Kaizentral Station

How do Creativity and Healthy Eating Work Together?

Body Blissmas members recently brainstormed lists of how creativity and eating well work together. Here are the results from three of our members:

Katie:

1. Creativity can make eating more fun and satisfying
2. Creativity helps figure out new ways to eat 
3. Creativity helps add fun to exercising
4. Creativity provides a way to feel more confident and secure about ourselves
5. Wellness means we have more energy to create our lives
6. Wellness means we have more vitality to do creative activities
7. We can face fears through creativity instead of eating to dull them.
8. Through creativity we might become more aware of what we really want and
9. how we really feel
10. Life looks more interesting with creativity. There actually are some things more interesting to do than eat.
11. Helps change our perspective to more creating what we want not reacting to "reality".
12. Creativity gives permission to nurture ourselves in many ways not just food
13. Creativity allows us to use imagination to support us.
14. Wellness helps us to be more peaceful and thoughtful – a more creative space.
15. Moving creatively is delightful and healthy.
16. Creative writing can ease our anxiety and express troubles in ways that reduce the need to eat unwisely.
17. Creativity and well-being develops internal awareness and wisdom which leads to greater well-being.
18. Creativity can make everything more playful and palatable.
19. Everything tastes better with creativity.
20. Both support our innate sense of self worth.
21. Both can become a supportive habit, but require attending to.
22. Both change your perception of the world.
23. Both can begin with small changes and grow very powerful.
24. Many people think they cannot do either one.
25. Both change one's self image.
26. Creativity and imagination can actually improve our physical ability. Athletes use visualization.
27. Both require rest.
28. Both require action
29. Both can be frustrating.
30. Both can bring up fear.
31. Curiousity and gentleness work best for both.
32. Discipline is also needed for both. Call it making wiser choices.
33. Drinking more water is good for both.
34. Walking is good for both.
35. The more color the better. Think vegetables and crayons.
36. There is a balance of structure and freedom required.
37. Permission to be imperfect is necessary.
38. Breathing more "awarely" is helpful to both.
39. Getting started is often the most difficult and then comes keeping going in the middle somewhere and then finishing.
40. How we talk to ourselves matters in both, what questions we ask and our judgements.
41. Imaginary friends can cheer us on and support us in both.
42. Creativity is in a way giving to the world and to ourselves. Wellness is in a way receiving the benefits of life, our delicious food and delightful movement.  They support each other.

A batch from Barbara...

1. Creativity and weight loss relate because they are both non-linear.
2. Creativity fosters wellness and, as Blissmas Babes have seen for themselves,creativity is helpful in weight loss.
3. Water is essential to both weight loss and some elements of creativity (watercolor, paint/pastel clean-up.) 
4. Difficult emotions may lead to emotional eating but they can be lessened via creative outlets.
5. If we believe/affirm that we are creative artists and if we believe/affirm that we can achieve greater wellness, then we will be correct in both cases.
6. Societal approval is a mistaken marker for both creative talent and for assessing one's desirable weight. 
7. Both creative talent and desirable weight should be determined by the individual.
8. Intuition is a huge guide for both our food choices and for creative expression.
9. Cravings can be managed via coloring.
10. Creative expression can override preoccupation with cravings.
11. Both the process of creating art and of weight loss can be fun.
12. Weight loss buddies enjoy receiving mail art.
13. Effort is a necessary ingredient for both creativity and weight loss, but each can reap immeasurable personal reward.
14. We can cultivate increased self-esteem and higher self-regard via personal food choices as well our personal creative choices.
15. Group feedback can improve efforts at both weight management and creativity.
16. Individual coaching can help accomplish the above as well.
17. Exercise can increase creativity.
18. Both weight loss and creativity exploration can be joyous.
19. Being mindful of the present moment is helpfu to both wellness and creative efforts.
20. Aging should not be negatively correlated with either weight management or creative potential.
21. The Blissmas fairy encourages both weight management and creativity.
22. Journal writing can assist both of the above.
23. Varying one's walking pattern can influence creative thought and will also help target different muscles of the body.
24. Choosing creative music can help lengthen exercise sessions.
25. Kaizen-Muse techniques apply equally well to creativity and weight loss.
26. Legumes and beans are great for glue-on art projects, and they are great for one's health.
27. Food is art.
28. Imaginary companions can empower both creative and weight loss efforts.
29. If we allow it, our inner critic can sabotage attempts at creativity and at wellness.
30. Not setting aside time for our precious selves can squelch creativity along with weight loss endeavors.
31. Abandoning creative projects (leaving them either unfinished or within the recesses of our mind) and abandoning wellness choices are equally self-sabotaging.
32. Feelings of not being good enough can undermine attempts at wellness/weight loss and at creativity.
33. Thinking like Leonardo DaVinci fosters creativity and can also help with weight loss.

Linda

1. The first dyes, paints and materials for creativity were items from Mother Earth, who also provides food and water for wellness and beauty for inspiration.

2.Both creativity and wellness invite us to join in the hum of humanity in continually new ways throughout life's journey.

3.Both are opportunities to engage our higher self throughout each day, and the learnings cross over from wellness to creativity and vice versa.

4. Both teach us to trust our inner knowing to discern our own unique path to growth, and progress in each creates an increased empowerment in the other.

5.Creating space in our day for creativity and wellness is being open to the Divine in new and surprising ways, and each one feeds the other.

6. Creativity and wellness activities teach us to be present in the moment.

7. Both nurture each other to build up and strengthen a healthy self-acceptance and self-love.

8. Both are intentions that have the potential to send love into the world.

9. Both are underscored by similar values, and strengthening actions related to those values in one area also creates strength in the other.

10. Both creativity and wellness foster courage which affect both, and which extends beyond oneself.

11. Both compliment each other by fueling all areas of life with intention.

12. Wellness stimulates physicial energy and abilities for creativity which usually engages more of the  mind and soul which need constant replenishing of the physicial body, so it is a continuous spiral or inter-weaving of benefits.

13. Wellness promotes a longer healthy life in which one is able to enjoy the highest and most creative quality of life.

14. Both can reduce stress.

15. Both integrate the highest capacities of human endeavors and a life demonstrating that integration lights the way for other to see their highest purposes, neither are quite complete without the interweaving of the other.

16. Wellness requires a Creative plan or at least the creation of an intention to be carried out through nutrition and exercise and fulfillment.

17. Both teach trust in ways that filter into all of life.

18. Both teach surrender, letting go of old patterns and messages that no longer serve in ways that crossover with intentions.

19. Both provide opportunities to practice 'beginner's mind', which leads to fuller life experience with a blending of both wellness and creativity.

20. Persons who choose to engage in healthy life style choices learn the advantages of both planning ahead and spontaneity.

21. Both provide opportunities to stop and reflect on the beauty that is everywhere, whether it is in a market or on a walk.

22. Both strengthen the inner self in all areas to accept difficulties and disappointments with equanimity rather than judgement.

23. Both show us how connected we really are to the rest of humanity when we think about the resources available to us for creativity and wellness - from clean water and safe food to artistic resources.

24. Both are a journey on which we can expect to meet unannounced angels and messengers which illuminate all of life.

25. Both invite a sense of humor that lightens up all of life.

26. Both are needed in a healthy blalnce for optimal overall health.

27. Both provide opportunities to let ourselves be humbled by weakness and find strenth and joy in acceptance.

28. Both are composed of essential tools that weight nothing but provide everything in a pilgrim's pack.

29. The brain requires energy in the form of food, so healthy food literally fuels creativity.

30. Creative ideas often come when one is engaged in wellness activities.

31. Creativity often includes or can inspire new ways to use the body to promote wellness, ex: large sweeping motions in painting, or dance steps.

32. Wellness as an intention reminds the artist to take measures to protect themselves from toxic supplies.

33. Every cooking endeavor, all of which affect wellness, hopefully choosing wisely,  is a creative action.

Announcing my new DOWNLOADABLE Creativity Workshop!

In this brand-new workshop, you will:

• invent an imaginary guide
• find out and experience how this guide can be a source of strength
• increase your creative willpower and break through procrastination
• expand the dimensions of your mind for the interest of increased creative joy
• through art, writing and guided imagery invent a muse that will be your companion for the rest of your life as you know it.

This is a two hour workshop led by me, Jill Badonsky, M.Ed., author of The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard). It will take you through an explanation of how imagination can help us tap into our inner strength, lead you through activities that make this possibility a reality, provides time for you to express in writing and art, and gives you examples of how to keep this going.

A $75 Value for only $39! (And it's downloadable, so you can repeat the session again and again and again....)