be due to time - a busy working mother may not feel that she has time to pick up her watercolours, and express herself. It could be due to an unfulfilled need - in my busy day job as an accountant, there were times when weeks could go by when I didn't do anything creative, and I felt a palpable sense of loss and yearning. Perhaps it's due to someone going through a traumatic experience, such as grief or divorce, and there are so many emotions - many of them difficult and hurtful - that it's hard to distinguish between them.
It may well be something deeper or more serious, such as childhood trauma.
In each of these cases - and the many, many more I haven't listed - what there is is a need - a need for expression or a part of you that isn't being fulfilled.
But how does Art or Creativity help with this?
What do you think Julia Cameron means when she talks about art 'opening closets and airing out attics and cellars'? She's talking about the deep places within ourselves that don't often see the light of day. The safe spaces where we hide our ideas and feelings. Every so often we'll open the door, have a rootle around, spy something that makes us happy and possibly declutter. We might even, on occasion, let people into our safe spaces - the attics of our mind - and show them around - show them our creative spirit in the hope that they will encourage us and admire this part of ourselves.
If we were to bring this creativity out into the open - not just down from the attic into our quiet bedrooms and not even into the front room where our friendly neighbours might see it - if we were to bring this creativity onto the lawn in front of our house - in the street - in the park on a busy, sunny, weekend day - how would we feel? What would happen?
This can be terrifying. What would happen? It could be ridiculed or laughed at. We could be told that our creative output is no good - that it will never amount to anything. We imagine no end of negativity and criticism.
As a human race, we care about what other people think, and we want to be accepted - no matter how many times we're told that we shouldn't care.
It's very easy to slip into assuming that every criticism of your creative output is about YOU. It becomes personal. It's easy to imagine that every criticism is about your self-worth.
So, to protect yourself, you put your creativity back into that safe place, and close the door.
Art can bring healing
Julia Cameron believes that, in order to be able to heal, we need to bring our creativity out into the open. How can we move forward, and become the people we want to be, whilst we're hiding away an integral part of ourselves?
The key is in how you deal with the perceived criticism, not whether or not you receive it.
You might be surprised - you might find that the piece of jewellery you created is so admired by your work colleague that he buys it, or that your neighbour loves the portrait you drew of her so much she puts it up on the wall in her front hallway for everyone to see. You don't know until you try.
Start small. Find your champions. They might not be who you thought they'd be. Julia Cameron advocates finding mentors - successful people you would like to emulate, who would encourage you. I'm pretty sure that, if I were ever that successful, I'd be flattered that someone would want to emulate me - and I would gladly give my time to encourage them.
What happens if someone does criticise your work?
Firstly, you need to remember that your work is not YOU - the same way that a child's behaviour is not the child. A criticism of your mixed media landscape does not equate to you being a failure.
You alone know the journey that you're on. You alone know the stage of progress on your own creative path. The Artist's Way suggests that you harness criticism that makes sense to you and use it to improve your work - although I accept that sometimes it is tricky to know when to distinguish good from bad criticism.
What happens if you receive criticism - or even if you receive praise, but not with the enthusiasm you'd like (I've been guilty of this)?
Does it matter?
Does it really matter?
What's going to happen if your best friend, the published poet, doesn't like your poem? What's going to happen?
Your next piece will be better.
You will be stronger.
You'll find yourself braver.
Your best friend will still be your best friend.
You haven't broken.
Perhaps you've started healing.
Be kind to yourself. Be your own cheerleader.
Being creative is about YOU. It's about your emotions, your abilities, your own creative path. It's not about someone else.
Find your creative voice. It doesn't matter what it is. Express yourself. Find a way that brings out the feelings and emotions that you keep quiet inside you.
Liz Kettle has created a process of 'Stitch Meditations' (see an earlier blog) where you stitch as you go, depending on how you feel.
Take that charcoal pen, and just draw. It doesn't matter what it looks like.
Write that poem. Pour out your emotions - both happy and sad - in words or analogies.
"Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics, and brings healing"
Open the curtains, open the windows - let the sun shine into your darkest corners, let the breeze whisper into your shadows.
Shine the light on your creativity - be you as only you can be.
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