Living and Loving Ourselves
by Creating something out of nothing makes us feel good. Expressing ourselves in any form is as important as balanced nutrition and regular exercise. Even when we are sick or injured, we have the will to create, but sometimes our bodies won’t do what our heads want done. After a fall on ice recently, I had to take some time to contemplate my craft, Art Therapy, and the overall advantages of living the life I was always meant to live.
At this time of year, we all begin thinking about making changes in our lives like resolutions. I guess my own aha “moment” came to me immediately when I slipped on the ice and became bedbound for a while. I laid around bored and angry not paying much attention to my inner voices which were calling out to me to take this time to begin thinking about publishing. Breaking a hip can be life-threatening at my age. I was thankful only my body, pride and ego was bruised but I hated taking time away from my work. During the brief ride in an ambulance, I began thinking about my own expectations as a writer and artist. Was I really fulfilling my dreams? I could will myself to be a successful writer or artist any more than I could will myself able to get out of bed. I did a lot of thinking about my expectations as a writer and artist. Lying in bed I could do not much more than “think.” I figure my biggest responsibility as an artist and writer is to be expressive, stay original and keep on keeping on for the sake of my readers. On good days, I can’t dig myself out of paper or clay. You see, I’m a writer, clay artist, poet and a student of Art Therapy when I’m well and rested. Many think the most engaging powers of an author and/or artist is to make new things familiar and familiar things new. Most of us have to make a plan to be creative. To do this we have to take the time to say good-bye to old ideas. Eleanor Roosevelt says “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift: that’s why they call it the present.” If it is true everything happens for a reason, perhaps, my taking some time to rest and think about my craft has been a good thing rather than a bad thing. Sometimes it takes more time to digest art than to make it.
If you’re wondering what Art Therapy is, The American Art Therapy Association says that “Art Therapy is an established mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve, conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness and achieve insight.” Creative expression, therefore, allows us to transform our feelings into tangible expressions, much like the poem I wrote below:
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