Today I read about a woman named Deb who uses painting to release her from the choke hold chronic pain had on her since a car accident occurred some time ago. She releases her suffering through the creative process to shift her awareness of what’s happening around her.
I think Deb’s story describes the great equalizer creativity is. We are naturally creative people, each in our unique way. We can learn to improve our skills various forms of creativity, but creativity is a human process, and it’s in all of us.
When you are expressing your natural Self you can feel the flow and get energized by it. Your perspective widens, you naturally open to it to let more flow through you and resistance decreases naturally until your rational, egoic, fearful, negative or judging mind kicks in. Resistance to recognizing or engaging in the creative process doesn’t mean it isn’t within you ready and available.
Distraction from pain can reduce the suffering you experience. Being creative served as a distraction for Deb. Your pain is more or less perceptible while in the creative process, but your suffering is greatly reduced when your attention is in the flow of the creative process. When your senses focus on, as in Deb’s case, painting, this takes center stage in your neuronal circuitry’s processing and other sensory impressions, such as pain, take a backstage presence. When it rears its head, you can use your mindful focus by returning your attention to the art form you’re engaged in as you ride the wave of pain on another level.
Mindfully approaching pain to broaden the awareness of the vastness around you reduces suffering in the same way. Engaging in something creative provides both the distraction and the focus of attention, and suffering decreases.
That’s not to say it’s easy. Using the creative process to approach life and relieve pain takes intention, focus and a commitment to not give-up or give-in just as Deb said, and still not everyone in pain will find creativity is the answer for them.
Find out about my upcoming 8 week class on how to use the mindful approach to relieve chronic pain, starting soon at the Pain Specialty Center of Ventura.
I believe practicing creativity of any kind(s) on a regular basis is necessary for a happy and balanced life. Being creative engages your whole brain, which builds and strengthens a web of connections that quickly access your whole brain in other situations that benefit from a broader view such as when analyzing problems, making decisions, coping well under stress, and when needing to think outside of the box. The now popular phrase “Neurons that fire together wire together” is applicable here.
Kimberly Wulfert, PhD, Licensed Psychologist & Coach in Ventura & Ojai California, virtually
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