Creative Everyday Challenge #4: healing through a women’s circle

Yesterday, I ran my first Women’s Circle *yippee!*

And that was our theme for the day: celebrating our achievements. The theme was inspired by one of my closest friends, who made me realise that we (women and men) often don’t acknowledge and give ourselves enough credit for our achievements.

I think part of the reason we don’t acknowledge our achievements is because we perceive our achievements through the lens of expectations, and therefore not worthy of acknowledging or celebrating.

For example, I consider the below as achievements, which you might perceive as an expectation (especially when it’s a part of your everyday):

‘I’m going to do a great job on this project.’

‘I’m going to not go to work today because I feel like crap.’

‘I’m going to cook a meal for my family.’

‘I’m not going to cry today.’

Despite the hardships that we go through, we find that yes, we did do a great job, but it’s not a celebration and achievement – we expected it of ourselves all along.

So yesterday, we all took time to write every single thing we considered to be an achievement in 2015, big or small. And it was amazing – from the woman who quit her job, to the woman who decided to travel despite her family’s protestations.

As we talked about our achievements while drawing our representations of what celebration looked like, a friend of mine asked:

‘Why does art heal?’

Firstly, the question implies that art can heal. According to a literature review by Stuckey and Noble (2010), art has shown to ‘enhance one’s moods, emotions, and other psychological states’ whether you are involved as an observer of art or a creator of art.

‘Throughout recorded history, people have used pictures, stories, dances, and chants as healing rituals.’

– (Graham-Pole 2000 in Stuckey & Noble 2010)

So, the question of why does art heal is really a question of how does it heal? As we drew, different answers came up.

‘Art speaks to us through our senses – bypassing the intellectual…’

‘Art externalises what’s on the inside, and by looking at our art from a distance, we can start to deconstruct our emotions and thoughts and experiences…’

‘Art allows us to express ourselves in a way that we cannot always do through words. Sometimes, we don’t know the words to describe what we are feeling or what we want….’

That is the power of art – in any and all of its forms. We are drawn into a realm suspended of words, instead relying on something more instinctual and soul-direct.

Perhaps you have your own reasons or perspective as to why or how art heals, or perhaps you’d like to share your own representation of celebration. Below is mine.

‘Celebration’ – pastels

Creative Everyday Challenge #3: to burn

I can feel it,

scintillating under stretched skin.

A light,

reignited,

after the slow, dim rot of ember.

It is but small,

but the chambers of my heart

are the shrouded woods,

ready to alight

and gloriously burn

the overgrown tendrils

that overshadow my heart.

The winter that I had unknowingly held onto,

no more.

 

Creative Everyday Challenge #1: healing with writing

I came across the mention of a ’30 day creativity challenge’ on Instagram, and when I googled it, I found Leah’s Creative Every Day 2016 blog and decided that joining the challenge would be one of the best ways to start the new year. I have decided to adopt Leah’s suggestion of ‘Art as Healing’ for January, and perhaps you’ll be inspired to join in also.

Last night, I found myself in a deep discussion with my mother about my life and life choices. Afterwards, I only felt despair – my emotions and thoughts welling up inside. It was only through an outpour of writing that I could find a calmness and resolution. Writing is how I explore feelings and uncertainty. It’s not a poem, it’s not a story – it is an outpour.

‘I walk on a double-edged sword,

each side a different world.

I am struggling, and in an attempt to seek solace

I am met with harsh words that cut and tear at my heart.

I know you speak from a place of love,

that your words only seek to trim me,

but I only end up in tears.

I must choose,

and yet I continue to refuse to do so,

instead trapezing between between both worlds.

You are right, I had strayed away from our culture,

while precariously trying to fit into your box of acceptance.

But I can’t. I don’t fit.

Is that it then? To make the scariest choice of all, and not to choose my family?

I’ve been playing the fool all this time.

It is time to be brave.

Break the cycle.

It is time to grow up.’

 

 

Melancholy.

There is a quiet melancholy,

that stains my soul.

I tried to wash it off,

with positive thoughts,

and a walk in the sun.

But a stubborn stain it is,

that after all the

washing,

scrubbing,

and,

rubbing,

it reveals itself,

unmoved.

But it does not boast,

rather,

it’s almost like it has nowhere else to go,

hovering in the background,

among the shadows of my soul.

Only occasionally,

surfacing to the realm of physical,

with a silent, heavy sigh.

A dedication to my beautiful friend, Marie. The only consolation I can offer is that it will pass. Accept it, embrace it, and use it to love yourself even more, And then, perhaps, you will find that it has disappeared. My melancholy, which hovered for weeks, soon disappeared after writing this poem.

© 2013