Inspiring Your Creative Self

Freedom of expression inspires, centers, and empowers us. By embracing our own personal freedoms—and finding ways to express them—we allow ourselves to respect and embrace the personal freedoms of others.

Finding a source of creative expression begins with identifying inspiration. Whether it is design and color, music and sound, words and communication, or nature and the world, the freedom to express that inspiration is key to finding a place in the world.

Creative expression is nourishing, revealing, and relaxing. Everyone needs an outlet. Day-to-day stresses and responsibilities can be exhausting. Without a release, life is harder. When human beings are tired and frustrated with their lives, compassion and understanding of others is more difficult. It’s important to find ways to replenish the body, mind, and soul by finding a way to creatively express ourselves.

Writing

Communication in written form began with cave paintings in the Cro-Magnon period. The drawings illustrated daily life and told a story that helped their descendants have a better understanding of their way of life. Written communication allows individuals to express themselves openly and freely, and helps others consider a variety of viewpoints.

• Freeform writing is spontaneous, unstructured, and open. There’s no need to worry about grammar, punctuation or appropriate content. This is a stream of consciousness style, writing down whatever pops up in the brain.
• Poetry can be lyrical, symbolic, or thought-provoking. It’s rhythmic and expressive, and can mirror a variety of moods and feelings. In recent years, therapists have started using poetry as way for patients to deal with tragedy.
• Journals allow for more than a personal account of daily life. They are a means to document observances and feelings during significant world events as well as personal victories or tribulations.

Hobbies

Freedom to express oneself comes from a variety of options. Even daily responsibilities, such as yardwork and cooking, can be a means of creative expression.

• Photography reveals the beauty and the calamities of the world. It can be simple or stark, ornate or complex.
• Cooking is a process, starting with planning and envisioning a meal and its purpose. Putting together foods with different colors, textures, and flavors is also a creative process that stimulates the senses and allows the cook to express individual style.
• Gardening also involves planning and creating a visual picture through flowers, plants, and other natural elements. The physical aspect of working the soil allows for a connection with the earth—a partnership—to create something beautiful. Whether it is tidy and manicured or wild and natural, a garden expresses the vision of the person who planted it.

Fashion

Some people have an eye for color and style that eludes others. But people don’t have to be fashionistas to express themselves through the clothing they wear. Like any other creative expression, the freedom to dress in clothes that make us feel good about ourselves is a key to positive self-awareness and confidence. We may not always agree with the message or the choices of others, but everyone should have the right to freely express themselves through personal style.

Color depicts mood, and a sense of self. Subconsciously, the colors we choose tell the world how we are feeling. Whether it is a cheerful yellow, a mellow blue or an energetic red, people can express connections to a cause, or solidarity with a group, or a unique sense of individuality.

Patterns, textures, and designs also reveal a lot about the person who chose to wear them. Some choose to send an inspirational message to the world through a brightly colored quote emblazoned on their shirt. Wearing the message is a way to express personal beliefs, and pass it on to others in daily life—without ever saying a word.

The freedom to express allows everyone to voice their opinions openly, to show the world who they are, and to connect with others who feel the same way. Find a creative outlet, and claim the freedom to express it to the world.