How Caring for Your Soul Expands Your Creativity
Today I want to talk about caring for your soul, why it’s important and how it can help you to flourish in your creative life. When we get tired, restless, bored or upset, it’s especially useful to check in with yourself to see what your soul needs.
Whether you call it your inner child, your heart or your soul, being kind yourself naturally overflows into being more creative, because it feels safe to be expressive. Having a good relationship with yourself is key to feeling safe to explore your creative desires.
So let’s dive into some lovely tips that may spark ideas of how you can care for your soul today.
Video Transcript: How Caring for Your Soul Expands Your Creativity
Now, currently I’m writing a book and the working title is “Soulful Creativity.” Now, I’m filming these videos in advance so that title may have changed by the time you’re watching this.
But I’ve been pondering this notion of soul, and what it is, and how come it’s important when it comes to our creative lives.
We probably all agree that soul is that intangible essence that makes you who you are, it’s something that is like a fingerprint for all of us, and we have all got unique souls.
I love the process of using creativity as a way to nurture my soul as a form of self-care.
But how does that actually work in real terms? How can you be kind to yourself? How can you be caring for your soul? And how can you be offering it support as you journey through life together?
Now, as you know, one of my all-time favorite books is the book “Simple Abundance.” In it, Sarah talks about checking in with your soul regularly and asking it things like, “How can I help you feel more at ease, more playful, more comfortable?”
“How can I nurture you more right now, in this moment?”
The thing that I love about this process, is it’s about finding a pause in your day to ask the question and listen to your soul’s response, hear that inner whisper, and tune in to how we can support ourselves in this moment.
Not waiting until when all the laundry is done, or when we can finally sit down at the end of the day with perhaps a glass of wine and watch our favorite show, or maybe wait until we’ve paid off all our debt.
So whatever it might be that we can get caught into thinking, “When such and such happens…. then, I will be kind to myself.” Instead, this is a regular practice of checking in with yourself and being kind to yourself.
I love some of the things that Sarah comes up with. I was going to read a little paragraph from her book “Simple Abundance.”
She says, “Today, be willing to ask your guest,” which is referring to your soul, “what she requires to make her stay more pleasurable. Ask often: What do you need in this moment? What would bring you peace, contentment, joy?
It may be to slow down, read a book, hug a child, caress a cat. Flip through a magazine. Call your sister. Send a funny card to a friend. Take a nap.” Oh that’s often what I feel. “Order Indian takeaway.
Watch a favorite movie. Have a good cry. Solve an English mystery. Turn in early. Dream. Fantasize. Pray. Whatever it might be, she will tell you. Ask.”
Today I encourage you to slow down and check in with yourself. Check in with your soul and ask what it is that you can give her today to bring her more joy.
Be kind to yourself, nurture your creativity, and I wish you a beautiful week!
Did you miss last week’s post? Check it out here: 7 Habits that Make My Creative Life Flourish
PS. Looking for inspiration to get started painting & reignite your creativity?
If you’re new to my blog and you would like some help to get started with painting and creativity, I’ve created a beautiful 10-day free e-course that takes you through just that, called, “Get Started with Painting & Creativity.” You can find that at nicolanewman.com/flourishwithpainting.
In that free e-course, you’ll be taken through how to paint an abstract painting, plus we’ll do a writing and a photography adventure. It’s loads of fun! You can get that free e-course here and start painting today.