Having experienced the healing power of creativity on my own path- as a recovering artist, performance artist, art therapist, creativity coach and writer, I’ve been pondering how creativity can support us on our individual journeys of reclaiming the joy and power of our sexuality.
I believe that creativity, available to us all in so many ways, is a beautiful way to re-engage with our sexuality: we can take first steps to learn about ourselves, our desires, personal myths we hold about our sexuality, where we have suppressed our desires and wishes, as well as discover ways forward. Here are some things I believe Creativity can do for us:
1. Presence with what is:
When I allow myself to tap into creativity, through stream of consciousness-writing, making a collage, writing poetry, working with clay or painting, I bring myself fully to the moment with all that I am: my experiences, my embodied being, my emotions, my spirit and soul. And presence is vital when we engage with our sexuality again: noticing what actually IS, right here, right now, rather than what we like to have there. What sensations are present in my body, what desires, what fears? Noticing what is present is the starting point for any change.
2. Opening to the realm of Intuition and the Unconscious:
When creating, I engage my mind, my heart, my body, my ideas and also something more mysterious: I open myself to the unconscious- that which lies in a deeper layer of our psyche, where half-knowing, inklings, nudges, intuition and potentiality live. This is also the realm of what CG Jung called the shadow, where things I might not want to look at or have suppressed and hidden reside: shame, guilt, fears, anger. And- this si also the place of our deepest desires, including our sexual and erotic desires. It’s a potent place! And when we create, we dive into this realm, we get our hands dirty in this rich ground as we dig for treasure, for new insights , expressions and fresh creations.
And what treasure can we find there sometimes!
Initially they might look dirt covered and raw and often they need more loving attending to, cleaning, polishing, shaping- but there are definitely nuggets of gold to be found! In creating we might find parts of our suppressed sexual energy again- images, words, fantasies might show up- and here, in this place of creating we can choose to re-engage with our sexuality, in a way that feels safe, in choice and self-defined.
3. Creations as mirrors and guides:
I believe that our creations are mirrors of our souls, our minds, essence, abilities and struggles and also of our unlimited potentiality. If we show up without the pressure of creating a shiny product and drop expectations and ideas about what a writer, artist, sculptor etc is, but simply open to what is present, anything can happen. Creations, like intimate companions, can become our guides pointing us towards solutions, new paths and connections we could not have seen before. A poem might speak back to us in a voice of hope that we did not find in us before; a painting might show us a missing link; an emotion we tried to suppress turns out to be crucial in acknowledging our aliveness; a shape birthed in clay might remind us of an ancestor- and suddenly we feel connected with the flow of life and we find strength to continue our path with refreshed courage.
4. Connecting with the Body:
A beautiful way to engage with the creative and the erotic is through the body: through movement, breathing, conscious touch, tuning into the body. Our bodies are wise- our dreams and memories, everything we have ever experienced, thought or felt, lives in our blood, our bones, muscles, cells, our very DNA. Through the body we can tap into this rich ground and find its voice.
This spring I am offering workshops and courses that weave together the strands of embodiment, creativity and sexuality. I would be delighted if you could join me on some of these adventures!
You can find info on all workshops on the EVENT PAGE
‘CREATING FROM THE BODY- a journey into embodied creativity’
3rd of February 2018, The Cabin Saltdean/ Brighton;
18th of March 2018 , South London, Synchronicity Centre
‘WRITING FROM THE BODY- an embodied writing workshop’
17th of February, The Cabin Saltdean/Brighton;
‘RECLAIM THE JOY OF YOUR SEXUALITY- Explore Sex and Sexuality
through art making and group sharing’- a four morning sessions for women
starting 27th of February, The Cabin, Saltdean
‘WRITING FROM THE EROTIC BODY’ at Winterhouse
23rd to 25th of February 2018
‘BACK TO SEX- reclaim the Joy of your Sexuality’- one day workshop
18th of February, South London, Synchronicity Centre