Creating an Outlet

Today it seems like everything revolves around science and technology and everyone is always on the go running around from one thing to another. There never seems to be time for a break in our lives to just sit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. It becomes mentally draining and monotonous, leaving many of us feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied.

I used to be a professional ballerina and with that comes a lot of creative expression. I was able to lose myself in the choreography and leave my stress at the door of the studio. Ever since I quit, there has been this longing for something like that again; something I could use as my outlet from the hustle and bustle of every day. I never realized it until after my dance career was over how important it is to have a creative outlet.

It took me a while to find out what that was going to be for me again. I didn’t think anything would be able to give me that same feeling. I felt lost. Finally, I realized I couldn’t keep going on by just going to school, only to come home and do more work. I had to self-reflect and experiment but finally found a new outlet through writing and painting. These act as stress relievers and allowed me to pour out my thoughts onto a page or canvas, mimicking how I used to do that through movement.

However, the beginning was really difficult. I was too critical of everything I did, never thought it was good enough. Since I was basically teaching myself how to do these things, I spent a lot of time just critiquing myself. After years of being told I had to be perfect in the ballet world, it was really hard for me to quiet down that inner critic. I found that my biggest obstacle of learning how to paint and write well wasn’t necessarily the techniques, but it was getting my mind to shut up and let myself just work out the kinks.

It took a good bit of time but I finally managed to get myself in that mental state. This doesn’t mean I’m Picasso or Shakespeare, but I am now at least able to use these for what I originally intended them to be--an outlet. It is a time for my mind to be focused on creating and letting go of my stress, contrasting the normal perfectionist mindset that I put towards schoolwork. I can just let go and not have to worry that everything looks perfect, especially because I do that enough in my daily tasks.

A lot of people turn the idea of a creative outlet away because they just don’t feel that they’re artistic or talented enough. Or maybe they have always dismissed the idea because they “never really got into that sort of thing.”

Well, art isn’t just for the artsy. There are so many forms of creative expression from painting to playing an instrument to dancing around. Taking part of something like this is healthy and gives you a fulfilling feeling you didn’t even know you needed.

So, go out and take some pictures or design a dream home or do anything that allows you to feel alive and be you.