Creative Expression as Nervous System Medicine

Why Art Heals More Than Words Sometimes Can

Arrivals and Departures

Take a breath. If you are able, place your hand on your heart. What are you arriving with today?

Where are there openings in your life for self-expression and creativity?

As you reflect on what you are arriving with today, consider how are you feeling in your body today? What thoughts are strongest in your mind? What is on your heart? What is your soul nudging you towards today? As you look at what you are arriving with, what wants to also depart? What can you gently release, how you can loosen your grip?

Creativity as Nervous System Regulation

Our nervous system is how our bodies handle stress. We can be calm or we can be in fight, flight or freeze mode. One way to calm or express the stress we are holding in our nervous system, in our body, mind, heart and soul is to be creative. Creativity is the act of creating something. It can be writing, painting, coloring, drawing, collaging or singing. It can also be baking bread, creating a healing space, tinkering with a car, building a bookshelf, cooking a meal, planting a garden bed or whatever fills your cup. It can be walking in the woods noticing flora, learning a new move on the basketball court, reading a book to children, blowing bubbles outside or making your own tea. What we carry that causes stress or pain needs a way out. You can shake it out, talk it out, write it out, run it out, paint it out, cook it out, stretch it out, or whatever works for you.

Golf it out

The Beginning Creative

I remember taking my first photo with my new camera. I saw a burst of pink around the light because I accidentally left the flash on. I thought that is cool, so I did it again. Since then, I have posted 287000 photos on flickr with 1.5 millions views. ((https://www.flickr.com/photos/48137759@N00/)

I invite you to let your inner child out to play, take a photo today that reflects how you are feeling or of something that catches your attention. Sometimes we can express by photo a feeling we cannot verbalize or find words for. It helps us to notice and connect with the world around us and ourselves.

I took this photo on the way to work the other day, someone wanted a peanut

When you look at this photo of the expectant squirrel, what do you notice?

The Stone Exercise

For this exercise, I bring in stones I have collected from walks on the beach and ask students to pick a stone. I tell them to pick a stone that speaks to them, that represents their journey. This stone is tangible proof of my belief in them. They give it back to me when they complete their program.

I explain if you are a rock collector then you know collectors pick rocks that are different and interesting. I ask them to think about the experiences that have occurred in their lives that have brought them to this moment in time of starting school. I remind them that these experiences have formed and shaped them. In fact, sometimes our most challenging experiences form and shape us the most.

Many of my students can tell me at any point in time where their stone is. A few years ago, a past student who left to study in another province wrote me this in an e-mail: “I still have the little orange rock from your collection, and I would like to send it back to you. Somehow, that pebble gave me an inspiration, and I always told myself that when I do graduate, I’d let you know that your rock is on its way back to your collection.” She did graduate.

You can do this exercise too. Go for a walk in your neighbourhood or at a local beach. Take a moment to choose a stone. Reflect on why you chose the stone you did. Keep it with you or in a safe place while you participate in your school journey.

I talk about this exercise here:

What object could help you calm your nervous system? It could be a stone, a pen, a piece of art, a family photo, or your favorite tea or tea mug. You can also create an object to help you ground and center.

Heart stone by my apple tree

Why I Think The Stone Exercise Works

We need to know we matter. We need touchstones to support us when we make changes in life. Touchstones can be people, places, songs, stories or objects. The stone is a transitional object; it holds belief and hope and transmutes that experience when it is looked at or held during the learning journey. This legitimizes the struggles of learning and all the feelings that go with change. It becomes a reminder, an encourager to keep moving forward. It holds all the feels. The person giving the stone is saying, “you matter” and begins to build a relationship of support, understanding, compassion and acceptance. A safe place to stand. Learning happens best in relationships that provide unconditional acceptance. Then all conversations become about, what do you want to happen, what did you learn from what happened and where can you go from here. It is a creative way to calm our nervous system.

I created this photo as I was wanting to envision the feeling of moving forward to my future

The Grounding Cord Exercise

When we get busy, anxious, overwhelmed or stressed we can lose our connection to our body or Mother Earth. In order to reconnect with our bodies and reinforce our connection to the earth, to feel more grounded and more present in our bodies and more connected to the world of nature this exercise can be helpful. It can also be used before you create to ground yourself so you feel more open to the creative process and it is calming to the nervous system.

Imagine a cord coming up through Mother Earth to hold your feet. What colour is the cord? People often choose red but choose a colour that you like. Imagine that cord connecting to your feet and holding your feet. Send all that is stressing you down through the cord into Mother Earth. Mother Earth is the great recycler. Let go of all the worries and thoughts that are stressing you. Send them down through the cord to Mother Earth. Breathe in and out. Keep breathing in and out while you feel all that is stressing you going down to Mother Earth. Feel your feet fully connected to Mother Earth. Now that you have let go of your stress, allow this cord to fill you up with grounding energy. Feel your body connect to Mother Earth. Allow her grounding energy to fill you up. Keep breathing in and out. Let the cord go and know it is there any time you need it.

You can access that exercise here:

Creativity as Medicine: Healing Through Expression & Connection

Creativity is medicine, it is a way to express our feelings, calm our thoughts, release what we hold in our bodies and connect with our soul. We only need begin at the beginning. Here is a link to a podcast where I talk more about this.

Episode #10: Creativity as Medicine: Healing Through Expression & Connection with Tanya Levy

Listen to the podcast:
• Spotify:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StressLess.JoyMore

Questions for further reflection

What is your favorite way to be creative?

How can you make time to be creative?

If you were 5% more creative in your day, what would that look like?

How can you loosen your grip and be playful?

What helps you calm your nervous system and release stress?