The Fear in Hope
Hope. If you were to google "what is hope" the definition you will find is:
In order to have a sense of hope, there has to be reason as to why hope has been cultivated in our lives. Why are we people in need of hope? While facilitating a group with the themes, "Hope and Gratitude" I asked this question, and I received one word in response:
Fear.
Fear of being a good enough spouse, parent, friend, fear of relapse, fear of the results of medical tests, fear of taking the GRE, fear of job security, fear of financial stability, fear of not feeling safe, fear from a situation that occurred in our past and is still affecting us into our adult lives, fitting in, trauma, fear in thinking this is it in life and wanting to be better, fear of making mistakes (God forbid because we aren't human or anything) and the list continues.....
Here's the deal: Fear isn't going anywhere.
With fear comes hope and with hope we can find a way to prevail. Life is about balance, sometimes the seesaw leans heavier for a long time on one end, and eventually it will even out again, now that's not to dismiss that during the moment it can be awful because you feel stuck on the ground. Practicing creativity and hope with fear can help change a mindset. If we think about it we feel stuck because we have an expectation and we have a longing desire for things to happen. This aligns with the definition of hope.
Hope can be practiced in a creative mindset-whether it be using creativity for problem solving or the physical act of creating, this falls in line with the definition of hope.
When you create a new painting the white piece of canvas staring you down is one of the most intimidating things, eventually you jump in and throw some paint on you trust it will all work out and each time it gets a little easier to start painting time and time again. Or take a sculptor with a rock, you literally have been given something from the ground and chipping away at it you create something.
You put in work,
You have literally created something from nothing,
And hope unfolded before your eyes.
If you can take nothing and create something from that "nothinginess"-and trusted that process-what else are you capable of?
You may have started with a vision and as you create your vision may change, no one said it had to appear a specific way (at least not in Art Therapy sessions). Next time you walk through a museum, take a minute to look at a piece and ask yourself-Did this artist intend for this piece to look exactly the way it outcome is? Probably not. But their piece is in a museum so clearly had to be deemed successful by someone. In the end it still worked out perhaps not according to their plan but nevertheless it worked out. Creativity is an act of practicing hope, trust and faith. Practicing acts of hope through creativity in our lives can help us to feel more comfortable with fear along the journey because lets face it our lives are unpredictable, fear isn't going anywhere.
Author: Leara Glinzak MSAT
You can schedule an Art Therapy session Today under the guidance of a professional Art Therapist to explore individual personal growth for a more enriched and hopeful life by working through fear on a deeper level, or as a group workshop today to cultivate more Hope and Gratitude in your life or work environment.