Safety is the Foundation of Creativity
Did you know that a sense of safety is the foundation for learning, growth, and creativity in your life?
When you feel unsafe, a large part of your energy and attention goes into survival mode. This is exhausting for your body and soul, and it slows down your growth.
The good news is that you are designed to create safety – within yourself and in connection with others. The most highly developed part of your nervous system, the social engagement system, ensures that our first instinct in a crisis or under stress is to reach out to others for help.
Sometimes, we don’t do this because we are too stressed or have experienced trauma. But even in challenging or unsafe situations, it is possible to create micro-moments of safety for yourself.
In fact, we can use creativity, imagination, and playfulness to move out of stress and trauma and strengthen our social engagement system. Through creating – especially with others – we can learn to feel safe again, even if just for a brief moment.
Safety and creativity form a circular system that is central to our survival and well-being as a species.
Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Sense of Safety
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Notice who you feel safe with.
Spend time with those people whenever you can. Put your screens away (unless connecting online), make eye contact, and observe their facial expressions, tone of voice, and breathing. Play with mirroring them or shifting your own, and notice how it changes the energy between you. -
Use movement to explore your environment.
Look around like an animal sniffing, listening, orienting. Take in colors, shapes, textures – notice how your body reacts. Even if you feel unsafe in a space, find one thing to focus on – perhaps your own hand. -
Sing alone or with others.
Use your voice in different ways. Singing stimulates your vagus nerve, the core of your social engagement system, and strengthens your sense of connection. -
Choose people who prioritize safety.
Therapists, teachers, mentors, friends, partners, collaborators – notice how you feel around them. Do you feel comfortable? Can play, cooperation, and gentle contact help you feel more at ease?
If you want to learn more about my approach to healing, creativity, and self-expression, you’re always welcome at www.karinvondaler.com, where I share articles, insights, and the latest updates.
Thank you for reading my newsletter – it truly makes me happy. I would love to hear from you.
Wishing you safety and abundant healing creativity,
Karin
Paintings and words by Karin von Daler © 2023
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