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By Lisa C. Golem, M.A.
There is a very strong, and very reciprocal negative relationship between creativity and stress. As stress goes up, creativity goes down; as creativity goes up, stress goes down. Let's explore this idea.
Now when I use the term 'creativity' , I mean the kind of states of mind, body and spirit where thoughts and ideas flow freely from God; where there is a stream of content that comes clearly from a very different place than one might normally inhabit. Jesus said: "He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38.
All people are creative (whether they believe it or not) --we are all made in the image of the Creator God, so ultimately, creativity flows in all of us. The forms this creativity may take are as varied as the folks that hold it: Some are problem-solvers, innovative thinkers, inventors; some are painters, sculptors, photographers; some are brilliant poets or writers; some are singers, song-writers or musicians; some are actors, story-tellers, dancers; the list could go on... But the point is, no one missed out on inheriting a reflection of God's creative nature.
Being in the state of relaxed creative flow described above is nourishing, enlivening and restful. So what blocks us from living in this creative flow more often? There are many answers to this question, but for the purposes of this article, let's focus on how stress can be the culprit.
Stress Inhibits Creative Flow:
Stress, fear and chaos in our environment simply inhibit access to these creative levels, as it also limits the awareness of God. This seems to be a mathematically precise correlation between the amount of stress that is present, and what states of peaceful concentration can be experienced.
Huge amounts of stress creates a disturbance during which routes into the creative flow state are simply lost; and where this becomes really troublesome is when the BACKGROUND stress is so high that creativity seems to have forsaken the person altogether. And the inability to create (for someone that is motivated to do so) now itself causes further worry and stress as a previously loved activity becomes a hard slog with less than desirable results.
If you are worried about your creative expression, or unhappy with it, the best thing to do is to reduce the amount of stress in your life. There are many hints on how to do this, but the best anecdote for stress I know is to abide in God's presence... worship Him, cry out to Him, accept His profound love, still yourself before Him. And ironically, as these things increase your peace and reduce stress, they will also inspire you creatively... because God loves to do that!
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Other stress reducing activities include: exercising, meditating on Scripture, laughing, enjoying friendships, deep breathing, reducing refined carbohydrates and caffeine, conquering perfectionism & procrastination, getting enough sleep, and managing your time more efficiently.
Being Creative Reduces Stress:
It grieves me that satan often gets away with convincing people that they are not creative or gifted at anything, so they forsake the act altogether. 'If I urge them to try creative things, these wonderful saints who don't consider themselves 'creative' often ask me why ...or what's in it for them?' Many things, but one major benefit is this:
. . . creativity!
As I said above, there are extreme levels of stress which completely stop the creative flow; when someone is in that place, abiding in God's presence is a better first step towards recovering their creativity. But for someone with more manageable stress levels, taking time to enter into creative activities without lofty expectations or judgment-creating just for the fun and pleasure of it, not for the products produced-will find themselves relaxing and slowly entering back into the state of creative flow.
Studies have indicated that drawing, painting, writing, singing, dancing, or playing an instrument reduces physical signs of stress, promotes calm and focused thinking, and promotes physical and emotional healing. The activity in your brain slows down and begins to resemble the brain states achieved during prayer and meditation. One can create in this state for a long time without feeling the slightest bit tired; when finished, one is happy, very much at peace and delighted and excited with their experience.
The encouragement and support of others is also helpful when you are stretching your creative wings. Working alongside others in the body of Christ with the goal of becoming all God created you to be, will provide the added stress reliever of social support as well!
Please note, however, that if someone is bound up with very negative self-beliefs, trying to create may initially cause some stress. Again, in this case seeking God's healing presence in that time of stress will help in overcoming the lies of the enemy that seek to rob us of the joy of creating. Then as these lies are addressed, our God-anointed creative flow will be restored.
The bottom line?
As you reduce your stress levels, you'll ride into creative city again... and as you allow yourself time to putter in creative endeavours, you will find stress relief and a deeper level of peace and relationship with your Creator.
This article was contributed to canadianchristianity.com by Cornerstone Christian Counselling Centre, Kitchener, ONT. www.cornerstonechristian.ca
May 8/2008
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