Most of us would agree that there are many problems in life and that there is turmoil going on all around us. As we get caught up in the stress and pressures of the world around us, we are faced with many obstacles that cause us to lose perspective and awareness, and this diminishes our capacity to live mindful and meaningful lives.

                                                                                                      Our culture values material wealth, appearances, and                                                                                                                     productivity at all costs and downplays feelings and                                                                                                                     emotions, intuitions, and the senses. We are not taught how                                                                                                       to be comfortable in the unknown, or how to communicate with nature, appreciate ritual, or express our artistic, creative selves. This is something indigenous cultures understood and we on the whole have lost.

Native Americans dance in ceremony to honor their ancestors as well as to honor nature, the seasons and ancient traditions. They preserve the tribal legacy and expression through written and oral traditions. In other native cultures, values, ethics and spiritual beliefs are transmitted through songs, dances, silent rituals, prayer and storytelling.

Our bodies hold our life stories. The myths and stories of who we are, how we think and how we feel are contained in our physical body. There, we carry our wounds and scars, overt and hidden. The body holds all the clues and messages about what is inside and these deeper truths can be brought to the surface to be expressed.

When we hold our stories on an unconscious level and have no way to creatively explore and express these stories, we lose contact with the messages and intuitions. What emerges is physical and emotional distress. Creative expression of our hearts, minds, and bodies reconnects us to our selves and our spirit.

We all have the natural ability to express ourselves artistically and creatively. The creative arts, when used with the intention to heal and explore can put you in touch with the courage and strength to express your true self.

Utilizing the creative arts for healing means moving below the surface of the verbal and the known into the multi-layered levels of hidden thoughts and emotions that could be affecting you without you knowing about it. Here, you can create a dialogue between inner and outer realities. The arts help us explore the relationship between the physical, emotional and mental levels of experience. When imbalance is explored and expressed consciously and creatively, the connection that occurs between body, mind and emotions leads to a true picture of who we are and can be.

Despite the negative pressures in the world, each of us maintains a strong drive for relief and release from the pain and conflict. We all hold a desire to achieve clarity and contentment. We all need to find a place of balance and centeredness. What would it be like to honor and incorporate parts of ourselves that are not commonly valued? What would happen if we all felt our presence and our power and used these in conjunction with our strengths and brilliance to affect our world? What if, like native cultures, we honored nature, appreciated ritual, and the messages we receive from our artistic, creative selves?