reflecting on infertility

 I had a long journey with infertility but it wasn't well documented, mostly because when I am in the thick of my pain speaking, or writing, is usually too hard for me.  It is why I have always used my art to express myself, to be my voice.  When I finally opened up about my infertility here and then spoke my truth here it was only months before I got pregnant with Adelia.

The years before I opened up I would use photography as my means of expression.  I once wrote in a journal I bought following a miscarriage and typed it up months later here, but truly it is not my best writing.  Mostly I was just cussing and crying and writing only made me focus on my pain.  Yet somehow when I photographed it allowed me to step away from my pain for a moment.  Using creativity as therapy has been something that happened naturally at first but the more I did it the more I understood it's benefit.  As I began to create a practice surrounding these methods I began to take note of what worked so I could share it with others.

I have taught many classes and spoken at summits over the years on finding your creative voice, the importance of creative exercise and working on personal projects for yourself.  But none of those has as much of a personal place in my heart as the new class I am in the process of writing, Creative Therapy.

You don't need to be a photographer, heck you don't even need a camera, most of my therapeutic images I take with my iPhone. What you need is a desire for a new way to express yourself. Whether your marriage is in turmoil, you are dealing with infertility, sickness or death, your self worth has seen better days or you just want to shed the negative and focus on creating for you for a while, turning to art as an outlet for the pain can help set you free. Creative Therapy is about using your creativity in the midst of the messy parts of life!