Intentional Creativity
Article by Christy Cozby
Image: Louise Bourgeois
Giving birth and parenting are archetypal acts of creativity, so it makes sense that there are so many parallels between that journey and the journey of making art.
One of the guiding principles of Birthing From Within is that the essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, and that active, creative self-expression is critical to the birthing journey. The Birthing From Within mentor guides parents through self-discovery by listening to them mindfully, engaging them in solution-focused dialogue, and bringing their awareness to the stories they are living out.
Activities such as meditation, storytelling, ritual, and art activate and connect different parts of the mind, allowing parents to access more of their own inner knowledge, bringing those insights from the fleeting realm of thoughts and emotions into the physical realm of action and matter.
“Listen to your body.” “Follow your intuition.” “You’ll just know.” How often have you heard this advice in regards to birth? For some this may come easily, but for many of us, domesticated to look outside of ourselves for approval - to family, teachers, books, social media - that sense of inner knowing has atrophied. Why would we expect it to start working on cue, under pressure? When intuition is ignored, it stops speaking. When the Muse is not allowed to express herself, she becomes the Critic. And she is angry. Angry at being exiled and forgotten in the dark, while you enjoy the accolades and the sunshine. The things she says to you are not nice, at first. The path to re-establishing a relationship with her is creativity. Humans have engaged in intentional creativity since the first marks were made with red ochre on cave walls. Until relatively recently, all things were made with intention. Bowls, furniture, clothing, houses, food, adornments… imagine a person creating one of these items while thinking about the function it would serve and the people that would use it, imbuing it with prayers for abundance or healing or protection, decorating it with colors, symbols, and images that tell a story. This is intentional creativity. Now imagine the people using this item, possibly generation after generation. What would they feel or think about when they use this item? How might it become a part of their story?
Read the full article here.
11.09.2026
