“I need you to play” – The title of my doodle of the day featured above.
How are you handling this week, this month, or even this past year of election stress? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. In fact, a pre-election survey conducted in May 2024 by the American Psychiatric Association shows that 73% of adults in the US are feeling the heavy weight of stress right now. This prolonged tension leaves us worn out, mentally and physically, as we grapple with the divisiveness and uncertainty that seems to seep into every part of our lives. But this week, I’ve seen this anxiety manifest even more acutely.
In my practice, since the election results came in early Wednesday morning, I’m witnessing trauma reactivation like never before. Deep fears, uncertainty, and disbelief are surfacing, leaving many in a state of distress. The election has stirred up profound wounds for some, reopening old pain and reinforcing a sense of vulnerability in a world that feels unstable.
People are struggling with a pervasive sense of loss—whether it’s a loss of trust in leadership, their fellow man, or simply the loss of feeling safe. It’s a difficult, raw time. Meanwhile, there are others who are feeling triumphant, their world view reinforced, their sense of safety secured for now. It’s a challenging, still divisive, uncertain time.
And yet, despite the heaviness, there’s also a call for us to find balance and ways to ground ourselves. As my daily doodle reminded me recently: We need to allow ourselves to play, to create, to connect to the parts of us that bring joy and presence, even amidst chaos.
Personally, I was happy to find refuge in our long-held creative project yesterday, at the end of election week. It’s been over 30 years since my boyfriend, now husband, Chris, helped me move to New Mexico, setting up a small, makeshift studio at the base of the Black Mesa of the San Ildefonso Pueblo. Surrounded by the rhythms of nature and the distant drums from the Pueblo, we began to dream of using our art and music for healing. Back then, we had no clear path, but we knew we wanted to create something beautiful and impactful together.
Now, 32 years later, that dream has become a reality we call “Mining Inner Wisdom.” The journey has been anything but easy, filled with challenges like high rents, low wages, grad school, endless music gigs, health struggles, and trauma healing. We were also blessed with our greatest creation, our brilliant and beautiful daughter. Through it all, creativity has remained our guide and our sanctuary. Life may have delayed our plans, but we are indeed late bloomers, and perhaps the timing is finally right.
This month’s theme, Connecting with Your Creative Self, feels more vital than ever. The healing potential of creativity is a gift we can offer ourselves during these turbulent times. Collaborating with cherished musical friends from across the country has reminded me of the joy and connection we can still cultivate. Recording at Jon Gagan’s “Electric Company Studio”, sharing laughter over lunch at the Tune-Up Cafe, and working with Lisa Carman (lisacarman.com) on vocal production and songwriting have all been incredibly life-giving.
Creativity is a remedy to the “election funk” and the emotional exhaustion many of us are navigating. It provides us with a vision of the future—one that’s hopeful and ours to shape. No matter the election outcome, creativity is something we can all reclaim. It grounds us in our inner world, a place of endless possibility, even when the external world feels chaotic. It also gets us away from our devices, renews our spirits, and gives us energy for necessary activism to come. This is not the time to be complacent. Carving the vision of our lives is essential or our present days could simply disappear in the worry for the future.
Here’s how we can start to tap into this creative energy:
- Set up a sacred space: Even a small corner with meaningful objects can become your creative refuge. Light a candle if you wish.
- Experiment without judgment: Whether through painting, writing, singing, or dancing, let yourself play, free from the need to be perfect.
- Collaborate: Invite loved ones into your creative world. The exchange of ideas can be both healing and inspiring.
- Turn off the noise: Limit media consumption, especially news, to make room for quiet and reconnection with your inner self.
In a time when so many feel powerless and afraid, creativity can be a way to reclaim our vision, our joy, and our sense of purpose. It helps us process our pain, find moments of peace, connect with our deepest wisdom, and imagine a way forward. Here’s a taste of our project’s mantra: “Create, Create, Create…”
If we can lean into our creativity, perhaps we can release our angst and find a bit of light and love in this uncertain time.
Here’s one of our songs: “Create, Create, Create….” complete with the meditation. This is what you can expect from our course, “Mining Inner Wisdom.”
