How to Turn Melancholy into Creativity
Hello my friends, how are you?? Summer is almost over, leaves are turning flaming colors, the air is a bit cooler and a new season is here.
Whenever this happens I am happy because I love fall and at the same time I feel a hint of melancholy, saying goodbye to the warm sun.
The last few weeks I heard lots of friends complain about feeling melancholic, so I thought it´s a good idea to write an article, how to turn this melacholy into creativity. First let´s see what Wikipedia has to say about Melancholy:
A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
Now… how does this melancholy feel in my body?
- Heaviness in my heart area
- Very little excitement
- Lethargy, (a lack of energy and enthusiasm)
- Everything brings up tears
- A feeling of hopelessness
These feelings are very familiar to me, I used to call them depression. Thanks to some people and wisdom in my life, I learned about a kinder way to talk and think about it.
The last few years, I have been immersed into Human Design which taught me that all these feelings and states of mind are mechanical energies that just happen.
Sometimes its due to life circumstances, or planetary energies that activate certain energies, sometimes it´s the energy of other people.
When I found out that I have lots of energies, that are actually melancholic, but at the same time very creative, I thought ok, what can I do with this insight? The answer was: melancholic states are great times to be creative.
What a great time to write poetry, write into a journal, write a book, paint a picture, create a collage, plant flowers, try a new recipe, make a beautiful table arrangement, or whatever your creative muse wants to do.
The trick is to actually do it….Somehow human beings are strange and that includes me too. You know what would be good for you, but you avoid doing it.
Has that that ever happened to you? That you rather clean the house, spend money, watch TV, drink a bottle of wine, start some drama, get into a fight…
Sounds familiar? I did all of those things… 10 years ago I stopped watching TV, quit drinking, quit immersing myself into drama… but I still have my ways of avoiding to meet my creative muse.
I hate so say it, but sometimes gentle force is needed. These days, I kindly force myself to be creative and the melancholy feels a lot lighter. These little actions help me:
- I bought myself a good speaker to fill my space with beautiful music.
- I always collect materials, to have everything ready to create collages when the creativity calls.
- Sometimes I take my journal to the park, sit on the grass or a bench and start writing, which at one point might morph into a book about my crazy life.
The most important lesson in all this is to make a choice: To get depressed… or to do things that will actually help the energy to move through your body. Do something creative and as a bonus, you might be left with a beautiful piece of art.
Love you all
Marita
What is your experience with melancholy and creativity? What do you do when you are sad? Please share it with us and leave a comment.