Tag Archives: self-care

January and March are extra-special in 2014; they each have two new moons. I like to treat each new moon as an opportunity to assess my happiness and wellness, and make some goals to help me grow and balance. I call these goals my ‘new moon wishes.’

These wishes can be anything geared to help me feel and do more awesome.

Many of my recent new moon wishes have been themed around finding time and ways to express my creativity, something I am practicing a greater valuing and prioritization of.

I have been making time, weekly, to sit with crafting supplies, and see what happens. I am practicing gentle, accepting self-talk about what I create, and allowing for a broader margin for success than ever before. My goal is to get some of the inside-stuff out, and expressing counts as success, no matter what it looks/sounds like.

I have been exploring and playing with watercolour paints, felt-tipped pens, words, and glitter.

Recently during my scheduled ‘creative time,’ I felt inspired and painted what has turned into some healthy signage for my apartment:

Please Make Art, a plea from my innermost self.

I am inspired by the words of Martha Graham:

“There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it.  It is not  your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.  It is your business to keep it  yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open… whether you choose to take an art class, keep a journal, record your dreams, dance your story, or live each day from your own creative source. Above all else, keep the channel open!”

I am learning that expressing creativity, and practicing acceptance, even celebration, of what I discover, is awesome, and worthy of plenty of further practice.

I am continuing to practice regular creative-expression time, and I will share some of them here, with you, as I do.

I welcome you to share your creative expressions as well.

happy healing.

—Elizabeth Trask, BScN, RN