How Can Creativity Reframe Your Recovery?

Active substance use stifles our ability to explore and experience the joy and enrichment that creativity can bring to our lives. Even if it wasn't part of our lives before, we could be creative in recovery. 

Creativity is an essential tool in learning to express emotions, feel purpose and accomplishment, and enrich relationships (with ourselves and others).  

How Does Creativity Help Us in Our Recovery? 

The freedom to explore and rediscover our creative spirit is one of the great gifts of recovery, and sobriety enhances creativity in unique ways. Being creative (practicing art, music, scrapbooking, etc.) can have many significant benefits, including: 

1. A path out of humiliation. A person struggling with substance abuse experiences a significant degree of remorse and shame that is difficult to express. They can use creative techniques to assist them in handling these emotions, so they don't relapse. 

2. A possibility for healing. Unable to convey their grief verbally, trauma survivors may express themselves via art, writing, or role-play. They may also recognize themselves in someone else's creation. With a therapist's help, creative techniques can help patients talk about their pain instead of using drugs or alcohol as a method of escaping. 

3. Manages emotions. Taking part in a creative activity might help people connect with their feelings. Music, for example, has been shown to promote healing and reduce stress or other unpleasant emotional states. 

4. Assists in coping with loss. Being creative can help people cope with grief and life changes. For example, writing about one's experience is a sort of cathartic traumatic disclosure. One study indicated that recently unemployed people who participated in expressive writing exercises found new employment faster than those who did not. 

5. Encourages mastery of other skills. Creative people may become more adept in other areas of their lives due to their creative efforts, including job performance and managing stress. 

6. Encourages fun. Life has a way of making people forget how to be carefree and innocent. Creativity can help people connect to a lighter side of themselves. Activities like dance, rock climbing, and chess can make people feel more in control of their surroundings. 

7. Creates opportunities for greater focus. Many artists say they get lost in their work. While creativity can help someone achieve extraordinary progress in their professional, personal, and social lives, research reveals that it alters the brain, allowing for greater focus. Being present and fulfilled might help people feel better about themselves and their situation. 

Along with the benefits mentioned above, being creative or getting creative therapy helps people struggling with addiction to explore their feelings. In particular, creative therapies (movement, music, art) allow them to perceive their related emotions through another person's eyes.  

How to Explore Creativity in Recovery 

Being creative can be intimidating for someone who has never considered themselves to be an artistic type. Remember that creativity is about reawakening a part of yourself that has been dormant due to drug use. You don't have to sketch, play an instrument, or write; it's all about creative exploration. 

If you aren't naturally creative, remember that there are various methods to express yourself. Consider these ideas: 

• Visual art 

• Performance art 

• Painting, photography, or sculpture 

• Theatre or film 

• Singing, songwriting, or playing an instrument 

• Fiber arts and needlecrafts 

• Sewing, quilting, knitting, or crocheting 

• Wood carving, burning, or refurbishing 

• Stamping, card making, or scrapbooking 

If you are unsure where to start, there are many ways to find inspiration and get instruction. To learn more about a particular creative pursuit, you can: 

• Visit your local library. Public libraries are a great place to learn about any artistic interest. Patterns, project ideas, techniques, and more, can be found in various books and publications. 
• Consult a family member or a friend. If you know someone who excels at a creative pastime you want to pursue, seek their advice. They might be willing to share their knowledge and expertise, exchange materials, or work together on a project. 
• Look up YouTube tutorials. Artists, writers, singers, and craftspeople of different skill levels create video tutorials available for free on YouTube. 
• Try a class for free. You can often find courses in craft stores to explore different genres of art. 

As you begin your journey of creativity, think about why you want to engage in these creative activities in the first place. Do you want to feel more focused? Do you want to get something out that you can't express verbally? Do you want to bring a sense of joy to yourself? All of these are good enough reasons to seek enrichment through creative pursuits. Just remember not to judge your output during your creative process. Be proud of yourself for trying something new, no matter the results. 

Filling Time With Positive Outlets Key To Recovery 

An individual with an addiction to drugs or alcohol will sense a great void after detox treatment because the habit had consumed their life entirely. Creative endeavors can serve as both new interests and a healthy approach to fill the vacuum. Boredom is a common cause of relapse among people in recovery, but a creative pastime can help prevent this. Art, music, and psychodrama allow people to convey unpleasant thoughts, memories, and feelings without using words. 

To find a treatment program that encourages creativity and will enable clients to express themselves through art, music, dancing, and creative writing, visit DetoxnNearMe.com. If you or a loved one are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, now is the time to heal and rediscover your interests, develop structure, and find joy in sobriety.