Creative pursuits not only entertain and bring pleasure, they also have the potential to foster personal awareness and healing. Regardless of whether you are a professional artist or a committed hobbyist, you have much to gain from creative work.

In my own life my creative activities have not only helped me to know and understand myself, but at one point I believe they saved my life. After being diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago I felt compelled to invest my time and energy in developing a second career as an artist. Through that pursuit I discovered new purpose and meaning for my life. Now I am not only an artist who learns about herself through her work, I am also a mentor and guide to many who also seek to know themselves through creative expression.

One of the ways I do this is through a course called "Healing Stitches." Wendy Huntington and I developed this course over 10 years ago.  We teach it each spring at the Haven Institute on Gabriola Island. Although we always create stitched collages in the course, we also experiment with a variety of creative forms. People who take the course often comment on the things they learn about themselves as they try various creative activities.

Often people discover a sense of play. I recently had a conversation with Erna Hall who took Healing Stitches seven years ago. She commented that she learned not to take her work so seriously. At the age of 86 Erna continues to sew and knit.

Sometimes people learn about their own anxiety and how it stops them from pursuing their creative passions. This is a recurrent theme in my coaching practice and it has sometimes been true in my own life. When I first began working as an artist I frequently had the experience of feeling overwhelmed by my work. I taught myself to focus on the next step as a way to decrease my anxiety. Along the way I also learned to value myself and my work.

My friend Sam Hunter recently completed her MFA degree. Her graduate show and thesis examined issues related to her recovery from a heart attack and living with a chronic disease. She found that using her work as an artist to understand her illness has been healing.

Interestingly, the creative form does not matter, but the personal connection to the form does. In my case I am a contemporary quilt artist and writer. Wendy has found her passion in ballroom dancing and other forms of movement. However, we could just as well be a gardeners, painters or potters.

Being engaged in creative activities gives my life a greater meaning. I know my life is richer because of my creative pursuits. I am a happier and healthier person when I am working in my studio. I love my work. I am regularly excited by the things I learn about myself.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 1 0.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.