How to Tap Into Your Creative Self

When I started this blog years ago, it was in response to a painful and traumatic experience. I wrote for healing. It was as if I were writing love letters to myself and wanted to share with the world. I was writing to make sense of what happened and where I wanted to go. It was titled, Thriving After Divorce. It later became Bougie Black Blogger as my purpose transformed to more.

Creating has been such a healing experience and even more so in the past two years.

Teaching, whew… what can I say about teaching… I love it and it is A LOT. This past year has been one of the most difficult years I have ever had. Funny thing is, I said that the year before. It is not so much the teaching itself, but the layers, the expectations, the stress, the fears and so much more. My hair began falling out and I was dealing with a whole lot of stomach issues. On evenings and weekends, I took to painting as a way to de-stress.

I committed to creating beauty. Over the past year, I have seen so much growth in my art and have been finding my signature style. I have used others’ paintings as inspiration and motivation and would attempt to paint those. I am still in the beginning stages of painting and it took me a while to embrace the amateur side and slow down “perfection.”

Give yourself permission to create junk!!!

“In any creative endeavor, you have to give yourself permission to create junk. There is no way around it. Sometimes you have to write 4 terrible pages just to discover that you wrote one good sentence in the second paragraph of the third page.”
How to Find Your Creative Genius by James Clear

Creative Journey

I began a creative journey about a month ago, and have really understood that being creative makes you vulnerable and that is scary to me. But I had to force myself to be open to the possibilities.

With this creative journey, I incorporated travel in it. As I write, I am in Washington, DC and let me tell you about all the inspiration that is happening! I am definitely viewing the trip from a creative lens, looking at sculptures differently, seeing the art in the architecture in the buildings, the museums, the food, everything seems to be created with art in mind. See photos below.

Because I have been so enamored with creating, I started a small group to promote finding your creative spirit. We are wrapping up week one and heading into week two. Self-expression in all forms is beautiful and sometimes we just need some encouragement or conversation to help us bring out that creativity. I am excited because this creative journey group is helping me with the creation of my next themed journal. If you are interested, please join the community!

To me, I know that creating is a spiritual awakening and learning of self in such a vulnerable way. It creates depth and adds layers to self and it is beautiful.

My Top 3 Ways on Tapping Into Your Creative Self

EXPLORE! Go seek out the beauty in the world. Visit art galleries, visit unique places, go on a walk in the park. Be aware of all 5/6 of your senses- hear, taste, touch, see, and smell. I added the 6th for spiritual. Creativity comes in all forms, cooking, making music, dancing and more! Explore it all! Keep track of how or what triggers you to want more of it!
IMITATE… Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… but it also connects you to something you perceive as beautiful and once you are able to recreate, you find your own rhythm, your own style and make it your own.
DOCUMENT… Make a collection of the things you create. For example, blog about it or have a journal where you reflect on your creations. I have a travel journal which I add to over time. I love reflection and having something to look back on.

This is week 1 of the Color Me Creative challenge and you are more than welcome to join us. I am offering the first part of the book for free here.