The Healing Power of Creativity: My Path to Publishing Poetry
My book of poetry comes out today, and boy, am I unsure how I feel about it. When I first started writing poetry in my early 30s, I couldn’t help but pour my heart onto the page. My insides were screaming to get the words out—an action that wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me. I used to journal as a child. Little did I know that child-like Jilly was doing herself a great service by journaling. In a way, I view my poetry similarly. It’s a journal of my life experiences, written sometimes in rhythmic form and sometimes as free verse. This form of expression offers profound insights into how I’m feeling, along with helping me process life itself.
As I reflect on many of the activities I enjoyed as a child, I realize my childhood was filled with wonderful hobbies that kept my overall well-being in check. I took ballet, loved creating art on the kitchen table, and played outside with the neighbors. These hobbies were a part of my routine, and I never questioned whether I wanted to do them—I just did. Then adolescence arrived, bringing insecurities with it: “Am I good enough to pursue this?” Those doubts began to take over.
Writing, art, and dance were all things I loved but somehow drifted away from as life went on. Whether it was imposter syndrome getting the best of me or caring too much about what others thought, I eventually realized that at some point, I had completely lost touch with myself. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I began to rediscover that child-like wonder and joy. I got into somatic dance, revisited reflective writing, and embraced a practice I call “moodling,” where I create art doodles inspired by my moods. Life has a funny way of working, doesn’t it? We find what we love, we lose it, and then we rediscover it in a new way.
I truly believe there is great healing and grounding in creativity. If you’re feeling stagnant or at a loss, expressing yourself through a creative outlet can be transformative. I’m not saying creativity will save you or make life perfect, but I do believe it’s a way to cope and make heavy things feel a little lighter—or at least help with the processing. Many of us were never taught how to truly feel our emotions. Instead, we learned to escape from them or suppress them, only for them to explode later. Emotions come in waves, and grief, in particular, can knock you down. Through creativity, we can acknowledge these feelings, whether we’re up or down, and find ways to express our truest selves.
Have you connected with your authentic self lately? What is it trying to tell you? There’s an inner voice within us all, and no, I’m not talking about anxiety or negative self-talk. I’m talking about the voice of your soul.
As I bring this blog to a close, I realize that’s what this is all about. Publishing my book of poetry is my way of exposing my soul. It’s a vulnerable, raw, and freeing experience. I’m nervous, but I know it’s something I need to do—not just for myself but to show others that no one cares about you or your work as much as you think they do. Be creative for yourself, not for others. No one can validate you like your authentic self can. There is important work to be done on this planet, and it doesn’t happen by hating, judging, or worrying about what others think. It starts with how you care for yourself. From there, the ripple effect of self-love and harmony can move outward.
