A Creative Brew ⋆𖦹⋆ˎˊ˗
30 Minutes:
Six Ways to
Nourish your
Spirit
Rather than engaging with just one form of creative expression, I believe in creating experiences that are multifaceted - addressing our various needs and desires in a single session, much like enjoying a plate of food with different flavors, textures, and temperatures. This approach is deeply satisfying and fulfilling, especially within shorter timeframes.
Yesterday, I guided myself through a 30-minute Creative Brew - what I call those mid-length creative sessions in my Creativity Wheel framework. (Creative Brews sit between Moonbeam Moments and Spellbound Sessions, offering substantial nourishment without requiring extensive time commitment.) Here's how it unfolded.
Lighting the Way
I began by lighting a candle and arranging a few crystals nearby. Nothing too precious, but enough to signal to my heart, my system, my body: this is a special moment. I get to be with this moment and nothing else. It's a gift to myself and a gift to my environment as I radiate presence and connection to my heart.
When the Earth Speaks in Poems
I stepped outside for a few minutes of simple breathing and noticing. The body opens the way for creative practice, and beginning outside allowed me to ground and arrive fully. As soon as I connected with the earth, words began to form. A poem.
It made me think of my Buddhist mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, and how he composed poetry everywhere he went. Poetry is this incredible meaning-making experience - such a rich way of crystallizing a moment, receiving it all the more deeply, and finding magic in it too.
The sun was so bright and setting. I'd been thinking about the full moon earlier this week and how her light had been so radiant and strong. These words came to me poetically, acknowledging the presence of these incredible energies. A blue heron flew by and made a loud call.
I gazed at the trees, then took one photograph with my phone - pretending it was a film camera with limited shots. This constraint invited intentionality and presence. I grabbed a little notepad and pen to quickly jot down the words that were coming, then took a moment to sit with them and add some flourishes. It was a very quick poetry session, completely unexpected, but what a satisfying way of engaging with the earth. I knew the poetry could then be added to my visual creation.
Scent as Ceremony
Back inside, I engaged with aromatherapy - a powerful way to shift energy and signal to the nervous system that we're entering creative space. Eucalyptus spray for clearing and awakening, palo santo, my "panic button" blend (ylang ylang, lavender, and citrus), and rose water sprayed on my face. Each scent offered something different, layering the sensory experience.
A Beyoncé
Ballad for the
Vagus Nerve
I put on "16 Carriages" and sang along - fully, without holding back. There's nothing like a Beyoncé ballad. What I love is using the Spotify app with its built-in lyrics feature. It's almost like a mini karaoke session, where you get to really tune into the words and sing the song.
Singing is profoundly healing, yet many of us limit ourselves from this practice. When we feel hesitant or shy, we can treat singing like breathwork - a structured activity for nervous system regulation. Singing stimulates the vagus nerve, nurturing us out of shutdown or fight-or-flight states into the curious, regulated state where creativity flows.
Playing on
Black Pages
From there, I began creating my visual piece. I printed the photograph using my mini printer, which comes with an app that includes frames and stickers. I quickly picked a little fall-themed frame - these simple features make the process joyful.
Then I settled into my current favorite tool: a notebook with all-black pages. The kind of paper we use - its color, texture - can be incredibly supportive. Where white pages sometimes feel like a void or feel daunting, I find black to be a comforting canvas.
I gathered washi tape, my Stabilo chunky pencils for color and form, Posca paint pens (which all pop beautifully against dark backgrounds) to write out my poem and add doodles and sprinkles, and a sticker from a Celestial sticker book that says "slow down and enjoy every single moment."
All delightful supplies that fill the page and facilitate ease and joy. I let myself play freely - mimicking the fall tones and textures from my photograph, adding the words of my poem, following what felt right in the moment.
Closing with
Hands on Heart
I closed my Creative Brew with a beautiful piece of grounding instrumental music. I simply closed my eyes, placed one hand on my heart and one on my womb, took some soft easy breaths, and did some gentle stretching and swaying. This final integration is crucial - allowing the creative experience to settle, to be received fully.
I let the music keep playing as I cleaned up my space, transforming cleanup into a closing ceremony. Everything landed in my body before moving back into the day's flow.
Why Weaving
Matters
This approach - weaving together earth connection, poetry, aromatherapy, photography, song, visual art, and gentle movement in one brief session - offers a richness that single-form practice often can't match. Like a well-composed meal, each element serves a different purpose:
Earth connection grounds and centers
Poetry crystallizes meaning and magic in the moment
Aromatherapy shifts energy and signals transition
Photography invites presence and intentional seeing
Singing regulates the nervous system and opens the heart
Visual art allows for tangible expression and play
Music and movement integrate the experience in the body
In just 30 minutes, I engaged multiple senses, multiple forms of expression, and emerged feeling nourished on several levels simultaneously.
Your Own
Creative Brew
A Creative Brew session (15-30 minutes in my Creativity Wheel framework) is perfect for busy lives that need substantial creative nourishment in manageable time frames. Here's a simple structure to try:
Create your opening - light a candle, set up your space
Ground with the earth - even a few breaths outside or by a window
Let words come if they want to - poetry can arrive anywhere
Engage the senses - scent, sound, touch - choose what calls to you
Activate your voice - singing, toning, humming (try Spotify's lyrics feature for a mini karaoke session!)
Create something tangible - collage, draw, paint, write
Close with integration - music, movement, stillness, hand to heart
The key is following what your body needs in the moment, building a plate of creative nourishment that satisfies multiple hungers at once. You don't need extensive time or perfect conditions - just willingness to layer different forms of expression and trust what emerges.
What combination of creative practices calls to you right now?
