“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Picture this:
You wake up in a fog because you’re tired, or because you have a medical condition, or maybe ‘just’ a snoring (and rolling!) sleep partner.
Or you’re feeling foggy and tired because, well, life happens.
Maybe the situation is just a fleeting annoyance. Maybe it’s big and disastrous. Maybe it feels like the end of the world. Maybe you just woke up to find out you’re out of coffee.
Well, then you have something to transcend.
You’ve got to become big enough to take it all in and manage it.
Go beyond yourself or even forget yourself somehow.
Or maybe it’s more like this:
You need to change what you see, chip away at a reality you can’t accept. Rail against it even. Then it’s time for a little transformation.
And I get it, those things sound big—and scary.
But there are some really, really simple and small ways for you to do just that with creative expression. Tiny things, doable things.
Things you’ll like doing.
You’ll learn 4 ways to do that today. And you’ll gather inspiration from artists, writers, performers—and people just doing incredible things with music.
Grab your coffee (and maybe your crayons) and let’s go.
How creative expression helps change your day…or maybe the world around you.
What creative language is the best route to overcoming, transcending, and transforming it all? That depends.
Maybe for you, the process looks like creative journaling or writing poetry. Because studies keep confirming it: writing makes you whole, well, and human.
Or maybe you need to transcend your human experience with painting--like Frida Khalo. (Who, by the way, also kept a creative journal).
“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”
--Frida Khalo
Maybe you’ll heal yourself (or others with music) like in this beautiful article in the New York Times. (And yes, it can be as simple as listening—or playing for someone else).
Or maybe you want to tackle something you can’t stand. About the world, about the way you’re feeling. Maybe it’s time to transform yourself and your audience, even hammer away at the world as you know it with your performance.
“I want to shake people up so bad, that when they leave a nightclub where I've performed, I just want them to be to pieces.”
--Nina Simone
And by performance, it can be big, sure, like bringing your audience to tears and hysteria with a piano and your voice…
But know this: your performance can be something small too.
I promise. In fact, what if we talked about that now?
Here are some ways to invite transcendence and transformation into your life with creative play.
#1 Read, look, observe and otherwise partake in art and literature.
Remember, witnessing, enjoying, viewing, and partaking in art, music, and literature IS part of the creative process. And yes, it helps you with the big stuff like transcendence and transformation. (Or even…creating something you like someday. But your job is to forget that for now).
Maybe what works for you right now is reading, listening, living, and breathing the creative legacy around you. That’s beautiful too. And healing. And transformative.
You’re honoring those who showed up to the page, the canvas, or the stage--and living their transformation with them. Walking in their shoes. Understanding.
Besides. If you listen to beautiful music, gaze at paintings that move you, read those books, that’s your first step in the creative process. You just never know when your next step will be to try creating something of your own.
And one small step after another, that’s all creativity is.
Start small today and try one of these:
Share or choose a few books you’d like to read, recommend to others…or discuss.
Create your own playlist of music that means something to you.
Visit an art exhibit big or small, in person or virtual.
Support an artist, someone who is just starting out, someone you admire.
#2 Imagine you’re helping a friend—what would you recommend?
Think of what you’d tell a friend to do if they were feeling sad, uninspired, landed unexpectedly in the hospital, or just needed a change--of everything.
This reminds me of visiting a friend in the hospital and bringing her a coloring book and perfectly sharpened colored pencils. She caressed it the entire time we chatted with that little plastic bracelet still hanging on her shocked wrist. And as soon as I left she took a break from the hospital sounds and sensations and entered a world of coloring.
I try to keep coloring and painting materials on hand for myself too. Because…life.
Do any of these give you ideas? Share in the comments. Really.
#3 Capture tiny moments in your own life.
This is a surprisingly easy go-to habit. You can do it on your own and with no further help—even if you’re just starting out. And remember that in writing and other creative habits for self-care—simple is often very powerful.
This is why I capture moments regularly in my own journal and in our writing community. Here’s how it works:
Your life is full of moments.
Maybe they only matter to you. That’s ok.
Because to you, they really matter.
You can probably find a few in your past if you think about it.
When you became so engrossed in what you were doing that you forgot about everything else around you. Time stopped.
Moments to capture look something like this:
That moment when you stepped out to dump your coffee grounds in the frost and noticed the days are getting longer.
The way it feels to plunge into an icy lake and wake your entire body from a sleep you didn’t know you were in.
The way it feels to walk up and see that strange bird startle and take flight in front of you.
The feeling of stepping into the mud in bare feet.
Biting into a pastry that reminds you of childhood.
Your habit is simple: identify a moment, relive it, and write it (or doodle, or collage…)
And in doing that, you may realize that you notice more moments of transcendence in your day and your life. You start dropping into them. Savoring them.
It’s such a small thing. But it’s a few minutes of transcendence. And as a habit? It tends to lead to transformation.
And yes, yes, you can doodle, draw or paint a moment too.
Not sure how to try it? If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll get a few short emails to help you capture a moment of your own—and maybe write a little something with it.
#4 Forget about being good--and focus on something better.
I help a lot of people with their writing. People who want to write for a purpose--and like what they’ve written. And there is a secret to it.
Write about something that matters to you.
“What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whispering or shouting them?”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity
Writing about (or creating around) what matters to you can also be about doing something for yourself, your self-care. Maybe because it heals you, or because you just have to do it.
And it also is probably that secret quality that makes your favorite writers…your favorite writers!
Maybe you’re already reading this with the idea that you want to write “just for yourself” for a while.
Then you’re already well on your way. Keep reminding yourself it’s ok to write ‘just for yourself’--that it’s essential. Keep hanging out with people who think like that.
Get into that habit and beautiful things will come from there.
Forget being good. You are better than that.
And if you need help remembering it…
Why not join your fellow Vagabonds for a workshop or a writing prompt?
As a way of reaching out and bringing us together, I write prompts and hold live, free writing workshops If you’d like to get my prompts, and invitations to my next live event be sure to join the newsletter.
Share your thoughts in the comments:
If you had a friend who needed to transcend something in their life using creative expression what would you recommend as a first step?
It can be a book to read, a doodle to draw, a song to listen to, your favorite journaling practice…or anything you can think of.
Tell us about it in the comments.