Editorial: A creative path to recovery

How to heal? Healing physically is a relatively straight forward matter. Bones mend, cuts heal, bruises fade, scars appear – our bodies in all their complexity give the tell tale signs of recovery.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

How to heal? Healing physically is a relatively straight forward matter. Bones mend, cuts heal, bruises fade, scars appear – our bodies in all their complexity give the tell tale signs of recovery.

But what of the inside? What of our hearts, our minds and souls? There are no bandages or medicines to fix a broken heart or a troubled soul. Healing completely is an inner process through which a person becomes whole once again.

Our main story this week’s tells of one man’s path to recovery. Through film making, Gilbert Ndahayo has found ways to mend his broken spirit. His story tells us something of the power of creativity.

What comes to mind when you think of creativity? People being imaginative, inventive, taking risks and challenging convention?

By no means limited to artists, creativity is part of us all, and creative expression ought to be nurtured and encouraged.

Art, as painting or dance or poetry, is a form of medicine for the body. Creativity serves as an outlet for all that is locked inside and can end the torture of suffering in silence.

The fun and excitement of creativity should be explored without the fears of judgment or undeserved guilt and shame.

Creative expression allows us to create meaning through our personal inner intuitive resources. It promotes understanding which in turn lends itself to moving forward, stronger and more in control.

Do not limit recovery to that which we can see and touch, go further, let the mending of body, mind and spirit make us whole. And let creativity be our medicine.

Read on …