Rituals to stay connected with your creative self
Want to create with less disturbance from your busy mind? Try out these rituals.
I like to spend some time before painting to connect with myself. I don’t like strict “rules”. Things that I “have to do” every day. So I wanted to share some of the things I alternate between. They consist of different physical, emotional, mental or spiritual rituals/exercises.
Just a little disclaimer. The definition of rituals is perhaps a bit stricter and is often connected to a religious practice. I think of rituals as a mean to help us stay connected with ourselves, each other and our spiritual side (no matter what we believe in).
Yoga and Stretching
Yoga is my favorite thing to do in the morning. If I have the time and energy, I’ll do some before painting. This keeps me connected to my body and breath and helps me become aware of my thought patterns at that exact moment. I want my brain to be as kind and open as possible when painting. If my brain is in a place where I’m treating myself like my worst enemy, this can help me become aware of that and try to let it go.
Journaling
I like journaling with no rules or prompts. I sometimes use prompts, but this is more of a free journal exercise. I journal whatever comes up. If I’m having a hard time that day and I’m not sure why, this often helps. I don’t always understand what’s going on, but it stops some of the rumination because now I have it written it down. Giving it more attention seems to scare it away and make it less important. It’s kind of counterintuitive, but I find that i helps a lot.
Breath work
I love breathing exercises. You are breathing all the time anyways and you can always come back to your breath when you need to feel more grounded. I like to do different kind of breathing exercises, but two of my favorites are 4x4 and alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodana).
4 x 4: Breath in for four, breath out for four. Try and focus on your inhale and make it as long as your exhale.
Nadi Shodana: Oh my this was a harder one to describe. Please google it if you want to read a more understandable description of this exercise. Basically you focus on your breath while alternating which nostril you close with your hand. It can help regulate the autonomic nervous system (“fight or flight”), so try this is you feel a bit uneasy or stressed out.
Mantras, intentions or affirmations.
Writing, thinking or saying affirmations out loud. Maybe you have some intentions you decided on at the beginning of the year. My current affirmation is something like “Life has meaning, and I am good enough”. It can be broad or specific. There are no rules.
Cup of coffee or tea.
I like the ritual of making a cup of tea before painting. Listening to the boiling water. Do I feel anxious or calm while waiting? Just noticing whatever comes up and guiding myself back to the present.
Why I feel this helps my creative practice
When I have done one or more of these rituals, I feel I get quicker into the intuitive painting process. If I add some quick warmups too it seems that my brain is ready to create with less disturbance of the negative parts of my mind. It makes me feel more calm, connected and happy.
It does not work this way every day, but this is life and how it is to be a human. All we can do is try and keep practicing those good intentions towards ourselves and each other.
Want to read some more on intuition and self-compassion?
Check out these blogposts:
Check out these free resources:
What are your rituals?
Let me know in the comments down below or hit me up on Instagram. I would love to hear from you and get more inspiration and suggestion for my “tool box” of rituals.
Feel free to hit me up on instagram or send me an email.
I wish you a kind and self-compassionate creative practice
x Eirin
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