It’s Madonna’s 60th birthday today, and I’ve been uplifted by listening to some of her classic hits this morning as I write to you. What I love about Madonna is that she has never been afraid of stepping into her expression and creativity.
What I know from working with many caretakers (CEOs, leaders, support workers, teachers, partners, parents) over the years is that often being creative and expressive is the last thing on the to-do list. In fact, for many people who lean towards supporting others, it doesn’t even make it on the list.
We speak a lot at Bird about self-care being about tackling self-sabotage, being with emotions, taking time to meditate, slow down, do gentle exercise, connect with people who are supportive of you.
But what we don’t speak about as much, and something that Madonna has reminded me of today, is that we crucially also need to be expressive and creative.
Finding ways to share who we are, and how we feel is so very important. So whether you paint, you draw, you sing, you act, you write, you edit, you plant and grow, you cook, you play an instrument, or you do something else expressive or creative, put it at the top of your to do list.
Release your inner Madonna. There is nothing more self-caring than allowing yourself the space to express, create and to show up as who you really are.
With love as always, Hannah x
Photo by Milan Popovic on Unsplash