Awaken Your Creative Spirit
The Launch of The Creative Altar Podcast!
I am getting stretchy this year, friends! I am sitting with the feelings of discomfort that come with new experiences and sharing yourself in new ways. But I am feeling called to connect with you in different spaces and modes.
The Magic in Creative Ritual
There's a special kind of magic that happens when we give ourselves permission to create without judgment. As a fine artist and licensed art therapist, I've witnessed this transformation countless times – both in my own journey and in the beautiful souls I've had the privilege to work with. This magic is what inspired me to launch The Creative Altar, a podcast that explores the profound intersection of creativity, healing, and divine connection.
In each episode, we'll dive into creative wellness – the intentional practice of weaving creativity into our daily lives as a tool for healing and self-discovery; The creation of a sacred space where you can play, connect, and grow, free from expectation and unbound by judgement.
We'll explore practical ways to develop your own creative wellness rituals. Establishing a regular practice that deepens the connection between your internal and external worlds. We'll discover how simple creative exercises can help you navigate life's transitions with greater self-trust and presence, develop a personal creative practice that honors your unique journey, find moments of sacred connection in everyday creative acts, and create dialogue with your embodied emotions.
My Journey
There's a moment in childhood when many of us are pure creative essence. We draw without judgment, paint without fear, and express ourselves without hesitation. For me, it was hours spent drawing fairies, goddesses (Athena and Persephone were my jam), and superheroes (hello Queen Lacy! IYKYK)– each creation an attempt to manifest the power and magic I felt stirring within.
But like many of us, as I grew older, I struggled with depression, anxiety, and emotional regulation. The language of art remained my one place to feel empowered and expressed, but I still could not connect the power I felt in my work to my mental health and relationships. My teenage years were messy and tumultuous and I REALLY wish I knew what I know now about art therapy.
While on a praxis trip for my Women & Gender Studies minor, we attended a panel discussion where I was introduced to the powerful use of creative expression to help with emotional reconstruction post-Hurricane Katrina; Art Therapy. Suddenly, I discovered a new language for healing, a way to alchemize pain into understanding, to find expansion where there had been constriction.
This discovery led me to earn my Masters in Creative Arts Therapy, and since becoming licensed in 2012, I've had the privilege of witnessing clients reconnect with their creative essence. As I guided others through their healing journeys, I found my own wounds transforming into wisdom.
Today, I am married to my love, Nate, and mother to my son, Carlin, and daughter, Alba. As a fine artist working in watercolor, acrylic, ceramic, and animation, I create pieces that fuse landscape, flora, and fauna with the human figure. My work explores the profound connection between our inner and outer worlds, seeking to awaken wonder, reflection, and universal connectivity through vibrant, soothing imagery. Whether creating sweeping landscapes embedded with figures or intimate scenes of quiet moments, each piece becomes an invitation to recognize the sacred within ourselves, our relationships, and the earth.
It's from this intersection of art, healing, and spiritual connection that The Creative Altar Podcast has been born.
Why Creative Wellness
Creative wellness is the act of integrating creativity into your life in an intentional way to improve your overall well-being.
At its heart, creative wellness weaves together:
The practice of using artistic expression as a way to listen to your inner world, the keeping of a visual diary that speaks in colors and shapes rather than just words. It's about honoring those quiet moments when making something helps you make sense of something you are moving through.
A mindful approach to creativity that values the process and not the outcome.
Recognizing that creative expression can be both our anchor and our sail - keeping us grounded while helping us explore new territories within. By crafting a creative wellness ritual, we are building a container that is both refuge and laboratory for personal exploration.
Creative wellness invites you to see your creative impulses as essential nutrients for your overall wellbeing.
Creative expression engages the brain in harmony and interconnection. Brain scans have found that creativity doesn’t just engage the right hemisphere as is generally thought, but involves the cooperation of the brain’s cognitive control network (focused attention), and the default mode network (daydreaming & self-reflection). This partnership reflects the harmony and dance of conscious and unconscious thought when art making, giving some love to your nervous system, lower cortisol levels and release dopamine.
A Creative Prompt for Your Ritual
Here is a simple practice to get you started called "Three Circles." All you need is paper and something to write or draw with – nothing fancy required.
1. Draw three circles on your paper, any size. These represent your inner world, your external community, and your environment.
2. In the first circle, express how you're experiencing your inner landscape right now through marks, colors, or symbols. Let go of judgment and trust what emerges.
3. In the second circle, reflect on your connections with others. Who supports you? Who inspires you? Who do you wish to connect with more deeply?
4. In the final circle, consider your relationship with your environment. What helps you connect? What elements bring you peace or nourishment?
5. Look at your circles. Notice any patterns or connections between them. You might want to draw lines, symbols or images in the space connecting these relationships or indicating barriers.
6. Take a moment to write one-two sentences that summarize the experience of this creation.
This simple practice helps us:
- Ground in the present moment through mindful creation
- Acknowledge our interconnectedness
- Express feelings that might be hard to put into words
- Create a visual reminder of our relationships, connection, and where we may want to channel our energy
Remember, creativity isn't just about making art – it's about making space. Space for healing, for growth, for connection, and for discovering the sacred within your daily experience. Whether you haven't picked up a crayon since childhood or you're already on a creative journey, there's a place for you here.
Join me on The Creative Altar Podcast as we explore different creative practices and discover tools for deepening our connection to the sacred through creative expression. Together, we'll uncover how simple creative practices can help us move through life's transitions with greater self-trust, presence, and understanding.
Your creative spirit is in the palm of your hands. All you need to do is open to its possibilities!
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The Creative Altar Podcast is now available on Spotify, new episodes released bi-weekly. Follow @ara.creativewellness for inspiration and nourishing creative prompts.
