It was so, so interesting to meet with Cyrielle from Unschooling and Thriving to talk about the way creative practices support our well-being. We explored various ideas and understandings of creativity and discussed what it can look like in our own lives as well as in our children’s. We’d love you to join us for a listen!

We discuss:

Curating and creating themes (with books, sensory kits, etc)

Cycle awareness

Recognizing the distinction between making things for our children versus creating for ourselves

The “bubble of creativity” and the benefit it brings to our entire being (some similarity to “flow” in learning)

Choosing repetitive and restful activities at times and more challenging projects when feeling more energetic and inspired

The range of creativity from visual art to things like reading and planning

That self-care can be deeper than physical grooming and treating ourselves

Soul care as a deeper “filling of our cup”

Differentiating between creativity and creative hobbies – beneficial in different ways

The role of movement and repetition in handiwork

Self-Determination Theory as it relates to crafting – autonomy, competence and relatedness

Engaging socially while also engaging with a craft

A range of hands-on creative activities from gardening to baking to soap-making to Lego building

Developing intention

Intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation

That creative practices are not necessarily as valued as physical exercise in relation to health and well-being

How the way people style or dress themselves can be a way of creative self-expression

Creative practice as stress relief and rest from anxiety

Physical movement during creative thinking

Breaking down the idea that creativity is separate from organization

Creativity as part of life – separate from creative hobbies

Engaging in creative practice without pressure of perfectionism

Process versus outcome and how the focus is different for different kids and adults

Kids being inspired to create something but feeling held back by fear or comparison

Reframing creative expression when we feel judgements of our kids cropping up

How to prioritize time for creative self-expression as a parent

Using the word “practice” rather than “habit”

Shifting our way of thinking of things so that time has been intentionally set aside for creative endeavours

Thinking about choices versus “shoulds” in the sense that we might choose to leave things that other people might assume need to be done in order to have time for rest and creative self-care

Creative rest

That sometimes rest needs to happen before creativity (can be hard to accept if we’re feeling time is scarce)

Communicating to family members, spouses, etc that we are being intentional about our creative time

That often our kids enjoy seeing our creativity and downtime and that if we see it’s a time that we feel we are truly needed, we can make the choice to postpone our own activity, but still make note of our own need as well

That taking time to create is a gift not only to ourself but also to our family

The difference between creating something freestyle versus following directions

Having conversations within marriages about expectations of the role we’re in or have chosen (a full-time mother doesn’t necessarily equal a housewife and a breadwinner doesn’t necessarily mean that working outside the home has included having time to be creative)

Resources:

Unschooling and Thriving (Workshops, Series and Online Community)

Craft Psychology: How Crafting Promotes Health, Dr. Anne Kirketerp

Martha Beck website

Episode 6: The State of Flow in Learning, Virtual Kitchen Table

Episode 8: Do We Deserve Joy? Unpacking Perspective of Joy in Home Education, Virtual Kitchen Table

Episode 12: Perspectives on Self-Care – for our children, for ourselves, Virtual Kitchen Table

John Muir Laws – Nature Stewardship Through Science, Education, and Art

Virtual Kitchen Table Community