How to Tap Into Your Creativity (and the importance of it in recovery)

The creative process is essentially the same in all its branches and varieties of self-expression, such as music and art or science and political innovations. And each variety stems from the same elements. In many ways the differences in creativity create opportunities to grow and evolve not just as a society, but personally, so it is easy to see why creativity is essential to recovery.

Creativity is not limited to arts, but also to things like communication, math and sciences, all aspects of life. Even being a problem solver requires creativity. One way of investigating the problem is to consider the great ideas of the past and see just how they were generated. Creativity can be a corner-stone to how you consistently build and support your recovery and mental health.

Reviewing Your Interests

One of the best ways to tap into your true creativity is to tap into the things that make you tick. Your interests and your passions are things that can drive your creativity. The history of human thought would make it seem like it is always a struggle trying to think of a new idea, even when all the facts are on the table. Making cross-connections between the desired outcomes and the materials requires a certain bravery, and often times the best way to get real bravery is through true personal investments.

The emotional and personal investments we make in the things we love are a huge part of what drives our creativity. Once we have identified our interests, even in things that aren’t our favorite subject, we seem to find it easier to think more freely of it and how we come up with better improvements or ideas.

Accept the Eccentric

The especially creative type is quite often an eccentric individual, at least in comparison to the rest of the world. Consequently, the person who is most likely to get new ideas is a person of good background in the field of interest and one who is unconventional in his habits.

Simply put, you or others may feel strange in regards to the way you think, and the random and spontaneous or seemingly unreasonable suggestions you make, but in reality that is even more conducive to creativity. Being able to think and act completely out of any box while accepting your inner eccentric will help you to carry that proud artistic energy into other areas.

Do Not Fear Creativity

Author Isaac Asimov stated,

“For every new good idea you have, there are a hundred, ten thousand foolish ones, which you naturally do not care to display.”

This is part of an essay he wrote about the subject of creativity. The quoted portion refers to the idea of people being too afraid of fear to actually express their creativity gene actively. People are too inhibited by fear to let their successes shine.

People who fear their creativity hold themselves back from, and this can be especially true in recovery. Fear is a huge part of addiction and substance abuse, so to combat that creativity dares to believe in these eccentric and exciting possibilities, kind of like the idea of sobriety and the beauty of the world without drugs and alcohol.

Work with Other Creatives

No two people in the world will exactly duplicate each other’s mental capacity for memory and interpretations. One person may know one piece of a puzzle, while looking at a different piece. Another person may know that piece, and be confused about the other person’s piece.

If that’s confusing, I’m sorry. Basically what I mean is that two people could have different perspectives, and an incredible way that there is to spark some creativity is to introduce alternative ideas and understandings and incorporate them in order to perhaps establish entirely new ideas you would have never seen before that.

Creativity like this is especially powerful in recovery because it gives individuals an opportunity to make connections in the recovery community and build constructively off of these relationships. Those relationships are also bound stronger together because they are built on a common interest and have the same kind of emotional investments.

Choose to Challenge Yourself

Those who take the time to see creativity for what is it, have an amazing opportunity to let their spirit shine through them in a way that it only can through them.  That ignition of individuality and strength that is unique to each of us is vital to our transformation in sobriety and any other levels of enlightenment we seek to reach, because we must challenge ourselves to always believe that there is something else, whatever context it you can apply it to, there must be another way to grow. Which in essence is a lot like believing in your recovery.

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”

William Plomer

Challenge yourself to take that chance or that step toward a solution that can save your life, and has the power to change others. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588