We are defined by our experience. And our experiences, our perceptions, are determined by what we pay attention to. Sometimes we have the choice of where we look and what we think about, and sometimes we have a locus of attention forced upon us. When we make judgments of ourselves or of others, we cast attention to a thought or belief that is limiting and sometimes negative and when taken to an extreme can put ourselves, or our flexible mind, into a box.
So, thinking about how we look at and feel about the world and ourselves can affect whether we are open, accepting, and flexible enough to work at the top of our creativity.
Excerpt from: Creativity vs. the judgemental mind
Being able to create expressive art without the pressure of producing an end product suitable for public consumption, has been a freeing and at the same time empowering experience for me. In therapeutic sessions with clients, being able to work with a nonjudgmental lens for oneself and for the client is the space from where the healing and transformation begins.
One is experiencing all kinds of emotions on a daily basis, even the ones who do a lot of spiritual and inner work. I remember how earlier my coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult emotions used to be shopping, going out to a coffee shop hoping that it will go away with these short term pleasure activities. But after sometime, I noticed the pattern and nothing was being done to break it and some days I would spiral. It’s painful to sit with these emotions to go deep and see what is really causing the anger and hurt. It starts with acknowledging whatever is arising and expressing it on paper in any form but in a safe space where a trained professional can hold you as you take this journey inwards.
By working on this consistently and with honesty, one can move to a place of acceptance and find the strength to deal with whatever arises.
After acknowledging the presence of anger and resentment, I was able to go down to the root which led to grief and loss. Accepting that gave me the strength to create space for that and I was able to find some peace to move on.
Expressive and creative arts when used in a therapeutic way become expressions of our emotions and we do not have to worry about the result being an artwork fit for a gallery.
Social Dragonfly 