Unlocking the Healing Power of Creativity

Welcome to another episode of Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories. Today, we delve into the transformative power of Creativity and Addiction Recovery. While traditional therapies are crucial, incorporating artistic expression through activities like art therapy, music therapy, and theater can provide unique benefits. These creative outlets allow individuals to explore their emotions, understand the root causes of addiction, and develop a positive self-identity. Art therapy in particular has proven to be effective in addiction recovery by helping individuals investigate the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with substance use. Music therapy, on the other hand, can reduce denial and resistance, increase motivation for treatment, and improve communication. By incorporating creativity into recovery programs, individuals can redefine themselves beyond the addiction label and discover their talents, strengths, and passions. This empowers them to envision a different path for their recovery and overcome addiction. Moreover, Creative therapies provide a safe space for individuals to process trauma and co-occurring disorders, reducing the likelihood of using substances as a coping mechanism. The benefits of incorporating creativity into addiction recovery extend beyond the individual. Artistic expression has the potential to reduce stigma, inspire others and contribute to the cultural discourse surrounding addiction. By sharing their recovery journey creatively, individuals can break down societal stigmas and offer hope to others struggling with addiction. Additionally, creativity plays a significant role in post-traumatic growth, aiding in positive psychological changes following a traumatic event. Through creative activities, individuals can express their emotions, process their trauma, and find meaning and purpose in their lives. This builds resilience and self-efficacy, enhancing confidence in their ability to cope with adversity. The relationship between addiction recovery and creativity is multifaceted and intriguing. Creative activities serve as therapeutic outlets that aid in reconstructing one's identity, alleviating stress, and promoting emotional expression. They offer a new focus, breaking the cycle of addiction and preventing cravings or triggers. By incorporating creativity and artistic expression into addiction recovery programs, individuals can unlock their creative confidence and recovery capital, supporting their healing journey and reducing the risk of relapse. So join us as we explore the transformative power of creativity in addiction and mental health recovery. Today we are joined by Mary and Nicholas, two individuals with lived experience in addiction and recovery. They will be sharing their unique insights and personal journeys of how creativity played a crucial role in their healing process. Our conversation will center around the unexpected connection between creativity and addiction recovery and the transformative potential of artistic expression in personal growth. We will gain perspectives on how creative pursuits can catalyze change in one's life and the profound impact it can have on the recovery journey. Let's welcome Mary and Nicholas to the show. I'll start with you, Mary. Hearing about individual recovery journeys is always inspiring, mainly because people find different methods to heal themselves when properly motivated and focused. I'm interested in learning about your experience with addiction and recovery and how your creativity played a role in the healing process.

Hello, Antonio Matta. Thank you for having me. I am an author and writing has always been my go-to thing to comfort me in my times of trouble. So when I was doing— when I was having addiction problems and when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, writing was the most soothing thing for me, both in journal form and when I was having emotional distress. I actually composed some books that I have since had published. So my creative expression in writing form slows down my life, makes me more emotional, emotionally stable, so I don't need to act on my addictions. So that's what I will say about that.

Nicholas. Was your discovery of the relationship between creativity and addiction recovery natural and organic, experimental, or somewhat intuitive?

Wow. I think, you know, for the most part, you know, intuitive, you know, just really just, you know, realistic, just out there. And, you know, my My goal for my whole life has always been, okay, I want to be the— I really wanted to be the next Broadway director, Broadway playwright, of writing the next West Side Story or, you know, some type of show on Broadway. That was always my dream. And then little did I know that my passion for theater would come back in a different direction, but this time it would be more writing a plays and musicals to educate our community about mental health, about stopping the stigma associated with mental illness, you know, and not just, you know, and also even creating films. And so I just never even expected it, you know, at that point. I never even knew that's where my life— if you had asked me this 20 years ago, you know, where I would be today or even, you know, further than that, especially during my high school years, I would probably say, "No, I'm not going to be writing any plays about drinking and driving, depression, stuff like that." But I feel like it's been a blessing because I've now been able to advocate in a more creative and different approach than normal.

[Speaker:ANTHONY] Mary, I'm fascinated by the idea that engaging in creative activities can help us better express our emotions and overcome recovery challenges. Can you share how these activities have helped you personally?

Yes, I would say I agree that creative expression is a big help and they have helped me personally by allowing me to look beyond my labels and look beyond my addictions and take me one step further into what really is of value to me. And I get to, with my writing, I get to, like you said, express my emotions, get in touch with how I feel, get away from the need for addiction or to use. And also remind me of the talents I have. So, um, it really brings me to who I am as opposed to what is wrong with me. It's a real reframe for me, and it gets me to a place where I am grounded as opposed to, um, it gets me to a place where I realize what is well about me rather than what is wrong with me. And it— that's the healing place for me.

Nicholas, it's incredible how specific creative activities can profoundly impact our well-being. Can you give examples of these activities that have helped you the most?

I'm going to go back to, you know, going back in high school and middle school, taking theater arts, you know, taking drama. And where I used to be the quietest kid, you know, for me personally being quiet and not talkative, and then joining theater and opening me up and increasing my self-esteem and just making me realize there's others out there like me, you know, and I feel like, you know, going to— and then of course going to college for theater and then going to, you know, other colleges, you know, throughout my years, just like, just, you know, stepping up, you know, becoming, you know, being the center— I don't want to say the center of attention, but being the leader, you know, presenting, doing workshops. Like whenever I'm in a group setting and, you know, we have a, you know, an opportunity for us to you know, someone needs to be a spokesperson, they always pick me because of my background in theater. And, you know, at first I'm kind of nervous, but once I start getting into it, then I have no problem, you know? And I feel like if it wasn't for theater, I don't know if I would still be quiet today or if I would still be a little hunchback today or what. But I will say, you know, doing theater back in the days really has helped me grow as a person, grow as a presenter, and grow as a leader.

Mary, finding purpose and meaning in life can be challenging, particularly during recovery. How has creativity assisted you in this regard?

I have found, um, that helping people with their creativity has become my purpose. Teaching people how to write, teaching people that they can write, um, even if it's just to start out by writing one word a day. Uh, and I recently had a client that I was working with that came to me in crisis and distress. Those were her words. And within a week of giving her a notebook she was able to go from writing, staring at that notebook and writing nothing for the day to writing paragraphs and paragraphs and paragraphs. And I think that's very, very rewarding and become my purpose. And in addition to helping me author books and writing a blog and using it for my own mental health and addiction recovery. It has also given me a purpose to show other people that they are capable of healing through the, the written word.

Nicholas, it's intriguing to see common patterns among individuals who have used creativity as a healing tool in their recovery journey? What benefits have you seen that others have experienced?

Creativity really, in the recovery field, I'll talk from the mental health field, is that when you add in creativity for those in recovery of mental illness, you are allowing someone to be themselves back again. And we're told so many times no and no and no. And for, you know, when someone puts a canvas in front of someone and says, paint, create, you know, paint whatever you want, you know, it allows that person just to be themselves and just think outside the box and just create what they want to feel like. And one thing I always say to people is that, you know, art therapy, drama therapy, you know, theater, music, all that stuff, those are all therapies that don't require a therapist. You know, it's just, it's waste of what we call personal medicine and self-care. And so, you know, being okay with yourself and being okay with— it's okay to step outside the box. It's okay to try something new. It's okay to, you know, really just let go. You know, as the song says, you know, let it go is really just, you know, let go and be yourself and let go and have fun. I mean, and that's over the overall, you know, theme is just have fun, you know, in what you do. And because, and for me, I've lost family members. I lost my mom in 2018 and I, and I have seen, you know, and lost other people too. And I just noticed time is of the essence. You know, it's just don't take things for granted anymore and just let it be and just live life every day because you never know if you're going to wake up and have that breath again, or if you're going to see that person again, you know.

Mary, cultivating self-awareness is essential during recovery. Creative activities are a powerful way to help us discover new things about ourselves. How have these activities helped you elevate your awareness?

I would say, um, while I'm doing my writing, I get a lot of epiphanies in my self-awareness. And especially when I am, sometimes I'm distressed or I'm feeling out of alignment. So I will get my pen out in my journal and I will just write about what I'm experiencing and feeling. And even if it doesn't produce results immediately, uh, the next day I might go and reread what I have written. And the answers always come through my writing. And so the epiphanies and the becoming aware and putting myself in the moment, in the now, and it makes everything else go away. So in other words, I transmute my negative emotions into positive affirmations through my writing.

Nicholas, stories of individuals who have used creativity to overcome addiction or mental health challenges and rebuild their lives are truly inspiring. Can you share any anecdotes that have left a lasting impression on you from your experiences?

I always use the term self-care. I use the term personal medicine. And what I do is I just kind of tell myself, you know, it's time for self-care. It's time to, you know, do some personal medicine, you know, and that personal medicine could be watching a movie on Netflix or Hulu, you know, that, or that self-care could be, you know, if I'm on the computer all day doing some work, you know, or write a play and It's now 9 o'clock or so. I'm like, you know what, it's time. I'm done. You know, I need to close it down. And, you know, closing off my computer, going, you know, getting ready for bed, take a hot shower, you know, getting ready for bed. But at least I have turned off the computer. And even though I have access to my email on my phone, you know, I might see an email come through. I might say, I'll probably save it for the next day, but I'm not going to get up and go back on the computer and, you know, email someone about it. So, you know, that has been what I've done to really take care of my self-care and my personal medicine is really put up boundaries, you know, within my own lifestyle and everything and within my own life and, you know, getting what I— getting the rest, you know, that I need to. And so it's really just kind of like, you know, really, you know, taking care of myself, looking for— looking more at my my personal stuff. I've also gotten more into health now, you know, trying to like eat a lot more healthier, you know, because like I said, last summer, August 2022, I had a scare that I was in ICU for a whole week. And, you know, while I, you know, there were, you know, there were things about high blood pressure and all this other stuff, I didn't know what was going to happen, you know, and for all I know, I could have passed away and I didn't, you know, all this stuff. So It was an eye-opener for me in that whole week I was in the hospital to really get my shit together and get things going. And that's where I started getting more into my health. I started getting more into self-care. And so I would say, and those are probably the— also just getting involved in things that I want to get involved in and also being able to say no now. Kind of like checking in, like someone wants me to help them coordinate an event. Instead of saying yes all the time now, I'm looking at my calendar and just checking in to see, okay, what's going on? Can I really fit this in? And then also the other anecdote is my to-do list, really setting my boundaries and time management for the day and creating a schedule of what I need to do that week, making sure things are going well. If I need to add something, add to it, but really using that to-do list to help generate what my schedule's gonna look like has been another antidote as well.

Mary, for someone in recovery, incorporating creativity into their healing journey may not be the first thing that comes to mind. What advice would you give to someone considering doing so?

My advice comes in the form of encouragement and I, I believe in cheerleading anybody who's in mental health distress or addiction. And for me, it was admitting— one, it's one thing to admit that you're an addict or you're having mental distress. It's another to take that next step and move beyond it. Creativity in my mind is the best way to do that, or a very effective way of doing that. And I remind people, you have to get back to the crux of who you really are. And creativity is the best way to finding that, and that if they really want to reap the benefits of recovery, expressing their creativity is a fantastic and magnificent way of doing it, discovering the masterpiece of who they really are.

For this last question, I'd like to get both of your thoughts. We'll start with you, Nicholas, as As we continue to develop our approach to addiction and mental health treatment and recovery, how do you see creativity playing a role in the future? What are your thoughts?

The good thing about creativity is that it's always there, you know, and I don't feel like it's ever going to go away. And as you talk about in the future, I feel like, you know, people are going to have new ideas. People are going to come up with different approaches. You know, besides painting, there are people that like to, you know, besides painting canvases, there are people that like to paint rocks. There are people that like to crochet. There are people that like to sing and write poetry. And there's all different types of ways to be creative. And as the years go on, And I say because of COVID a lot of times too, because, you know, we all had gone virtual, is that, you know, while we went virtual for a while and everything else, now people are starting to want to get out. People are wanting to start going out to other classes, going out to events. And so I would say in the future, even though COVID is going to be around for a while, it's time for people to step outside their comfort zone, step outside and go to these classes or You know, just go to the park and paint and draw, you know. But as the future goes on with the creativity, it's never going to stop. It's just going to get more procedures and more technology is going to come. It's on the rise and more opportunities, I feel like, are going to come for people too, as well. And so we just need to be ready for any change, any adaptation that happens in the form of creativity.

Mary, anything you'd like to share?

I really like the idea of using creativity as a sustainable path to recovery. And I like that in the field right now, there are so many— there's so many avenues to recovery and there's so much I like the concept of having people uniquely define their idea of addiction or mental illness or however, whatever words you want to use. And also they're defining their meaning to the word creativity because it's different for everybody. Um, but once they do that and find their muse, so to speak, or their unique meaning of creativity and what is meaningful to them and what Avenues they want to use, I think people are unstoppable. And once you get them using their imaginations and their creativity and expressing what they need to in the way they want to, I believe that that will create a sustainable path to recovery for them. And That's an amazing thing to celebrate for everybody.

Thank you, Mary and Nicholas, for your stories and insights. To further the discussion on recovery and creativity, we have the pleasure of introducing Douglas Smith, an author, online therapist, and creativity coach. Douglas is the brilliant mind behind the thought-provoking book, The Infinite Artist. With his extensive experience as a therapist and coach, he founded the House of Flow, a supportive community that caters to artists and creatives from all walks of life. Douglas is passionate about teaching the creative process and exploring the profound connection between art and meditation. Over the past decade, he has shared his wisdom in meditation centers and yoga studios across the United States. So, Douglas, welcome. How can participating in creative activities aid recovering individuals in expressing their emotions and managing their challenges.

In my own experience, and from trying to understand people who are addicted to something like alcohol or drugs, there's usually an underlying specific cause. Like something happened in the person's life that they're unwilling to face and they cannot process. And they find that it's much easier to avoid the thoughts and emotions associated with that cause and numb themselves through some destructive habit. Than it is to face the event or cause of the addiction and process it and learn from it and ultimately let it go. So given this, when we talk about creativity, if it's true creativity, meaning it's an act of pure expression, then it's something that gives us the ability to express whatever is inside us, right? So the act of expression is what helps us to free these stuck emotions that are driving us to addictive behavior. Because in an act of creativity, we're expressing the emotions. They are coming to the surface and coming out, and this helps us see them in a new light, gives us perspective on them, and also gives us space from them and frees us of their influence on our decision-making processes. And as the emotions come out through whatever form of creative expression, the person feels relieved. And why do they feel relieved? Because they're not spending all of this energy trying to suppress them. It always takes energy to suppress an emotion. And why is this? Because emotions always seek expression. It's the nature of them to want to free themselves, to want to come up and be known. And also, when we suppress emotions, we do it automatically, mostly without being conscious of it. Because we've been conditioned to think that expressing emotions is socially unacceptable. So this is why it takes effort to suppress them. Mm-hmm. So if negative emotions are in fact the underlying cause of people's addictions, which I believe they are, then creativity is a no-brainer in terms of helping people come out of their addictions. I've seen this happen in my own life and I've seen it happen in others also. Embracing my own creative purpose has really helped me overcome a lot of emotional problems and challenges and addictive predispositions that I've had over the years. That and also meditation, which has a very similar effect on the emotional state that creativity does in my experience.

What in your view makes creative expression such a potent tool in the recovery journey?

Creative expression is a potent tool for recovery because number one, it's fun. Once a person really experiences the exhilaration that can come from true creative expression, like when you are playing music and you get deep into the flow of it and lose yourself in it, this is such a magical place and it's a positive place, a happy place. and it's natural to the body. It feels good and it's healthy, not just because we're expressing our emotions, but because we've become aligned with what is happening in the moment. There's no worrying about the past or future, which don't exist anyway except in the thinking mind. And the thinking mind is not functioning, um, at that level. So in creativity, we have the ability to go to a place that doesn't allow for cause of addiction to happen. It's a beautiful thing, and because it's fun, we want to do it again and again.

Could you provide examples or anecdotes about clients you've treated in your practice who may have used specific creative activities or expressive forms that you found particularly effective in supporting their healing?

I teach a class which I call the Emotional Laundry Chute practice. And this is a brush and ink exercise. And so usually what I have, I, I have people spread out on the floor with, um, big sheets of newsprint paper and either black ink or some kind of colored paint and a big paintbrush. And what happens is we go into our bodies and explore a specific emotion for some time. It's kind of a meditative process because we're going into the body, um, in a meditative state, and then we express that specific emotion through the brush onto the paper. So the process is all about feeling and letting go, not about thinking about anything or, or making any kind of judgment. Normally, if a student comes into my class all emotionally jacked up with whatever they were going through that day, when they leave, they just look so relaxed and relieved and peaceful and able to be themselves freely. And I've had many people come up to me after class and say how grateful they were to have been exposed to this practice and how it's helped them in their life somehow, and with their creativity, and also with their addictions. Um, it's really a beautiful thing to watch. And also when I do this practice myself, it has profound effect on me. It's hard to explain in words, but it really works.

Do you agree that creativity can play a role in self-discovery and help individuals discover their purpose during recovery?

I absolutely agree with this. I think that creativity is, uh, not just about making art. It's, it's about, uh, self-discovery. It, the process itself is about, uh, exploration and, and about, uh, exploring consciousness and the human mind. And in that way, it is really, um, a great tool for self-knowledge and self-discovery and also, and with self-discovery comes discovering one's purpose. You have a greater connection to the intuitive mind or the higher self when you are creating. And so with that, you automatically will become closer to what you're, you know, what you're really here for and, and what your purpose is in life. And so I think it's It's much easier to access the deeper part of oneself that has these secrets hidden, uh, sometimes in it.

So how do you inspire your clients to include creativity in their lives to achieve better recovery outcomes?

One of the ways that I inspire my clients to use creativity for overcoming obstacles or addictions is that I will lead them into a meditative state where they're able to access their intuition or their higher self, their soul, if you will. Then I prompt them to ask their intuition why they are here, why they were born. Usually they come up with something they didn't really know about, like that they were born to play in some way or to explore something. So I'm just exposing or revealing their natural inclinations towards play, towards fun. And that usually means creating in some way. It involves a creative act in some form or another. And they often will get really excited about it because they didn't know that that was an option to them before. Or they were told at some point, usually when they were young, that they didn't have creative abilities. Or that they had to learn how to work a job and not really have fun in a creative way.

Can you explain how creative pursuits may help individuals rebuild their self-esteem?

True creativity is fearless. It's not worried about what people will think when it's done. It's not really concerned about what is right or wrong. It doesn't know about sin or shame or anything that seeks to hinder the human spirit. Its nature is abundant and free and loving. And so when a person gets the courage to do a purely creative act, that act becomes a part of them, part of who they are. And the more they do it, the more it becomes part of them, and the more courage they build to do it more. It becomes a kind of an upward spiral for them. And they feel a sense of accomplishment because they went through it, through with it. They completed it. And along with this sense of completion, this sense of accomplishment, they feel lighter, more freed up from the thought patterns and emotions that kept their self-esteem down. They feel more like themselves, more able to be who they are without judgment. And so their self-esteem naturally goes up.

Is it possible to misuse creativity and impede recovery? What potential obstacles or challenges might recovering individuals face when seeking to engage in creative activities, and how can they be addressed?

This is a really good question. I think if the creative process is not done within a safe container or a safe space, one can more easily become triggered by something emotionally. And that can become chaotic and hinder any kind of supportive intentions. It seems to me that chaos is not creative. It's connected to the thinking mind and it's fixated somehow on negative emotions, so it can become destructive and get out of control. Not that we're really trying to control anything here. Creativity is not about control, it's about letting go, but letting go can be a tough thing for some people because they're afraid to let go. So I would say that it's really important to make a safe space that is meditative and calm and loving or compassionate to make a container for the letting go process, for the expression to happen without chaos or confusion. So the main obstacles in my mind are whatever gets in the way of creating that safe space. Um, as well, uh, I think it's important to have clear communication about the creative process that they're doing. So I usually will talk about how emotions work and why we have them and how the creative process helps with understanding and releasing them. Additionally, I would say it's super important to be very grounded and clear in myself when I'm leading students or clients through the creative process. This helps in alleviating fears that may come up in them and makes them more comfortable with letting go.

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone in the early stages of recovery who wants to incorporate creativity into their healing process?

You know, I would say just trust the process and Stay connected to your heart. That's probably the most important thing. Stay connected and, you know, just, just trust and let go into the creative process and see what happens. It's a— it can be a magical experience if you let it.

Thank you, Douglas, for your expertise and inspiring comments. As we near the end of this episode of Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to our amazing guests, Mary, Nick, and Douglas. Your openness in sharing your personal journeys and insights has been truly inspiring. Your narratives have demonstrated the power of recovery and the strength of human spirit. Antonio Matta. Thank you for your bravery and vulnerability. We would also like to extend our gratitude to our sponsor, Wish Recovery, a luxurious dual diagnosis treatment center committed to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to those seeking recovery. Your support, Wish, enables us to continue bringing these critical conversations to our listeners and raising awareness about the transformative possibilities of recovery. To all our listeners, we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for more stimulating episodes. Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories is devoted to exploring the diverse experiences of individuals on their road to recovery. Our goal is to create a platform where stories of hope, Healing and resilience can be shared, promoting a sense of community and understanding. Thank you for listening and stay tuned for more Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories.