Slow Down, Pay Attention & Trust What Makes You Feel Alive

Yesterday was a full day.

I wrote a blog post, sent emails, ordered new tires and scheduled maintenance for my car, booked a golf tee time, bought luggage for an upcoming European vacation, taught a creative wellness class for the Chattanooga Medical Society, and ended the evening with a walk along the Riverwalk.

Life moves quickly.

There are always emails to answer, appointments to schedule, errands to run, and responsibilities to manage. It’s easy to move from one thing to the next without ever stopping to check in with ourselves.

But creative wellness has taught me something important: no matter how full the day is, we can always take a few moments to slow down and pay attention.

As I walked along the river, I noticed the flowers blooming along the path, the colors of the sunset, and the feeling of the breeze on my skin. I felt myself settling into the present moment, as I often do when taking mindful nature walks.

Then I had a random thought.

“I feel like doing a cartwheel.”

I haven’t done a cartwheel in years.

But instead of dismissing the impulse, I listened to it.

So I set up my phone, laughed at myself, and did a cartwheel.

And you know what? It felt amazing.

That moment reminded me that creative wellness isn’t always about making art. It’s about cultivating a relationship with ourselves. It’s about learning to trust our intuition, follow our curiosity, and honor the small impulses that bring us back to life.

Some of us have become so conditioned to push forward, be productive, and check things off the list that we’ve forgotten how to listen.

But our bodies are constantly communicating with us.

Sometimes they need rest.

Sometimes they need movement.

Sometimes they need creativity.

Sometimes they need play.

The challenge is learning to pay attention and not dismiss what our bodies are asking of us.

Earlier in the day, a hawk flew directly across the road in front of my car.

For me, hawks have always been a meaningful symbol and guide. Whenever I see one, I take it as a reminder to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

It’s easy to become hyper-focused on a single problem, a single disappointment, or a single piece of the puzzle. We get so close to one part of the canvas that we forget to step back and see the whole image.

The same thing happens in art.

When we’re focused on one section of a painting, we can lose perspective. But when we step back, we can suddenly see how all the pieces are working together.

Life is no different.

Sometimes we become so focused on what isn’t happening that we miss all the ways things are already unfolding. We forget how much progress we’ve made. We forget that pieces are shifting, growing, and rearranging behind the scenes.

Creative wellness invites us to pause.

To slow down.

To notice.

To trust.

To play.

To experiment.

To follow the impulse to make art, take a walk, sit quietly, dance in the kitchen, or even do a cartwheel by the river.

Your body knows what it needs.

It doesn’t need you pushing harder.

It needs you paying attention.

It needs you listening.

It needs you trusting yourself enough to follow what makes you feel alive.

Want to experience creative wellness for yourself?

Explore upcoming workshops, private sessions, or corporate wellness offerings here on my website.