I'm thrilled to introduce you to my new friend Kaitlyn. We met when she reached out to me on LinkedIn after which we enjoyed an afternoon talking about creativity and sipping tea. I love the work she is doing with creative introverts who struggle to express their true selves and I'm thrilled to host her here today.
Attune to Your Body to Encourage Creative Flow 
Every person is one-of-a-kind and yet we expend a lot of energy modifying ourselves to fit in or conform to a standardized way of living. And during the self-tweaking process lose touch with our natural way of being.
Your natural way that encourages the essence of you to express fully in life, the richness inside of you to emerge and the magic of your imagination to be realized.
By understanding your natural rhythms and merging into them, you will flow in the world as you – the true you.
The core fundamentals are important to understand in any pursuit. And your body – the vessel that holds you – when listened to becomes a foundation for your soul’s unique expression to naturally flow forth.
Following are a few core elements of you ~
1. Sensory Gauge: The sounds, smells and sights in your environment all have an impact on you. They enter your energy system as a gentle caress, invigorating tingle or sharp stab. And the manner in which these external senses are received within your body – painful or pleasurable – determine if they are a hindrance or an ally to you. By increasing your awareness of which sounds, smells and sights stimulate and calm you in pleasing ways, empowers you to create your environment for your desired experience in a given moment. Including setting up the space in which you engage in your creative pursuits to support and enhance your imagination’s flow.
2. Energy Station: Every person needs to refuel and the activities that effectively recharge your batteries is unique for each person. If you are more extroverted, you gain energy from external stimulation and if an introvert, your energy source is from within. How you gain your energy is a physiological need and vital for you to understand and prioritize for your well-being. The activities that cause you to expend energy aren’t necessarily negative. You may use energy while thoroughly enjoying a music concert at a high voltage standing room only venue. The greater awareness you develop about the characteristics of activities that cause you to use energy helps you learn when you can add these expending-energy activities into your life and not deplete your energy tank.
3. Internal clock: We live in a world that is constantly going. With our expanded capabilities to connect anytime, anywhere it becomes a breeding ground to ignore your very basic core needs of healthy sleep and food because sleep and food require you to pause. There are optimal times in a day for each person to sleep, eat and be active. Some people feel more alive from 5am – 10am while other people experience a greater sense of aliveness from 9pm – 2am and anywhere in-between.
Attune to your unique internal clock to plan your activities including creativity time to sync with your natural ebb and flows.
I encourage you to embark on an expedition to explore, experiment and discover the sensory stimuli, refueling activities and internal times that allow your body to feel at ease.
During the next month or two take note ~
When entering a space how are the sounds, smells and visual elements being received in your body; When engaging in an activity, notice if your body feels like you are receiving or expending energy; During x time of day, does your body feel alert or is your body craving rest.
As you gather your data, pay attention to patterns and common themes and weave the positive elements into your day. Understanding sensory communication, the rise and fall of your energy levels and nuances of your inner cadence will allow you to nourish and foster your foundation, to remove tension and give freedom for the creative genius within you to emerge in full delight.
How do you encourage your own creative flow?
Kaitlyn Mirison guides introverted artists and writers to embrace their true nature and connect to their signature soul self so their art and life become their soul’s unique expression. Discover more about Kaitlyn and her program, Live Empowered as You at createbeyondlimits.com.
Image by Marinela.
J.D.
Wordstrumpet is a good energy station for me. I’d like to identify another or two. Internal clock–I don’t know about that. My sensory gauge is rusty as hell; it’s operating on memory.
D young
This is a great post. And the biggest thing I gleam from it…? Go on a writing vacation to the beach!
But seriously- the internal clock thing is true. I’m a night owl. My most creative times are when everyone else in the house is winding down. That’s when I can use my creative juices in the most efficient of ways.
Which ties into my leaning towards being an introvert. While I do gain energy from exterior sources and people mainly- I work best alone when my inner creativeness can be used. That’s how I am at work in my job (retail-apparel) – is that why writing is something I enjoy? Because its such a solitude time to be?
As far as a sensory gauge, put me in a summer scene- either on my deck or at the beach and life is good. Therefore what flows from me is also good, right?
Good post. This makes us be aware of what works. In turn, be aware of what doesn’t. Knowing the difference is important and fun to think about.
Charlotte Dixon
Hi D, Charlotte here. I love hearing whether people are night or morning people. My mother was the consummate night owl–I remember staying at her house as an adult and hearing her puttering around the kitchen at midnight. I, however, am the opposite–up with the sun (usually around 5:30) and ready to go (as long as there's coffee). I do not, under any circumstances, try to write at night! So I really believe Kaitlyn's assertion that its important to know your natural internal clock.