Why Running is Good for the Creative Process
I love to run. My constitutional run is about 8 km from my house, around the lake and back. I try to go everyday. It is an important emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual part of my life. It also helps shift, shape, and shake up my creative process.
Why? Ten reasons:
• It gets me in nature. I see the seasons change, I feel the air, the wind, I smell the summer, autumn, spring and winter outdoors. Running in nature connects and grounds me in ways that make me feel more stable and part of the larger scheme of things. The thoughts, feelings and tactile experiences that I receive come out in my visual artwork and writings.
• It gives me time to dream. When I run I am in my body and out of my head. Halfway through the run I often get inspirational ideas for my Art Therapy work with children and my own art projects.
• It gives me one-on-one time to be with my dog. My dog loves running as much as I do. This warms my heart and feeds my soul. Having a rich relationship with animals helps me be more creative in my life.
• It helps me clear my mind of the little worries and concerns that often cloud it and it shifts me into the present. I experience complete joy feeling the sun on my back and the strength in my legs. It helps ground me in the now. Being in the now fuels my creativity.
• It connects me with strangers and new experiences. I wave at strangers who run by me, and see new sights each day even though I am following the same route. Having a new perceptive, new images and ideas are important to deepen my creative life.
• It changes my mood. When I run, my pituitary gland releases endorphins, which causes me to feel happiness and contentment. This helps me feel more creative in all areas of my life.
• It helps me be fit and healthy. This is good for my creative process because I have more energy for my work.
• It helps me stay at a weight that I feel good about. Being happy about how my physical body looks, means that I can have fun dressing myself and playing with clothes. This is a big source of creative play for me.
• The sky. I get to watch the big magical, mystical prairie sky change color, shape and texture. Need I say more?
• Running freely in the elements is a spiritual experience for me. It helps me be grateful. I am grateful for this body that still works, this place that I live, the people that I work with and my family. I am also grateful that I can be creative everyday in my work and I will do all that I can to deepen my relationship with my creative process, Running is one method that works for me.
Artfully, Karen
One Response to Mindful Artscapes: Why I Run