Hello, I’m Lisa, a new resident of the Vail area in Tucson. I have worked in a creative capacity for my entire career and am creative by nature. I am happy to be here chatting with you. For my first article, I’ll start by talking about my regular topic, “creative wellness.” I plan to become a regular feature in the Vail Voice on this topic. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Let’s start out by looking at the separate meaning for each of these things before I dive into how I view creative wellness and apply it to daily living.
Creativity is the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.
Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes so that, instead of just surviving, you’re thriving.
Every month, I will feature a different aspect of creative wellness. My hope is that you will find the information refreshing, a bit challenging and fun! I come from a background in the arts. That means music, language, and fine arts. Math has never been my strong suit, but I was forced to use it as a graphic designer and business owner over the years.
When it comes to creative wellness, you don’t need to be an artist with a capital A, or even one at all. Creativity comes in all forms, any field or interest. Pretty much any person in a place of leadership, business owner, inventor, to a stay-at-home mom are perfect examples of those flexing their creative muscles. The trick is the wellness part of the equation.
In order to practice “creative wellness” you have to be a little creative! Life is busy, even hectic and fast-paced for most of us. Retirement seems busier than work life. Going to the office sounds like a break compared to all the places and things you now do in retirement. Whether you are in the thick of work-life, raising kids, or retired, finding the path to wholeness and a balanced life takes creativity.
What does creative wellness look like IRL (in real life?) This kind of wellness involves critical thinking, mastering new skills and creativity. It means finding meaningful ways to incorporate activities and hobbies like arts and crafts, dancing, or cooking, or even by focusing on your own creative self-expression.
Here are some ways you can incorporate creative wellness into your life:
- Live music performances
- Daily journaling
- Daily art pages
- Visit an art museum
- Dance, get moving
- Connect with other people
- Get out in nature
These kinds of wellness activities engage the intellectual, creative aspect of your brain, which nurtures your body and overall wellness. Think of a song that makes you smile, or a person, a place that brings you joy. Do more of these things. May you find peace as you explore creative wellness in your life.
Lisa’s passion is to help people discover their soul-purpose through therapeutic art practices. Kindle is fascinated at how color serves to assist in revealing a person’s life path through creative wellness mentoring. She is the queen of creativity!
