Art and Spirituality: What Trying New Things Awakens in You

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Spiritual Growth Through Creativity: Discovering Your Soul Through Art and Movement

Spiritual growth doesn't always happen in meditation, on a retreat, or in moments of silence. Sometimes, the most meaningful connections with our soul emerge through unexpected experiences that invite us to explore something new, challenge our assumptions, and reconnect with parts of ourselves we have left unexplored.

In episode 650 of Soul Elevation, I explore how creativity, art, and Pilates have opened unexpected pathways for spiritual growth, offering a fresh perspective on what it means to be human and how we can deepen our connection with our soul.

Meditation, time in nature, and spiritual practice are, of course, powerful ways to nurture our connection with our deeper selves. But spiritual development doesn't have to follow a prescribed routine. Our soul can find ways to reach us through everyday experiences, including activities we might never have considered spiritual. Perhaps the very fact that these activities are not innately spiritual for most people helps spirituality to seep into the experience in an unexpected way.

In this episode, I share how two unexpected interests, drawing mandalas and practicing Pilates, have helped me discover new dimensions of herself. Neither began as a deliberate spiritual practice. Instead, each became an opportunity to explore, grow, and experience herself in a new way. The deeper message here is that spiritual connection can emerge whenever we become willing to step outside our familiar patterns and allow ourselves to experience life differently.

Rediscovering Creativity Through Art and Mandala Drawing

For years, I felt more naturally drawn to sacred geometry than to freeform art. Sacred geometry involves precision, structure, angles, and carefully constructed patterns. Mandala drawing is a different experience, allowing more room for curves, organic expression, and the individuality of the person creating them.

When I felt an unexpected pull to try drawing mandalas, I also encountered an old belief: she wasn't an artist. Even as I followed a tutorial and worked through the process, I could feel the resistance that comes with attempting something unfamiliar. Rather than letting those doubts determine what I could do, I pushed through them and stretched myself.

As I practiced, I began to notice changes not only in my drawing but also in my own energy. I was becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, imperfection, and the experience of being a beginner. The process invited me to move beyond an identity I had carried for years.

This is one of the unexpected gifts of creativity. We don't have to be exceptionally talented or produce something beautiful by conventional standards to benefit from making art. The act of creating itself can help us move beyond limiting beliefs, develop patience, and discover capacities we didn't realize were waiting within us. Mandalas, drawing, painting, pottery, and other creative pursuits can become ways to explore ourselves without needing to turn every experience into a performance or a finished product.

Being Human in the Age of AI

Our increasingly technological world raises a larger question for me: What does it mean to be human, and what aspects of our humanity are we trying to preserve? Concerns about technology, the environment, and the future of work are important. Yet there's another dimension to consider. When we become so comfortable with our routines and familiar identities that we stop exploring, experimenting, and discovering, we risk losing touch with the richness of our own experience.

We develop habits because they have worked for us. We find careers and activities we enjoy, establish routines that make life easier, and build identities around the things we know how to do well. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of this. The challenge comes when familiarity becomes a boundary that keeps us from experiencing more of life.

We have the capacity to create, explore, adapt, and express ourselves in countless ways. Trying something new doesn't require a dramatic life change. It can be as simple as picking up a pencil, taking a dance class, exploring a new form of movement, or returning to an interest that brought us joy as a child. These small experiences can open doors to parts of ourselves that have been waiting for attention.

Pilates, Body Awareness, and the Subtle Dimensions of Self

My experience with Pilates has offered another unexpected pathway for personal and spiritual growth. With my background in yoga, I hadn't initially felt particularly drawn to Pilates. Yet as I have explored it, the practice has provided benefits that extend beyond the physical exercise.

Pilates focuses on precise movements to engage smaller, less frequently noticed muscle groups. Through this attention to detail, I've become more aware of how my body moves, including the subtle ways I can engage different muscles during everyday activities outside of Pilates class.

That awareness has also become a metaphor for understanding ourselves more broadly. Our bodies rely on the bigger, familiar, workhorse muscles to perform routine movements. Our body subconsciously adapts for the strong muscles to take the load all day long, and other, finer muscles tend to hold back if they are not deliberately brought into the action. Similarly, our minds can rely on the same old thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns. Without us realizing it, these underlying patterns often operate automatically, shaping how we respond to new opportunities before we've consciously considered them.

A thought such as "I'm not good at that" or "I don't have time for this" can become an automatic response that prevents us from exploring something meaningful. Developing greater awareness allows us to notice these patterns and make different choices. Instead of automatically returning to what's familiar, we can begin to recognize the quieter impulses within us that are asking for expression. We can finesse our responses and thought patterns and come out of the habitual grooves of our patterning.

Listening to the Quieter Parts of Your Soul

Sometimes, the interests that could bring us the greatest joy aren't the ones that dominate our attention. They're the quieter ones we dismiss because they don't fit our identity, schedule, or understanding of who we are.

Perhaps you loved dancing as a child but gradually stopped. Maybe you once enjoyed painting, gardening, sculpting, or making things with your hands. Perhaps an activity has recently caught your attention, even though you can't explain why you're drawn to it. I've come to appreciate the importance of noticing these moments of curiosity rather than dismissing them.

I encourage you to pay attention to what lights you up, what you remember fondly doing in your youth, and what repeatedly catches your attention in conversations or dreams. You might even ask yourself before falling asleep, "What is rising within me that wants to be expressed? What would help my soul move through me more readily?" You don't need to force an answer. Give yourself room to observe what emerges and allow curiosity to guide you.

Spiritual growth isn't always about adding another practice to an already full schedule. Sometimes, it means recognizing the experiences that naturally invite us into a deeper relationship with ourselves.

Let Yourself Create, Explore, and Experience Life

You don't need expensive supplies, artistic training, or a detailed plan to begin. A pencil and a pad of paper are enough to start drawing. A willingness to try something unfamiliar is enough to begin exploring a new interest. Look on YouTube for tutorials to get you started, if that is needed for you as it has been for me.

The important part is allowing yourself to be a beginner. You may feel awkward, make mistakes, or discover that your first attempt doesn't match your expectations. Keep going, adapt, and learn to appreciate the experience rather than judging it solely by the outcome or output. You may discover that you love the activity. You may decide it isn't for you. Either way, you've given yourself an experience that wouldn't have been possible if you'd remained within the boundaries of what you already knew. It can be hard to quantify the benefit you receive from the trying.

Your soul has more ways to express itself than you may realize. Sometimes, the next step in your spiritual development isn't another meditation or another technique. It's following a small spark of curiosity and allowing yourself to discover where it leads.

We're not machines, destined to repeat the same patterns indefinitely. We're human beings with the capacity to create, grow, and experience life in new ways. Give those quieter parts of yourself an opportunity to be heard. Let yourself express what's within you, and allow your everyday experiences to become pathways to deeper spiritual connection.

Join me on Soul Elevation as I continue exploring spiritual awakening, consciousness, and the many ways we can deepen our connection with our soul.