being human,  writing

Creativity + Organization = Grounded Self Care

Tapping into my creativity is my self care. Yes, I have other ways I care for myself like eating well, movement, positive self-talk, gratitude and plenty of rest, but also at the top of that list is creating. I just don’t think I realized or put it into that context until the last few years.

For over a quarter of a century I’ve been writer, personally and professionally. For about the past 15 years I’ve written and blogged a lot more personally out of necessity. I feel calmer and more grounded when I write regularly, yet it has only been in the last few years that I’ve put writing in the context of creativity, and have felt a need to explore other ways to achieve similar results.

Since that time I’ve continued to write, added in painting and drawing and knitting and chanting and playing ukulele and lettering and poetry. As a doer, it’s been fun to experiment with other ways to be creative beyond writing. Writing has been a way to be creative AND make money. These other artistic endeavors are just for me.

As a person who tends to put life in compartments, I like finding things that thread together naturally. And I’ve realized that two of my inherent traits do that perfectly: organization and creativity, together.

While I’ve used a planner for years, it’s been nothing more than writing. I started bullet journaling a few years ago which gave me other ideas and ways to experiment and my current practice has evolved into a system that helps me stay organized while creating art at the same time.

I keep trying to define what I’m doing but there really isn’t a definition. It’s simply self care. It’s a way of life that makes me feel organized and peaceful, creative, grounded and whole.