Integrating Art, Social Justice, and Cultural Heritage

Creativity isn’t just about making art; it’s a way of life that infuses daily routines with purpose and passion. For free-spirited thinkers, especially those who lean against mainstream dogma, an art practice is both a personal journey and a communal act.

Here are practical tips to help integrate creativity into everyday routines, from morning rituals to evening wind-downs, while centering native spirituality and preserving cultural heritage.

Morning Rituals: Start with Intention

Let's begin our day with practices that ground us in shared values and self-expression. Consider incorporating elements of precolonial spirit, such as a morning smudging ceremony using sage or sweetgrass if you can ethically source these materials. Cleanse and center yourself for a few moments every morning. This ritual sets a peaceful tone for the day. If you've never started your day like this before, after building up the habit consistently over a few weeks you'll see an increase in your confidence and mood.

Most people fantasize about filling endless pages of journals with thoughts, dreams, and ideas. Many of us can relate to sourcing a beautiful notebook and then being too intimidated to break it in. This can reveal to us how many limiting beliefs we allow to dictate our behaviors and undermine our own creativity. Such as having anxiety over poor handwriting, or ruining a page with a spelling mistake. I have a suggestion for improving our relationship with journaling and getting over that performance anxiety.

Something I learned in figure drawing class is that art making requires practice just like an athlete would initiate training with a physical warm-up. Let go of the pressure on yourself that your next journaling session must produce breakthrough prodigal results. Think of a sketch as the equivalence of a stretch. You have to loosen up when you hit the drawing board. This applies to all genres of writing, too.

When we have the desire to write or draw, I recommend setting a timer for 1 minute and quickly pushing out a loose sketch or free association word flow. Repeat this step several times to warm up your creativity, then increase the timer increments to 2 minutes, 5, 10, up to 30. Build up your conceptual ideas with each session so each sketch fits cohesively with the previous one. By the time you are in the 30-minute zone, the ideas will be flowing. 

When it comes to selecting a topic to pull inspiration from, reflecting on your cultural heritage can provide rich material. Whether it’s incorporating traditional patterns into your designs or exploring stories from your ancestors, let your heritage inform your expression.

Midday Practices: Engage and Connect

Throughout the day, find moments to engage with your creative self. If you have a break at work, take a few minutes to admire and review your old drawings or writing samples instead of endless scrolling on social media. Listening to music from your cultural background can be a powerful way to stay connected to your roots and inspire your work.

On the weekends participate in community activities that align with your social justice values. Volunteering at a local cultural center or attending workshops related to your cultural background not only enriches your creative skills but also strengthens your commitment to preserving cultural heritage. This is a great way to make friends from a similar ethnic heritage as you and with mutual interests. Creativity is a tool within the ecosystem of activism, or simply a way to tell stories that matter and advocate for change. 

Evening Wind-Downs: Reflect and Create

As the day winds down, create a peaceful space for reflection and creativity. Dedicate time to an evening ritual that relaxes and inspires you. If you aren't able to journal in the morning, the end of the day could be a quiet moment of meditation, a gratitude journal, or an art project that you work on steadily over time.

Engage in creative activities that allow you to unwind while expressing yourself. Painting, knitting, or playing a musical instrument can be therapeutic ways to shut your brain off and stimulate deeper rest. Reflect on how your daily experiences, cultural heritage, and social justice commitments have influenced your art. This reflection not only deepens your creative practice but also ensures that your work remains meaningful and authentic.

Integrating Social Justice and Cultural Heritage

Incorporating social justice and heritage preservation into your daily creative routines means acknowledging and honoring the stories, struggles, and triumphs of our communities. Let's use our creativity to amplify marginalized cultures and address social issues. Collaborate with other artists and activists to create projects that highlight important causes.

Preserving your cultural heritage through art is a powerful way to keep traditions alive. Learn traditional crafts, stories, and rituals from elders in your family. And don’t be shy! Share your knowledge and creations with others, ensuring that these cultural treasures are passed down to future generations.

Conclusion

Cultivating creativity in daily life is about more than just finding time to make art; it’s about living a life that’s deeply connected to your values and legacy. By integrating morning rituals, midday practices, and evening wind-downs that honor Indigenous spirituality and cultural heritage, you can create a daily routine that nurtures both your creative spirit and your commitment to social justice. Trust and believe your creativity be a beacon of cultural preservation and a catalyst for positive change in the world.