Episode 27: Creativity — Finding Yourself Through Expression

In this episode of the Norabloom Podcast, Holly explores creativity as an essential form of self-nourishment — not just a hobby, but a vital part of wellness. She shares her personal journey of stepping back from social media, rediscovering her love of art, and learning that creativity isn't about talent or perfection — it's about self-expression. Whether you paint, journal, garden, or doodle, this episode is your gentle reminder to make something that is purely, authentically yours.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome & what is creativity?
0:27 – Creativity as a form of nourishment
0:54 – It's not about perfection, it's about self-expression
1:16 – What happens when we stop creating?
1:41 – Taking a social media break
2:23 – Reconnecting with art from her younger years
3:13 – The process matters more than the finished product
4:10 – Trying (and failing) to paint again at 50
4:37 – Finding a new creative outlet: doodling & note cards
5:33 – The desire for film photography & florals
6:35 – The power of creating something tangible and personal
6:56 – Creativity as an emotional tool
7:37 – The connection between creativity and wellness
8:22 – You don't have to be good — just start
9:01 – Losing creative freedom as we grow up
9:20 – Simple ways to bring creativity back into your life
9:43 – A gentle challenge: make something just for you
10:27 – What creativity creates inside of us
10:45 – Your creativity matters — don't let comparison hold you back
11:06 – Closing thoughts

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Nora Bloom Podcast. I'm Holly and I'm so happy you're here today. Over the last few episodes, we've talked about nourishing ourselves, moving our bodies, and creating simple habits that support our health and well-being. Well, today I want to talk to you about another part of wellness that I think sometimes we overlook: creativity. The need to create, the need to express, the need to make something with our hands. And I think creativity is actually a form of nourishment. Just like we nourish our bodies with good food and we nourish our health through movement, we nourish our spirit when we allow ourselves to create. And look, we are all creative, so do not give me that hogwash about, oh, I'm not a creative person. I think sometimes we hear the word creative and immediately think of talented artists, people who can paint beautiful portraits or draw perfectly, or people who just have a natural gift. But to me, creativity is not about being perfect. It's about self-expression. It's about taking something that exists only inside of you and bringing it into the world. It might be painting, writing, cooking, gardening, photography, dancing, decorating your home. It could be making something beautiful or creating a gift for someone you love. Creativity is simply the process of expressing who you are. And I think that is something every person needs. So what happens when we stop creating? I've noticed something in my own life. When I'm constantly consuming or scrolling, like Instagram, and I'm taking in everyone else's ideas, opinions, and images, I slowly lose touch with my own voice. And I don't think this is accidental. I think we live in a world where we're constantly consuming. We scroll through other people's lives. We look at what other people are creating. We compare, we absorb, and before you know it, we're spending more time watching creativity than actually practicing it on our own. And I realized for me that this absolutely needed to change. So I took a social media break. And coincidentally, when I tried to create a story on Instagram, it wouldn't let it process. And it was actually a gift. So I decided to step back from social media. I'll pop in occasionally, but look, social media is not bad. There are beautiful things about it for sure. It can inspire us, it can connect us, it can introduce us to incredible people and ideas. But for me, it got to the point where I needed a little bit of quiet. I needed some space. I needed to hear my own thoughts again. Because when we're consistently filling every quiet moment with scrolling, we have like literally no room for our own imagination. And that's where creativity needs space. It needs stillness and time. So during that social media hiatus, and I'm still on it, I found myself coming back to something that I loved when I was younger. So in high school, I loved making art, drawing, painting. I wasn't good at pottery, but I still loved it. Making things just simply because I enjoyed the process. At 18 years old, you're not really doing much with your art, but I loved it, right? There was no, there was just no limitation to just creating. And it wasn't because I needed people to see it, and it wasn't because it needed to become anything. It was because I just enjoyed it. It felt good to create. And there was something so grounding about sitting down with a blank canvas, paper, paint, picking up a pencil, choosing colors, just allowing myself to play. It reminded me of something very important. Creativity isn't always about the finished product. Sometimes the healing happens during the process. So here's what happened. I'm 50. The last time I painted was high school, college. I wasn't really that good, but I enjoyed it. I tried to recreate what I was painting a zillion years ago, and I threw everything out. Who it's I spent hundreds of dollars on giant canvases, loads of paint, palette knives, like all the things. And I hated all of it. I am not 18. I am not that same Holly who painted like that. So I got frustrated, I threw it all in the trash, gave away all the art supplies, and was like, well, okay, that didn't work. And it wasn't even fun. So then I started to think, okay, let's try this again. Like, who is Holly today at 50? What do I like? What's easy? What's convenient? What does not cost a lot of money that I can take with me on my travels? So I started, it was kind of accidental. Um, one of the things that came from the season of creativity, I made my own note cards. It sounds silly, but I just started doodling and drawing, and I absolutely loved it. There was something so special about creating something tangible again that I didn't hate. And taking an idea in my mind, I love florals, I love vases. I wanted to, the actual first idea after I threw all my paintings out, was I wanted to just take film photography. And all I wanted to do, because it's so hard to find models when I'm in the mood to create photography. So hard. You wouldn't think free photography, but like nobody wants it, or at least around me. And I don't want to be the subject all the time. So I all I wanted to do was take my film cameras and some film. I have a bunch of expired film. And I wanted to just simply create floral arrangements in different kinds of vases. Well, one thing led to another. And if I don't get on an idea, it like I'm on to the next thing. So I could not set up getting all this done. So I just started drawing it. It was almost like what I hoped the photography would turn out, but then it just took a turn anyway. So there was something so special about creating something that I could get my hands on and taking an idea in my head and turning it into artwork and then creating something that someone else could hold in their hands, like a handwritten note, a thoughtful card, a piece of encouragement to send someone that you really care about. And in a world where we communicate so digitally and instantly, there's something incredibly meaningful to me about slowing down and creating something personal. So someone took the time to write, to think of me. I wrote them back. Like this is this is beautiful and it matters. So I think creativity is also a powerful emotional tool. Sometimes we don't have the words for what we're feeling. Sometimes emotions are complicated, right? Sometimes we don't even fully understand what's happening inside of us, but we can express them through creating. And look, no one has to see this, right? This can be just for you. A painting can hold emotions that we can't explain. Journaling can help us process our thoughts. Music can move something inside of us, and gardening can help us feel grounded. Creating gives our emotions somewhere to go. And I am highly emotional, and I needed all this to go somewhere. So instead of keeping everything bottled up inside, we can give ourselves a healthy outlet. So there's a connection between creativity and wellness for me that is so vividly clear now. I believe creativity belongs in the wellness conversation because we talk so much about what we eat and how we exercise and how we care for our skin and this and that. But but what about creating? What inspires us and what about that makes us feel alive? A healthy life isn't just about taking care of our physical body, it's also about caring for our inner world, our thoughts, emotions, our imagination, and our sense of wonder. And look, you don't have to be good at it. I mean, you just don't. One of the biggest barriers to creativity is perfectionism. And we think, oh, I'm not an artist. I'm not creative. I have no talent. I don't have time, or I wouldn't even know where to start. But creativity isn't about being good. We're not talking about becoming like super good artists or anything. We're talking about becoming present with who we are. A child doesn't draw because they think their picture is going to be displayed in a gallery. They draw because it's joyful and it's fun. Somewhere along the way, many of us lost that freedom. We started to judge everything we do and make and we compare ourselves to others, and we stopped creating because we're afraid it wouldn't be good enough or we're not good enough. But what if it doesn't need to be good? What if it just needs to be yours? So here's some simple ways to bring back creativity back into your life. If you've been feeling disconnected from your creative side, just start small. Obviously, you don't need a studio. I have proven you don't need expensive supplies, and you don't need hours of free time, right? Just stop scrolling and you'll get time back, I promise. So keep a sketchbook nearby or a little journal in your purse. Take photos of everything that inspires you. You don't need to post all this stuff on social media. This is like a personal journey for you. Try a new recipe, arrange some flowers, plant something beautiful, paint on a teeny tiny canvas that only you can like hide somewhere. Make a handmade card, listen to music and let yourself move your body. The goal isn't creating something like highly impressive. The goal is simply reconnecting with yourself. Okay, so here's a gentle challenge. This week, I want to encourage you to make something. Not for social media, not for your bestie, not to sell or not to impress anyone, just for you. Give yourself 30 minutes. Pick something you've always wanted to try. Maybe you want to create, you want to write, journal, paint, draw, whatever. Let yourself just be a beginner and play. And look, if you don't like it, throw it in the trash. And then begin again. Try something new like I did. It eventually feels really good, I promised. And just notice how you feel after, because I think you'll find that creativity doesn't just create something beautiful outside of us, it creates something beautiful inside of us too. Okay, friend. So there's a part of you that wants to be expressed, I know it. A part of you that has ideas, imagine, imagination, and stories. We've talked about this on the facial table, and I'm thinking of you right now, the people who are like, I'm not creative. Yes, you are. So don't let comparison or perfection keep that part of you hidden. Your creativity matters, your expression matters, and the things you create matter. Thank you for spending time with me today. If this episode encouraged you, I hope you'll share it with a friend. So step away from the noise, make something with your hands, listen to your own voice and your heart, and remember it doesn't have to be perfect. You just have to create something true to yourself. Until next time, create with intention, care for yourself with kindness, and bloom gently.