The Creativity Diet
No foolin'
Yep, you read that right – creativity can make you slim and give you energy.
Hear me out and give this theory a try!
Hunger is not always a sign that you need to eat.
A physical hunger is an actual gnawing in the stomach. “Restless hunger,” however, means I need/want an endorphin hit. I (and you) want pleasure, satisfaction, and the feeling of being fulfilled. Since it’s an undefined longing, we turn to the first and easiest thing we can think of – food!
Foods that I enjoy make my brain release endorphins which elevate my mood. Have you ever drowned your sorrows or rewarded yourself after a hard day with ice cream? I have. Lean Cuisine has a Comfort Food line of frozen meals! They know know us well. PB&J is one of my top comfort foods (but not on white bread anymore).
When I have restless hunger, I’m not actually hungry. What I really want is to be full-filled or entertained – not fat-filled.
Guess what?! Creativity releases endorphins!
So, the answer is to replace that trip to the kitchen (or Starbucks, or the ice cream shop) with CREATIVE TIME!
Here’s how it works:
You feel hungry. Don’t head for the kitchen! Recognize the “hunger” (i.e. desire to put something delicious in your mouth) as a signal to create!
Go straight to your studio. Do not pass the kitchen (if possible). Do not collect a cookie. (By the way, ANY dedicated space for creating is a studio – it’s a mindset thing, not a size or enclosed, private space thing.)
Endorphins begin to flow. You haven’t even started creating yet – you’re organizing or gathering inspiration, and those endorphins are already flowing! So cool!
Time passes and you get lost in the process. You’re focused on what you like to do – CREATE. This is fun. This is fulfilling. This is distracting. What happened to that desire for a treat to put in your mouth? It’s gone!
Furthermore, you could even forget to eat. I’ll bet you’ve experienced that while creating. I have!
The next day you repeat steps 1-5.
All week you repeat step #6.
The following week you are so proud of yourself for feeding your creative hunger instead of your restless hunger, that you want to take better care of yourself in other ways, too.
You begin to be more mindful of what, when, and how you are eating.
You throw in a little (or a lot of) walking and/or other exercise because, hey – you realize you have this newfound energy, a glow…and, strangely, more time too! Plus you’ve created more art! Score!
Voila! The Creativity Diet!
Coming next week - my week in Portugal. I’m still processing it all and have much to share about Lisbon & Sintra, new friendships, breakthroughs insights and more.
Quote of the Week
Feed the body food and drink, it will survive today.
Feed the soul art and music, it will live forever.
- Julie Andrews
Am I allowed to collect a coffee on my way to the studio, though?! Seriously, this resonates. I often find when I’m on the cusp of a creative breakthrough I have an urge to eat something salty/crunchy like a handful of peanuts. Weird, and I’ve only just tuned into it, but I think it’s related to what you say here!
Brilliant way to 'diet!'