As the old world crumbles and the new world emerges, working from the "if I do this then that will be the outcome" is not as reliable as we used to believe.
Truly it never really was. Especially in the form of creation. We are now in a very special time of deconstruction and reconstruction and the world can feel very fluid. It's gelatinous. Transformational. What an exciting time to be alive.
Having spent my life needing to be very flexible and not attached to the outcome, has left me in a better place than some as I have been practicing this space for a span of over 30 years. For many it can be tough as they learned and counted on what was "tried and true".
Art has the potential to teach people how to be flexible. How to use flow, and feeling, and also how to release expectation to the outcome. So much risk these days! So much at stake it can make a person numb. Learning to "go with the flow" is the new world way. Being able to step into creation and learn to open up to possibility and not need to control the outcome is a big challenge but so healthy. It allows the organic nature of things to come into play and frankly, we don't know what we don't know and control is an illusion. In fact too much and we shrink possibility.
For me, it has been creativity and the flow state that has helped me all of my life to work with anxiety, stress, fear, trauma, and more. I'm not here to say that everyone is suffering that, but we have been and are still going through some very impactful times. They are now saying that Climate Anxiety is trending high. Just that. Then there is all of what we have seen in 2020, and now 2021.
If you or someone you know are struggling with the stress of just life, and have not tried art (which can be anything creative from writing to dancing, music, to sculpting, drawing or painting, woodworking or sewing...) give yourself permission to do it. Just make time and find a way in.
According to Psychology Today, Steven Kotler states, " during flow, the brain releases an enormous cascade of neurochemistry. Large quantities of norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin flood our system. All are pleasure-inducing, performance-enhancing chemicals with considerable impacts on creativity. Both norepinephrine and dopamine amp up focus, boosting imaginative possibilities by helping us gather more information. They also lower signal-to-noise ratios, increasing pattern recognition or our ability to link ideas together in new ways. Anandamide, meanwhile, increases lateral thinking—meaning it expands the size of the database searched by the pattern recognition system."
I have started paint and play classes which encourages freedom of expression and learning how to drop into the flow state. If you are in the area, please try to make it. Even if only once to get set up with a few tools and gentle support. You will walk out with a smile.
This is the only life we know for certain that we have. Regardless the circumstances beyond our control, we still have this life. We deserve our chance at peace and being happy.
You do you boo. We need your you-ness now more than ever.