Creativity > Sweaty Pits
Raise your hand if you feel anxious. (Raises both hands and feet) If you follow the news, are on social media, or are human-ing in the world at all, then there is A LOT that can make us anxious. Personally I am in the middle of some big life transitions. I am considering long term goals and plans while also trying to remain present. I am trying to stay current on LinkedIn and Instagram while trying not to compare myself to anyone else. It is no wonder we all have pounding hearts, sweaty armpits, and a feeling of being tired and wired (fill in your flavor of how anxiety shows up in your body).
The temptation to let it be all consuming and just want to go back to bed is real and understandable.
But I will offer a different way and what I would argue is actually kind of the point of being a human in the first place. Go with me here…
We can all agree that no matter our life circumstances, things will feel challenging and dramatic. Our human brains are wired to detect fear, uncertainty and a loss in control and we find ways of feeling like we have control by ruminating, managing our environments, and attempting to predict and prevent any discomfort that may make our situation worse. Sound familiar?
So first we can acknowledge that anxiety, as I’ve described above, is our lizard brain (let’s call this our creature 👹) trying to keep us safe. In Martha Beck’s book Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose she suggests asking yourself small questions to interrupt the anxiety loop with curiosity. For instance:
“I wonder what this feeling really needs?”
“What tiny thing would help me feel 1% better?”
“What’s interesting about this situation?”
Curiosity takes us from our amygdala (our creature 👹) and puts our pre-frontal cortex back online (part of our brain where imagination, metaphor, and play live). Once you’re asking “what if?” instead of “what’s wrong?”, your mind naturally begins to create.
“Curiosity opens the door, creativity walks through it.” — Martha Beck
Creativity isn’t reserved for “artists” - it can be any activity in which you allow yourself to explore, play, experiment, sense and respond rather than just be productive. For example cooking a new meal, rearranging furniture in a room, having a thoughtful conversation. These are the things that make us feel human and open our experience to include a sense of wonder and joy. And if you ask me, that is the point of being alive.
anxiety → curiosity → creativity → meaning/purpose
So the next time you find yourself worked into a ball of anxiety, ask yourself a small question to open yourself to curiosity and then try engaging with the world around you in a creative way.