 The reason I became a Creativity Coach and a Creativity Counselor... ...is because of my own story. I understand those who have Creative Personalities that were misunderstood, unsupported, unrecognized by society at large, resulting in their needs being unmet, and the ultimate suppression of the creative strengths of their own. Ultimately Counseling for Creative People Started......from the ways I am helping myself. The philosophy I developed for creative minds stemmed from a search to help myself, and that is why I am so passionate about it all. That is why I know it works. Coaching for Creative People Started...I know living blindly to your own creative needs is painful, and to suppress your creative identity is a numbing, unfulfilling and a meaningless life for you as a creative person. I know the struggle of transformation from that to coming home to your creative self. I know it is possible and worth it.  Coaching and Counseling for Creative PeopleTo that end, I want to be more open and authentic about where I came from, and how it is going, in order to give my fellow Creative Minds the endless support have I have always endeavored to give, with all my heart. Healing of a Creativity CoachI am painting a series about my origin story right now that is both emotionally difficult and healing. Creatively healing from past difficulties through artwork is something I strongly encourage as an important part of Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching. Opening these past chapters is allowing me to integrate them into my life, after wading through what I had locked down about them. This is difficult, and very healing. My past loses control over me as I work. History of a Creativity CoachI have shared versions of my personal history before, to give context to my work in Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching. Essentially I was raised with a lot of rules that were not conducive to my creative soul. It was oppressive. Confusing. Disorienting. Guilt inducing. Shaming. Not only did I learn narratives that didn’t support who I was, but also blamed me for it. Naturally, I grew into a young person who was anxious, depressed and unhappy. I felt less- than, broken and doomed.  Needs of the Creative MindVital needs of a Creative Mind are to make your own meaning of your life, not take information for granted, and to form you own opinions. I was stubborn, tenacious, and determined. I was willing to lose everything to find my own way. I guess you could say I did do that. I challenged everything I knew and fought every system I had for the sake of authenticity. It was not pretty, nor was it fearless. But creativity is the master of invention, and I refused to give up. Creativity is HealingThroughout it all, making art grounded me. I painted endless portraits of myself, of women, of iconic religious women, of myself as iconic religious women, of feminist themes, of female empowerment and patriarchy. I explored and delved endlessly. I studied psychology while I studied art. I explored the human mind and neurotransmitters and operant conditioning, sociology and anthropology, I explored my own relationships. The most important step I took during this time in my authenticity, was to claim it, and step away from where I started my life, saying firmly, “not this.” This choice cost me support and safety for the sake of my authenticity. Creative Sketchbook JournalWith little more than conviction to move forward, I came to Maryland with a tiny bank account, a lot of loans, 3 jobs, and a rented room for graduate school. I knew no-one here, but it didn’t matter. These choices were my own! Over the next few years I went through some of the most major challenges, while discovering some of the most important knowledge thus far in my life. I often encourage my Creative Artists to do something I call “creative sketchbook journaling,” and it is something that has sustained me, too. I remember writing in my pages during this time, “When you are down and out: This is when you discover what you are made of”. And that certainly defined that time for me.  Creative PersonalityThis period is where I learned, through my own research, that I had a Creative Personality. That this was a cluster of characteristics, like passion, powerful emotions, powerful drives, thirst for meaningfulness, individuality, authenticity and more that I had been encouraged to shut down, control, suppress, ashamed of, and even be medicated for. I knew there had to be others like me. I reflected upon how art had always grounded me throughout my life, and wondered about the relationship of creative practice to creative people. I wrote a graduate thesis finding the more creative your personality, the creative work was essential to your overall wellness. Creative people need to be creative to be well! How fundamental! But, my life had shown me that creative people were discouraged away from their natural personality traits and creative endeavors to fit into more main stream expectations. The Pursuit of MeaningfulnessWhat followed graduate school was a purpose and a passion. I felt at last that I understood my life in a meaningful way and had a direction to move in. I would develop a philosophy to help myself, and use it in my career as a professional counselor to help others. I spent the next portion of my career in hospitals, clinics, outpatient programs and more, designing interventions, groups and anything that seemed helpful for creative people. I began to recognize aspects of creative personalities with more and more ease. My mission was simple: find the overlooked creative people, help them discover their creative personalities, embrace them, and thrive! Helping Creative People Embrace Creative PersonalitiesHelping Creative People identify their creative personalities, and find tools and support to harness the strength of their natural personalities is absolutely life changing- for them and for me. Maintaining my own healthy creative practices along the way is my own life-long journey. It is crucial to what I do as a Creativity Coach and a Creativity Counselor, because when I do not care for myself, I am in no shape to help others, and, I am at my best as a helper when I have fresh new tools and perspective to share.  Helping Creative People ThriveThis is my life in every way! From my practice to my preach- my life purpose is to help creative people thrive. I believe a good life is a meaningful life. My meaning has been found, in a way, by manifesting that. I live my life creatively, with passion, emotionally, authentically, and out loud. Life is not without struggle or pain, but I know myself and I know where I’m going, and they are all my own choices. How simple. Will you give yourself this same permission? I would love to support you! Start Creativity Counseling or Creativity Coaching Today!If you are interested in real, impactful and lasting life change for your creative mind, I would love to help you. Let's connect and launch your life to the next level! I have three steps you can take, right now from my site if you are ready to take an important step forward in your life: 1) Join my Artists in Residency Program. This is a Free, Online Community of Artists where you can build support, accountability and a network of Creative People as a stepping stone towards reconnecting and committing to your authentic, creative self. 2) Book a Free Consultation. All new clients to Creatively, LLC are entitled to a 15 min, free consultation to sit with me and discuss your needs, services available, and we can problem solve and hand-pick best next steps to help you succeed. 3) Book a Coaching Package. Are you a working Creative in need of specific support? I offer a range of Coaching Packages- let's get started with one that is right for you. More Articles like 'From One Creative Human to Another'Find your Creative Balance, 2 Fundamentals for HSPs, Dream Theory for Creative People, Launch Creatively into Spring, Therapy for Creative People, Duality in Creative People (c) 2022 Creatively, LLC
www.creativelyllc.com  Counseling for Creative People to Achieve Creative BalanceHello, Creatives! This article is about the delicate balance between the input and output of your creative energies. The concept directly applies to the three-parts foundational principles of Creativity Counseling: knowing your creative personality, the relationship of creativity to wellness, and your daily creative practice. Counseling for Creatives and the Drive to CreateAn important part of your creative personality is the drive to create. As related to your wellness, this both requires and generates energy. This is why I emphasize so much a daily creative practice- to maintain a regular source of creative energies to sustain the energy it takes from to create (circular, you see.) In other words, we are roughly talking about a personalized equation of creative input and output to sustain your overall wellness as a creative person. This balance is important and unique to you and your health in a long term way. Understanding your Stressors using Counseling for Creative PeopleAlso important to note is your equation does not exist in a vacuum- the forces of life regularly change the variables and their weights. Once you establish the basic parameters of your equation it will require regular checking in and adjustment with the stressors of life. I want to reference here as a system for setting this up for yourself by mindfully listening to instincts. Keeping in mind the concept of finding your creative balance, consider the tool of tapping into you innate instincts. Instincts are Important in Counseling for Creative PeopleThere is a part of you where instinct and body knowledge live, untampered with by your mighty prefrontal cortex. It is a set of natural drives and signals that most living things live by, and in many ways we have evolved away from. For better and worse, we bring in the “intellectual committee” when making decisions, sometimes overriding our organismic needs. There are certainly times for that. There are also certainly times when it is less useful. Ideally, I want you to be able to identify both your natural instincts and your “committee” decisions, and make a choice as to which you need to follow. Since I think human beings are evolved and accomplished at doing the latter (“the committee”) I want to spend time exploring the former (“the lizard brain”). So- let’s take some time and space to check in with yourself: how are you at listening to your instincts?  Creative People use their Instincts AlreadyYou may connect with this notion of instincts to one of its many names in today’s society- body knowledge, Mommy instincts, protective instincts, gut feelings, initial reactions, first impressions, etc. It is a visceral screaming of “yes” or “no” inside you. If you have to “decide” about something, then that is probably not your instinct about it. Instincts and Mindfulness in Counseling for Creative PeopleI was listening to a book where the author quoted a zen master on this very topic- she said this zen master described the concept of zen to her as “when I am hungry, I eat, when I am tired I sleep.” What a basic and beautiful example of meeting simple organismic needs. Yet- how often do we neglect to do this? We eat when we aren’t hungry, we don’t sleep when we are tired- yes, I know there are many reasons why- but we can’t deny that the overall effect is neglecting our basic needs. You Learn to Listen to and Meet your Needs in Counseling for Creative PeopleWhen we neglect our animal self, or “basic needs” in hierarchy of needs psychology, there is a fall-out. One of these is that we lose sight of and connection with that part of ourselves. If we aren’t giving our body what it wants, eventually we stop listening to what it is asking us for, until we finally block it out altogether and aren’t even sure what our instincts are. Another cost of this behavior is- we are in a constant state of alarm or stress. If, again, you think about an animal without regular reliable food, water, shelter, safety, routine, structure, exercise etc, what you get is a stressed out, unhappy, neurotic animal. For human beings it is the same. When we neglect our basic needs we are constantly plagued by an undercurrent of instability. Creative People and Passions- a DistinctionI want to take a minute and address the difference between needs vs wants. All livings things also have a survival instinct that drives us to excess. It says- “this is good- more!” and this is not the same as meeting basic needs. As creative people, we tend to be very passionate, and the drive to experience more of things that we love is normal. Therefore, it is important for you to keep in mind as you tease apart what your natural self is asking you for- what is healthy for you and if limitations need to be set. Counseling for Creative People Says, Trust Yourself!I said earlier that one of the modern-day society names for these instincts is “body knowledge” and in fact this is a concept researched in psychology. Essentially what it means is- your body stores experiences and and therefore reacts to things very personally based upon your life experiences. This means listening to your instincts can be very valuable. Instincts can tell you when you are suffering, when you are well, and what you may need to stabilize. Building your Instincts: a Creativity Counseling SkillTo strengthen this natural force within you, you need to tap into it and listen to it often. If you haven’t done this much, or even at all, I want you to start by “petting the cat.” Consider your most basic organismic needs (do a simple inventory) and make sure that they are met. Drink enough water. Eat enough good foods. Be physically active. Be social. Get enough sleep. Adhere to a routine. Eliminate toxicity and poisons. Do this diligently for at least two weeks and record your anxiety and stress level as you go. I promise you will feel more grounded, safe and calm. By “petting the cat” you are getting back in touch with your instinctual natural self by giving it what it needs. Creativity Counseling Says: Reinforce!A second step: once you are meeting your basic needs, begin to notice when your “lizard brain” is asking you for something. You will begin to notice fatigue when you deviate from a routine, miss a meal, etc. Begin to make the connection with these natural and basic patterns of cause and effect in your body. Strengthen the connections by noticing them and meeting the needs they are asking you for. As you continue in this work, you might add a meditative practice to quiet your thoughts (eg consciously telling the committee when you aren't available) and access your instincts. Begin to notice the answers to questions like, what “feels right”?  Your Creative Balance RestoredOver time, my goal for you is not to close off your intellectual capacity to solve problems, but to supplement it with your strong instinctual knowledge. When making decisions about your creative energy input and output, I want you to have access to both an intellectual and visceral information sources. By no means do we want to prioritize one mechanism over the other- both have valuable information to offer, and one can counterbalance the other when it misleads us. Both of these working in tandem will help you balance your individual equation for creative input and output in the most optimal way. Start Counseling for Creative People and Creativity Coaching for Creative BalanceDid you know this skill enhances not only your overall sense of wellbeing, but also your artistic practice? Choose one of these steps to start Creativity Coaching or Counseling for Creative People, right now: 1) Join my Artists in Residency Program. This is a Free, Online Community of Artists where you can build support, accountability and a network of Creative People as a stepping stone towards reconnecting and committing to your authentic, creative self. 2) Book a Free Consultation. All new clients to Creatively, LLC are entitled to a 15 min, free consultation to sit with me and discuss your needs, services available, and we can problem solve and hand-pick best next steps to help you succeed. 3) Book a Coaching Package. Are you a working Creative in need of specific support? I offer a range of Coaching Packages- let's get started with one that is right for you. More Articles Like "Find your Creative Balance"2 Fundamentals for HSPs, Dream Theory for Creative People, Launch Creatively into Spring, Therapy for Creative People, Embracing Duality in Creativity, Therapy for Creatives: Creating Holistically, Therapy Skills for Creatives: Anxiety (C) 2022 Creatively, LLC
www.creativelyllc.com  Tools for Creative, Highly Sensitive PeopleToday I want to stress the importance of two simple, but difficult to execute, concepts for highly sensitive people. There are many important things to get to know about yourself when it comes to caring for and nurturing your sensitivity- not the least of which is that it is an asset to you not a problem-but when it comes to long term results, two of the most important are repetition and persistence. Who are Highly Sensitive People?Highly sensitive people have recently popped into psychology as “HSP’s” and started to become recognized as a subset of the population with an expanded sensory capacity. Essentially, this means that along the abilities of your five senses, you are exceptionally open to input. Some HSP’s are more sensitive along a specific sense, many are more sensitive along all of them. Oftentimes, when we talk about HSP’s, what we also mean is an expanded emotional capacity. This means your emotions are in touch to what is happening around you, and respond to that in great volume. You may have been called an empath, for example. You may know things about yourself, like, you are passionate, or you can’t watch scary movies, or you get very invested into your projects, or you love very deeply, as evidence of this.  Many Creative People are Highly SensitiveWe know that one of the hallmarks of a creative personality is an expanded emotional capacity. It stands to reason, then, that this expanded emotional capacity is regularly also a “highly sensitive” emotional capacity, and/or comes along with an expanded sensory capacity. Read more about this here. Many creative people have gone through liife believing this is a bad attribute, bering told they are “too much” or to “calm down” or to “buck up” or “get over things.” Some may even have ended up in the medical or mental health systems to “stabilize” when in fact, their powerful emotions were otherwise healthy for them. If being highly sensitive is the way your brain and body are wired, the first thing to do is to understand this about yourself, and how to support and care for yourself properly. Creativity Counseling your "Cat Brain" Using RepetitionI like to refer in Creativity Counseling, to our high sensitivity as our “cat brain.” If you have ever brought home a new cat, the cat spends the first several days or longer, hiding and acclimating. As the new owner, patience is required of you, and consistency. You cannot force the cat to acclimate to you, but repetition and patience is the key while the cat adjust. Our sensitivity is similar. Our brains and emotions need to learn what we are doing, and that it is predictable, safe and trustworthy. This means we need to decide on something that makes sense for us, and repeat it. The same way. All the time. I know this can feel like nails on a chalkboard to Creative People, but we are not talking about big things. For example- many Creative People that hare highly sensitive hold tension and stress in their bodies and suffer from things like muscle soreness, migraines and more. Yoga or a regular routine of stretching can be massively beneficial. But to reap the benefit, repetition, ideally the same time of day, for the same amount of time, is needed. Creativity Coach to Yourself- PersistOnce a new cat in your household learns where the food and water bowls are, because you always put them there, they get the idea of “this is the food spot.” However, the new cat only truly begins to relax and adapt through trust of that routine which is built through regularity. As an HSP, this is the crucial next step for you. When you have built something into your life, and decided it is beneficial, sticking to it is important. That means setting little goals that are maintainable. For an HSP, the change and chaos and self deprecation of things you can’t maintain is very disruptive. Something small, that your brain and body can depend on with regularity, is massively beneficial and something you can build up over time. You build confidence within yourself emotionally and psychologically when you continue to place that water bowl in the same place, day after day. Creativity Counseling and Creativity Coaching for HSPsIf you are interested in real, impactful and lasting life change for your creative mind, I would love to help you. Let's connect and launch your life to the next level! I have three steps you can take, right now from my site if you are ready to take an important step forward in your life: 1) Join my Artists in Residency Program. This is a Free, Online Community of Artists where you can build support, accountability and a network of Creative People as a stepping stone towards reconnecting and committing to your authentic, creative self. 2) Book a Free Consultation. All new clients to Creatively, LLC are entitled to a 15 min, free consultation to sit with me and discuss your needs, services available, and we can problem solve and hand-pick best next steps to help you succeed. 3) Book a Coaching Package. Are you a working Creative in need of specific support? I offer a range of Coaching Packages- let's get started with one that is right for you.  More Articles like this for Creative PeopleDream Theory for Creative People, Launch Creatively into Spring, Therapy for Creative People, Embracing Duality in Creativity, Creating Holistically, Therapy Skills for Creatives: Anxiety, Your Creative Life Purpose Statement (c) 2022 Creatively, LLC
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