The Wellness and Creativity Connection: Embracing the Ebb and Flowof Creative Energy
I’m Jenny Leigh Hodgins, a composer, pianist, educator, poet, author, podcast host, and Creative Empowerment Coach. For over 30 years, I’ve taught, performed, composed, and guided others in creative exploration. In addition to my professional work, I’m a live-in caregiver for my senior mother, which has taught me the importance of balancing life’s responsibilities with sustaining one’s own creative energy.
I help people overcome burnout, set healthy boundaries, rebuild trust in their creative process, and regain energy for sustainable creative flow. Creativity is not only about output or skill development—it’s about connecting with your authentic voice and giving it space to breathe, percolate, and grow. Our inherent creative flow has a rhythm, much like the cycles within nature.
But for many of us, we can become overwhelmed and drained by life’s inevitable busy seasons and unexpected challenges. Constant doing—whether in work, caregiving, or other responsibilities (or all of the above simultaneously!)—can quietly accumulate until our energy is depleted and the joy of creating dissipates.
That’s where the practice of allowing that rhythm of creativity’s ebb and flow comes in. Taking dedicated time for stillness, pauses, reflection, and intentional rest are equally important for successful productivity and creative flow.
The Importance of STILLNESS
If you’re like me, you need to proactively train yourself to recognize that your rest fuels your creative energy. Start with small, intentional breaks throughout the day. Research shows that we don’t necessarily need weeks or months off if we develop the habit of mini-breaks within our daily schedule. These short bursts of intentional rest lead to rejuvenation. Here are some ways to give yourself permission to pause:
Look and reflect:
Every hour or so, step away from your work and simply look out a window. Observe nature, even if it’s just a view of the sky, and notice details. Then, allow your mind to wander for a few minutes.
Short restorative movement:
Take a brief walk, stretch, or do gentle yoga, even for just ten minutes, to reset your mind and body.
Mindful nourishment:
Make a cup of tea, water, or a healthful snack, and focus fully on it for a moment, letting it be a mini ritual. Pay attention to the temperature, texture, taste, and how it makes you feel.
Micro naps or music breaks:
If you have the chance, lay down for 15–20 minutes each afternoon, or listen to a favorite piece of music with your full attention, letting yourself absorb it completely.
Reflective practices:
Establish your personalized morning and evening routines. Journaling, prayer, meditation, reading poetry, writing verses, and taking a walk are ways to reconnect with your inner voice and release mental clutter.
Boundaries and Flow
Another essential component of sustainable creativity is setting clear boundaries for your work and creative time. For example, I stop all work at dinner time and take my evenings to spend time with my mother, chant my Buddhist prayer, do a light yoga session, take a shower or bath, read or listen to a story or sleep meditation or music.
A consistent nighttime routine supports both rest and creativity. It allows time for reflection and for your nervous system to wind down from concentrated work and creative output. These boundaries ensure that creativity is sustainable rather than exhausting. Creative ideas need time to surface from within, working with your subconscious to absorb and sort all the input from daily life.
Learning from Burnout
I’m personally navigating the challenges of burnout recovery. Years of overextending—through toxic family dynamics, a heavy teaching schedule, caregiving, community leadership, and creative work—taught me the importance of slowing down and establishing an intentional rhythm. The energy RESET framework I developed for myself and clients emphasizes:
R: Rest Regularly
Allow your mind and body to recover as a consistent habit.
E: Essentials Only
Focus on what truly matters, letting go of unnecessary tasks. You don’t have to be doing something. You can let go of the less important.
S: Stay In Your Lane
Protect your energy by setting boundaries, whether internal, work, or relationship-related. You and your creativity are a treasure needed in this world. So protect it with boundaries and work from within your capacity—not by overextending at the expense of your wellness.
E: Embrace What Nurtures You
Engage in activities that replenish your creative spirit. Do whatever interests you and do it as a regular part of your schedule. These fuel your positive energy.
T: Team-Build For Support
Seek help when needed and accountability to maintain balance, whether that’s working with a trained therapist, a coach, or joining a group of like-minded friends for regular accountability and support. We are social creatures and benefit from the support from and interconnection with others.
Practical Applications for Your Creative Life
You don’t need to excessively overhaul your day to benefit from these strategies. Just incorporate small habits that anchor you in wellness while allowing your creative energy to flow. Remember that creativity itself can be a healing and rejuvenating force:
Choose one creative activity this week—music, writing, art, or movement—and dedicate small, manageable chunks of time to it.
Pair it with something you already do daily, like journaling alongside our morning coffee, or right after a morning walk or meditation, to make it consistent.
Include a reflective or spiritual practice, such as breathwork, meditation, chanting, prayer, or nature immersion, alongside your creative time. These practices are research-proven to boost creativity.
Notice the effects over time—are you more energized, calmer, or clearer in your thinking? Is your mood more positive? Adjust habits to support yourself sustainably.
Resources and Inspiration
If you want to explore these ideas further:
My Burnout RESET Guide offers actionable tips and reflection prompts for immediate support with restoring energy and clarity - download it free.
My Creative Empowerment Sampler is a free resource designed to help you reconnect with your creativity and begin building sustainable flow.
Poetry Sampler - Explore verses that inspire reflection, creative renewal and deeper connection with your authentic self. Get your free poetry sampler.
For piano learners, my free Piano Strategies Bundle provides mindset, foundational setup, and practice tips for beginners and returning adult learners.
To go deeper into sustainable creative practices, explore my books: Start Piano: What You Need for Successful Learning and Kaleidoscope Of The Heart: A Collection of Poetry and Lyrics.
For more inspiration, listen to Your Creative Chord Podcast, your favorite listening platform, or my YouTube channel.
Balancing the ebb and flow of your creativity with intentional rest, reflection, and boundaries allows you to enjoy sustainable self-expression without depleting your energy. Creativity is most fulfilling when it aligns with wellness, and small, mindful practices can help you sustain that alignment every day.
Hi there, so lovely that you're here! Looking forward to connecting with you. - Nora
