Putting the Eat in Creativity

 

 

 

In her new book Rising Strong Brené Brown says, “Creativity embeds knowledge so that it can become practice. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands…creativity is the ultimate act of integration—it is how we fold our experiences into our being.”  That’s pretty darn important. And what Brené is talking about here is a great segue to the next question

 

So what’s creativity got to do with eating?

When you’re in the process of healing from emotional eating, the creative process is essential. You’re learning all kinds of new ways to think about eating, your body, emotions, and self-worth, to name a few! Creativity can become a landing place for all of this—a way to sort things out, explore new ways of taking action and compassionately move towards your authentic self—from your head, to your heart, through your hands.

Identifying and Expressing Emotions

If you’re working on making changes to your relationship with food, moving from emotional eating to intuitive and mindful eating, what happens to the emotions? They have to be cared for the same way you are caring for your physical hunger. The first step is to identify what the emotion is, then to express it. Creative expression can help with that.

Self-care and Transformation

Healing emotional eating is a transformation. Patterns are changed, a new relationship with food and eating is being formed, and in same ways a new identity is being formed. If you have been a chronic dieter, you can probably relate to the sense of control that following a plan can provide. It’s very linear and very left brained. Learning to be an attuned eater is about tuning in to your natural instincts to guide you, not measurements, food lists, or gimmicks. Creative practice can help with that.

Meaning and Purpose

There was a time in my life when my purpose was to lose weight, to be good at following my diet, to get through a day of imposed restriction. With that as my purpose, not a whole lot of meaning could be cultivated. Part of embracing a life of no dieting and trusting yourself and your body is that you’ll have more space in your life. In the beginning that can be daunting! Often, we can create whole identities around weight and body image, trying to be someone we’re not. Having time and space to explore what you truly believe, what you love, what you’re passionate about? Where do you even begin? Creativity can help with that too!

Being creative is like coming to your senses and fully opening up to living. It’s the vulnerable, tender, risk-taking self that yields to the authentic expression of ideas, feelings, new solutions, and meaning making. It’s the way to come alive, no matter how creativity is expressed. And it is in that aliveness that food can be food, eating can be eating, and your body can be…your body.
No diminishment, no forcing, no suffering.

Find some time and space to take creative inventory. It’s a good start to get you thinking about your relationship with creativity.

Some questions you might ask:

What is your learning style ?

What is your style?

What brings you joy?

What is something you wish you could do but you haven’t?

What did you dream of doing as a child?

What inspires you?

Who inspires you?

How do you overcome fears?

How do you find solutions to problems:

–at work?

–at home?

–in relationships?

–in your community?

What is your ideal workspace?

What is your ideal play space?

Do you consider yourself creative? How?

What supports your creativity?

What blocks your creativity?

 

Be gentle with yourself. Always. And know that you are loved.

~Sibel

 

For your reflection~

When I think about taking time to support my creative life, I feel: