Creative STERBing

About a month ago it was Canada’s annual Mental Health Week. For some of you, it may have gone by uneventfully. For others it may have been a time of much contemplation. For me, it is a time of reflection; not only on my own mental health, but as an artist and a teacher, on the mental health of others as well. I feel lucky that as an artist, I have a variety of ways to express myself when I’m having a crappy day. Those can be interesting days.....ahem.

  And then I wonder how others that don’t feel comfortable with the idea of a creative outlet “vent”. Hey, trust me. Just because I’m in a bad mood, it doesn’t mean I always pull out the paint pallet and voila, an emotionally laden masterpiece is created that solves all of my problems. (Man, that would be nice though!) Over the years, I have learned the term “STERB” which is an acronym for short term energy releasing behaviour. STERBing is a way of distraction oneself from the reality of a situation, a way of soothing ourselves from something that may be causing stress or anxiety. Some people grab for a beer, some people grab a whole tub of Nutella, some people run 5 miles in the rain so the tears can’t be seen, and some people pet their dog hairless. Everyone has some kind of STERBing going on when things get a bit rough. I think I’ve done all of the above, and then some.

But the dealio is that there is definitely ways to STERB positively, or perhaps more healthily so that STERBing doesn’t turn into an unhealthy habit or addiction, or at the very least, owning a very strange looking dog. And before we go any further, wash away the idea that you have to be an artist in order to vent creatively. There are no rules when it comes to venting, so the first thing you have to do is not worry about what others think of you when you are letting your imaginative freak flag fly. And also eliminate the idea that you have to have a special place to be artistic, or you have to have certain supplies. All of that is baloney. 

Here’s what I suggest;

1.       Find a quiet place for yourself. If you can’t find a quiet place, make a quiet place in your head. Put on your headphones with some music that matches your emotions at that time. Or stuff your ears with Kleenex or Silly Putty. (Just not the ear canals…I can imagine that that’s not a very good idea.) If everyone is wondering what you’re doing and you’re feeling pestered, then go to your bathroom and lock the door. Or go for a walk and sit in the bushes for a while. (I bet every single one of you that is reading this is literally a 5 minute drive away from complete silence in the wilderness. We live in North-West Ontario!) Just find some time and a place to be alone with your own thoughts.

2.       Listen to those thoughts and use what you see and hear in that silence as a catalyst for expression. Our mind is so overstimulated with beeps and bloops from our smartphones, and radios, and people talking to us and refrigerators buzzing that we don’t really get very much time in silence unless we create that for ourselves. When we close out those distractions, we are left alone with pure thought. For some, that might be the reason why you’re STERBing in the first place! You don’t like those thoughts, but if you give yourself the opportunity to quietly act on them on your own, perhaps they can actually be dealt with in a positive way.

3.       Then allow yourself the freedom to act on those thoughts in ways that may be very different then how you’re used to acting on them. It might make you feel silly that you’re standing in the middle of your bathroom dancing to “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” all by yourself. It may seem ridiculous that you have this urge to write a poem or song about your love for Nutella. It may be frustrating that you want to draw out the visions that are in your head and won’t come through on to paper.  But just give it a try. It might actually lead you further into creative exploration. For example, this year I decided to post a photo a day on Facebook that represents something that I am grateful for every day. It’s a way of getting me to refocus my energy in a positive way instead of sweating the small stuff, and it’s creative and keeps me away from ice cream….sometimes.

 Finally, remember that your thoughts are your own, and your creative STERBing does not need to be shared with anyone if you’re not comfortable doing so. Just use it as a tool for expression and be happy with that. Enjoy the freedom that expression can give you.