Creative healing
Did you find that somewhere in this life, you lost your self-worth? If you did, then welcome to my story. It’s one we hear a lot in our community conversations; we share those sentiments and experiences ourselves as presenters. Always before each episode. (Like Sarah, I’m an introvert. My friend Jon Torrens. who is a stand up comic is too. He claims it’s how we recharge. Extroverts thrive on recharging with people, introverts get energy from quiet places.)
As Sarah has shared on the podcast recordings, she’s found new perspectives in running. I’ve found healing in kettlebells, yoga and cooking plant-based food, seasonally from scratch. In turn, that’s helped me invest in myself with an ethical living approach. It’s not always been that way; I’m not consistent, I’m human. I forget to pack my yoga mat, get distracted during meditation, and occasionally curse a downward dog (not Molly my dog, honest!)
One thing you may have already guessed about me is that I’m ‘arty’ (a label I’ve worn since winning Blue Peter badges as a kid). I was an artist before I was a designer, and I have a City and Guilds in Stained Glass and studied Fine Art.
I packed my art materials away before infertility treatment, and they stayed in the attic—a bit like a nice cake in a tin, which I don’t deserve to enjoy. Roll on 12 years, and I found Louise Fletcher’s Art Juice podcast and thought I’d like to try her free taster art course (heads up that Alice who co-presents Art Juice is a parent). Louise is a professional abstract artist and author based in Yorkshire, UK who also runs a series of coaching courses.
I’ m now a fully endorsed paint fling’er’. It’s was the first course I’ve bought for me, without the aim of advancing my career or growing my business. I’ve cried a lot of tears, especially when I identified that one blocker was not having children to create with, or for. Alongside this were a lot of unusual realisations around my creativity and immersion.
It’s been an achingly slow process bound in forgiveness which isn’t easy, is it? I’m still pants at that. We all function uniquely and have our own things which fill the spaces created by our childlessness. Sometimes those thoughts are good, and sometimes they aren’t. The good news is that you have a community here to support you. You aren’t alone.
Berenice
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