Are you at a loss for what you can do in these tumultuous times? Are you wondering how you can push back against the negativity that swarms around us like torrential force winds? Here’s an idea that has helped me move and release negative energy and feelings of despair.

Join a creative community!

In the words of poet Andrea Gibson,

We have to create

It’s the only thing

Louder

Than destruction.

Why Creativity:

Creativity is a path to a different, more intuitive inner knowing, one that has nothing to do with right or wrong, other people’s opinions, or the metric of productivity. Creativity is a way to connect with the Creative Source, making the invisible Spirit visible. Creativity is a way to slow down and take care of yourself. Creativity helps you discover nuggets of joy, essential antidotes to the fear and darkness we find ourselves in.

Why Community?

Creating in community is a way to support each other with empathy and encouragement. Working together, we can help each other find our voices and embolden our expressions. Our creative efforts can repel the forces that want to keep us scared, paralyzed with fear, and silent.

“But I’m not creative,” you might respond. Not to worry. This is not about creating a painting to hang over your living room couch. I am inviting you to create as a “process,” not a finished “product.” What comes up inside you is way more important than what ends up on the paper.

How to Begin

Here are some steps to help you start moving that negative energy!

• Choose art materials that require significant body movements – think big swings or twisting motions. You’ll want to use a big piece of paper – like a poster-sized piece of newsprint or kraft paper. Or cut open and spread out a paper grocery bag.
• Grab some chunky crayons that are designed to be held in a clenched fist, or fat Stabilo Woody colored pencils, or a stick of black charcoal for making really fast and bold marks.
• If possible, tape up your paper on a wall or use an easel so that you are standing up while you create – that’ll make it easier to move your body during the process.
• Listening to some energetic music could also help the energy flow.
• Before you make your first mark, pause and have a word with your Creative Source, asking for guidance to release the negative energy that you’ve been dragging around with you.
• Make whatever marks your soul guides you to make. There is no right or wrong way to do this.
• As you continue choosing different colors and making marks, notice what is coming up in you – that’s more important to what is coming out onto the paper.
• When you feel like you have come to a resting place with your piece, stop and take a step back. Gaze at your creation with compassionate, non-judgmental eyes. Title it and date it. Notice how you are feeling. You might want to write a bit about the process on the back of your paper.

Other Options

Manipulating clay is another especially cathartic way to release energy – you can pound it, twist it, pull it apart and smash it back together. I brought a pile of negativity to a lump of clay just a few days after the election. After receiving all of my aggression, I formed the clay into an angry cat lady (a cat with pearls!), and I felt so much better.

Join me for monthly Saturday morning sessions of CREATIVE RESISTANCE. Find all the details and schedule on my website: https://www.artfulspirituality.com/creative-resistance-enrollment

Or invite a few friends over to create with you in a supportive community. Whether or not you talk about the news is up to you!

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FCM member Mary Coffey is a creative soul, laughing. She is a writer who paints and a painter who writes, seeking the sacred in the ordinary. May you find her words and her art inspiring, landing like your permission slip to take up space and find your joy.