The Power of Beauty, Creativity and Joy
Infusing our lives with beauty, creativity and joy matters. Tiny moments have the power to lift us, return us to ourselves, and be a soothing balm for our body, mind and spirit.
I have always known this to be true. I’ve intuitively turned to creativity, and surrounded myself with beauty my entire life. In childhood I was outdoors in nature, wandering through my mom’s gardens—finding nature’s treasures, and creating something from them. In elementary school I drew elegant girls with an intense gaze, wearing ornate adornments. They were regal, and they grounded me amidst the overwhelm of peers and school dynamics. I found a sense of my own identity in them, and they beautifully adorned my bedroom walls (alongside posters of 80’s and early 90’s pop stars, of course).
20’s
In my twenties I did large mixed media paintings with eons of gold paint, yarn, buttons and leaves, scraps of paper and miscellanea. I’d sprawl out on the bedroom floor of whatever apartment I was renting, turn on the music, and follow one impulse to the next collaging and painting, and feeling nourished. I intuitively found myself on that floor, in solitude and creative expression, whenever life felt intense or exhausting. And often when I felt joyful too. It was a baseline for me, a sense of rest and peace.
30’s
In my thirties I created a child and a home. I felt drawn to build lush gardens, and found joy in the vibrant colours of the blooms and fresh vegetables. I chose colours and decor to fill our home (hint: nothing is beige). I opened a studio, and did huge paintings. I cooked, read, made things with my hands, played with my son. So many acts of creativity and joy. So much beauty. Lots of struggle too, but with beauty and creativity always showing up as the medicine.
40’s
My 40’s ushered in deep loss, grief, illness, perimenopause, midlife reckoning, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fear, uncertainty, the weight of responsibility – you name it. At times I’ve felt like it was going to break me. I’ve felt shaken—doubting myself and what I have always known, looking outside myself for answers, believing something is wrong with me, and becoming ill. I am a heroine who has journeyed into the darkness of the underworld, overcome the tallest obstacles, only to realize that what I was seeking was within me all along. I have been on the heroine’s journey. Now I return to my inner compass - when the darkeness comes, I reach for creativity and beauty, and even the tiniest sprinkles of joy. And every time they restore me, lift me, bring me back to who I am in my essence, and to what truly matters to me.
This past year I have learned some of the science behind it. With help from Zara at Uplift Virtual Therapy I have explored the research that connects joy, creativity and beauty with increased immune function, mitochondria function, mood, mental health, and physical healing. It even expands our capacity for creative thinking and problem solving.
I trepidatiously tried laughter yoga with Zara, and surprised myself by falling in love. It’s incredibly liberating and leaves me feeling rejuvenated after only a very short practice. I attend hypnosis regularly, and the experience of playing and frolicking with my inner child (as well as scooping her up and giving her the acceptance she longed for) is so healing. I come through the sessions feeling delighted and nourished. I have made both a regular part of my life. I stroll in nature most days. I love putting my toes in the sand at the ocean, and watching the sunset. I create artwork that is whimsical and dreamy, with a touch of wildness, because it’s what brings me joy. That is powerful. And the joy ripples out and I get to witness others feeling it when they surround themselves with my creations.
I have learned that fear lives in my body, but so does love, and the way to access that love is through glimmers of joy, creativity and beauty. I have learned that it doesn’t take much to bring my nervous system back to feeling safe and calm. A cup of tea and watching the birds out the window. Getting into my studio and simply touching all the art supplies, putting them in order and looking at all the colours. Painting, drawing, creating anything with my hands. Laughing, smiling. Cuddling my dog, Finnigan. Taking myself on wander dates. Browsing all the pretty things in boutiques. Having a deep and meaningful conversation. Watching a funny show. Listening to the shimmering leaves on a birch tree. All of these things have measurable outcomes—the changes in our nervous system can actually be tracked. But I don’t need to see the science to believe it, I already know it. I believe we all have this inner intelligence, but life and social conditioning has stopped us.“Play is for kids.” “Get serious about life, it’s a serious thing.” Sound familiar? It’s time to give ourselves permission to play, to feel delighted, to experience joy, to nurture ourselves with beauty— and to see it as a valid and mature choice.
Today’s affirmation:
I choose to surround myself with beauty, creativity and joy. Because it matters. 💗
