The Value Of Creation

Doing meaningful things adds value to your life.

Creating has always been an avenue to meaningful moments for me. I’ve been the happiest, most in tune, and feeling fulfilled. I have always found that the flow of art, talking, writing or movement, any sort of expression, has been my jam. It not only puts me in a spectacular mood, but when the opportunity presents itself to share with others, they sometimes can gain something from it.

Every time I create I learn something from it. Either simple things like I want to try a new subject for water colors (painting butterflies instead of my usual landscapes), or more reflective things such as how some tension in a certain part of my body has gone unnoticed until I started working on a new yoga pose, or even remembering what it feels like to be alive and at peace when I find my breath during an intense practice. 

Throughout my life I have had some miserable times. In these times, when I choose to go stagnant, laying in bed or stimulating myself with screens so I’m too numb to think, or I repeat the same mundane unfulfilling routine for weeks on end - I find myself falling deeper into the hard places.

Now of course there is always a time for rest. Life is a balance. Peaks and valleys are inevitable, and if you think you never have to stop and take a rest - you’re wrong. Our bodies, minds, and souls need time to regenerate just like they need time to express and expand! Shaming ourselves for these moments of recooperation only harms our relationship with ourselves in the long run as we grow to resent our basic needs, potentially seeing them as weaknesses. Invite respite into your life (for those who practice yoga, shavasana is an amazing place to reflect on the value of rest and allow what you have done to really sink in.)

Anywho, the moments I’ve been able to lean into my expression are some of the most fulfilling, pulling me out of ruts and identity crises. When I give myself time to do any sort of art whether that be movement in yoga, dance, rollerblading, or physical drawing, painting, writing, or soul connection such as a good deep talk with a friend or learning something new, I feel authentic. Like I am getting to see a part of myself that is dormant most of the time while I rush to keep up with the busyness of being alive. And it feels so good to reconnect with this part of me!

I know that art can be a daunting concept. Even I struggle to get myself into the zone sometimes and have a hard time not judging myself harshly on the outcome. This can present quite the predicament - especially if you came to the space intending to connect to yourself - and you end up with judgemental thoughts and feeling worse. An integral ingredient to the creative process is openness. Having grace for any clumsy or uncomfortable moments. Finding opportunity and lessons in the moments where you do mess up instead of labeling those instances as failures and things you will never try again. Our self judgment can put a bad taste on anything we do. So lower your standards and expectations. Go about creating with an attitude of curiosity and gentleness. I understand this can be extremely difficult. My perfectionist nature often grimaces at any moment I am not meeting my highest standards. And yet now, after focusing on healing and utilizing these experiences as opportunities rather than moments to beat myself up, I am able to express, create, and lean into the joy and fulfillment that comes with creation. Doing what my body was made to do.

I come to you here, feeling that connection to my authentic self and the power of creation after writing this post. It isn’t perfect, yet I was able to express some important truths of mine, some things that I value. And it will go out into the world around me, to some people who I love and who love me! To me, that is a meaningful moment of life. This is what makes living worth while for me.

This week try to find a passion project of some sort. Put aside a bit of time to explore creating. Making a space where you can feel safe and not judged by outside influence can be helpful. What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn about, or see, or do, or try? Set an intention to lean into that beginner's discomfort, find something to push your boundaries, and maybe grow a little bit! This can be difficult, so I commend you for even giving it a go. Try to be kind to yourself along the way. Maybe you’ll even learn something new about yourself :)

With deep gratitude,

PaigeDoing meaningful things adds value to your life. 

Creating is always when I’ve been the happiest, most in tune, and feeling fulfilled. I have always found that the flow of art, talking, writing or dancing, any sort of expression, has been my jam. It not only puts me in a spectacular mood, but when the opportunity presents itself to share with others, they sometimes also gain something from it.

Every time I create I learn something from it. Either simple things like I want to try a new subject for water colors (painting butterflies instead of my usual landscapes), or more reflective things such as how some tension in a certain part of my body has gone unnoticed until I started working on a new yoga pose, or even remembering what it feels like to be alive and at peace when I find my breath during an intense practice. 

Throughout my life I have had some miserable times. In these times, when I choose to go stagnant, laying in bed or stimulating myself with screens so I’m too numb to think, or I repeat the same mundane unfulfilling routine for weeks on end - I find myself falling deeper into the hard places.

Now of course there is always a time for rest. Life is a balance. Peaks and valleys are inevitable, and if you think you never have to stop and take a rest - you’re wrong. Our bodies, minds, and souls need time to regenerate just like they need time to express and expand! Shaming ourselves for these moments of recooperation only harms our relationship with ourselves in the long run as we grow to resent our basic needs, potentially seeing them as weaknesses. Invite respite into your life (for those who practice yoga, shavasana is an amazing place to reflect on the value of rest and allow what you have done to really sink in.)

Anywho, the moments I’ve been able to lean into my expression are some of the most fulfilling, pulling me out of ruts and identity crises. When I give myself time to do any sort of art whether that be movement in yoga, dance, rollerblading, or physical drawing, painting, writing, or soul connection such as a good deep talk with a friend or learning something new, I feel authentic. Like I am getting to see a part of myself that is dormant most of the time while I rush to keep up with the busyness of being alive. And it feels so good to reconnect with this part of me!

I know that art can be a daunting concept. Even I struggle to get myself into the zone sometimes and have a hard time not judging myself harshly on the outcome. This can present quite the predicament - especially if you came to the space intending to connect to yourself - and you end up with judgemental thoughts and feeling worse. An integral ingredient to the creative process is openness. Having grace for any clumsy or uncomfortable moments. Finding opportunity and lessons in the moments where you do mess up instead of labeling those instances as failures and things you will never try again. Our self judgment can put a bad taste on anything we do. So lower your standards and expectations. Go about creating with an attitude of curiosity and gentleness. I understand this can be extremely difficult. My perfectionist nature often grimaces at any moment I am not meeting my highest standards. And yet now, after focusing on healing and utilizing these experiences as opportunities rather than moments to beat myself up, I am able to express, create, and lean into the joy and fulfillment that comes with creation. Doing what my body was made to do.

I come to you here, feeling that connection to my authentic self and the power of creation after writing this post. It isn’t perfect, yet I was able to express some important truths of mine, some things that I value. And it will go out into the world around me, to some people who I love and who love me! To me, that is a meaningful moment of life. This is what makes living worth while for me.

This week try to find a passion project of some sort. Put aside a bit of time to explore creating. Making a space where you can feel safe and not judged by outside influence can be helpful. What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn about, or see, or do, or try? Set an intention to lean into that beginner's discomfort, find something to push your boundaries, and maybe grow a little bit! This can be difficult, so I commend you for even giving it a go. Try to be kind to yourself along the way. Maybe you’ll even learn something new about yourself :)

With deep gratitude,

Paige