Healing Through Creativity
Self-expression, Creativity, Healing
What if creativity isn’t just about making art, but a way of expressing your authentic self and finding healing in the process?
If this is a topic that you would like to explore, continue reading to hear Graham’s insights, advice, lived experiences, and more.
Hello, and welcome to the third edition of this newsletter!
I hope that wherever you are in the world, November has brought you a sense of contentment. For those of you experiencing the shift to winter, as we are here in Canada, I hope you’re finding ways to nurture yourselves before the cold, shorter days ahead.
My name is Cyan, and I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Graham for an interview-style conversation, which Graham has asked me to convert into this newsletter. Since he is an actor, photographer, podcast host, and author, I wanted to focus this newsletter around the idea of creativity. Many people don’t think of themselves as creative, but by the end of this newsletter, the hope is that you’ll see creativity as something we all possess in unique ways and that it can be useful in the individual healing process.
What is Creativity?
Everyone has their own idea of what creativity means to them and Graham’s individual interpretation is that,
“Creativity is about expressing your true self. It’s a form of play and discovery, free from pressure. It’s the freedom to let whatever comes through you flow into the world—whether through your voice, hands, or words. It’s how our soul expresses itself physically, like giving birth to something new, and it can take many different forms.”
Graham’s explanation of creativity transcends traditional examples that we typically hear, like writing, drawing, or podcasting. Instead, it highlights creativity as an intrinsic aspect of being human. This perspective reminds us that creativity is not confined to specific activities, but can emerge in countless forms. Often, we think of being creative as something we are or are not. In this conversation Graham discusses that we need to break free from that narrative.
“We're all creative, but we may have belief systems about what creativity is ‘supposed’ to look like. And what I love about it is that once we get past those false belief systems, that lie, then it unveils itself to us as something innate. It's within all of us, and it's such a beautiful thing to be able to express what you're feeling beyond the words, beyond the mind.”
What beliefs or ideas have you held about what it means to be creative? How did you overcome the ones that were holding you back?
Creativity and Healing
Creativity has long been intertwined with emotion, often serving as a channel for people’s emotions. Whether through poetry, songs, or other forms of art, these creations often emerge from places of vulnerability, joy, or pain. This connection between creativity and emotion made me curious about the impact it can have on a person’s healing journey, so I asked Graham if he thinks that the creative and healing processes influence each other.
Graham answered,
“Yes, the creative process and the healing process are deeply intertwined. I think it's a beautiful thing that they are, because so much art that I have resonated with or wanted to create is reflective of my own journey, is reflective of what I'm going through, what I'm processing, how I'm healing, and what I've learned.”
To hear more about Graham’s insights on the connection between creativity and healing, watch this video.
Creativity in an Acting Role
Given the various ways that creativity is practiced by Graham, I was interested to know if there were specific moments where creativity and healing were directly connected for him.
Graham’s discussion of his experience filming Heartland offered one example of how the healing and creative processes have been intertwined in his life.
“Very often, when I was working on the Heartland television show, there would be a character storyline for Ty Borden that felt familiar to what I was going through personally. I would find myself asking, 'How did the writers know that?' or 'How did this happen?' It felt as though there was a guiding hand leading me through the process, supporting my healing journey. I would wait for the next scripts and think, 'What is God bringing me now? What is the universe showing me next?' It wasn’t about superstition, but rather a sense of harmony between creativity and healing, I could feel it in my heart. It wasn’t that the script predicted I would crash my motorcycle, and therefore I was going to crash in real life. It was a deeper, more intuitive feeling of knowing.”
After Graham touched on his acting role in Heartland, I felt that it was important to delve more into acting as a form of creativity. In response to my question about how much creative freedom he has when acting, Graham shared his thoughts on the balance between personal creativity and collaboration in a team environment. He explained,
“There is a a beautiful balance within acting, as there are producers, writers, directors, network executives, there are all these different people that have creative input or creative say. I think what makes the best collaborative creative content is if we can uniquely all bring our perspectives, views and creative gifts pointing towards that story, that journey, that spiritual truth. There's a fine balance. You gotta do the best you can with what you have and sometimes you have to say this is not up to my standards or I don't feel comfortable going down this path. When I worked with Amber Marshall on Heartland we would have many conversations about this. If there was some sexual innuendo that was in the script and it was a little too far, we would talk about it and say we don’t want do this. We think it's a better, higher quality story if we leave this out. I'm very grateful to have worked with Amber and also to have been on the same page about that.”
Graham concludes his thoughts around this by saying,
“I think that's really important whether it be filmmaking or in life to have that shared vision and intention in your heart of why we're doing this.”
The Audience
Often, forms of creativity—whether it be music, poetry, or movies—are just as impactful for the audience as they are for the creator. These creations offer a shared experience that resonate deeply and foster connection, understanding, and healing on both sides. Graham touched on this as he says,
“It's a resonance thing. So by being open and authentic in your creative work, yes, it creates the best art, but also it's like a tuning fork. You know when you hit tuning forks and they have that vibration and you hold it next to another one, it starts vibrating as well? So this is how our being works. When we are vibrating, we are at a certain state of being and at a level of authenticity with ourselves. That's why we love to see live music or shows, it is a resonance. We're actually tuning in. As an artist you're not consciously thinking that you’re trying to tune everybody, you're just expressing and being authentic and sharing your gifts, and it automatically empowers others.”
Graham is deeply moved by various forms of creativity, but he shares that music, especially by female singers, has the most profound impact on him. He explores why that is, in this video.
Advice for Embracing Creativity
Graham reflected on the vulnerability involved in creating work that is deeply personal. Since vulnerability can often feel uncomfortable, I was curious to learn how Graham navigates that discomfort to create work that holds meaning for him and supports his healing process. So, I asked him, what kind of advice he would give folks to overcome the vulnerability that comes with sharing profound feelings and personal experiences.
Graham answered,
“So, you don't want to overcome vulnerability or push it aside. Actually, vulnerability is the superpower, as Brene Brown has has said before. What makes people want to get over that or push it aside is that there's a fear of judgment. A fear of being exposed to others and them attacking you or or targeting you or isolating you. And to get over that, you need to have self acceptance.”
Realize the Creativity in your Everyday Life
Graham offered more advice on incorporating creativity and play into everyday life, particularly for those who feel hesitant to begin or doubt their own creativity. He emphasizes that creativity takes many forms and is something everyone can tap into, regardless of where they start. He explains,
“First of all, you need to acknowledge that you are creative. You have your own unique level of creativity and expression. Let the misconception go that you are not creative just for a moment. Give yourself permission to create. Fully utilize the now, play in the moment, try something new, that will give you the confidence which builds the space for that childlike innocence and wonder to emerge. Cultivate that, and before you know it, you have your own unique flavour of creativity.”
Activities That Are More Creative Than You May Think
Cooking a meal
Picking out your outfit for the day
Building a rock statue on the beach
Gardening
Rearranging a room in your home
Taking photos
The Role of Privacy in Your Creative Healing Journey
While Graham shared many insights and advice on using creativity as a healing tool, his most important point is that you don't have to share your creativity with anyone else if you don’t want to. While Graham has shared much of his creativity with people, he has kept other pieces completely private. He explains this in greater detail in the video below.
What creative outlets, whether new or familiar, are you excited to explore as part of your healing journey?
January Writer's Challenge: Join Us Today!
Ready to dive into 2025 with clarity, creativity, and community?
The January Writer’s Challenge is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect way to kick off the new year with purpose and inspiration. Each week, we’ll explore a new area of life—Health, Relationships, Passion, and Spirituality—guiding you to craft visions that align with your highest self.
This journey isn’t just about writing; it’s about transformation. As a paying subscriber, you’ll gain exclusive access to the full challenge, personalized feedback, and a vibrant community of like-minded creatives. Whether you're new to writing or a seasoned participant, this is your chance to turn the page on a powerful new chapter.
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New Podcast Episode
There is a new Time Has Come Podcast episode out!
Bitcoin & Filmmaking: Crafting Stories Outside the Comfort Zone.
Graham is joined in this episode by Christopher Arcella. Graham played a small role in Christopher's upcoming film, "The Bitcoin Executor". In this episode they explore topics around filmmaking and take a deep dive into artistic integrity.
You can listen to Graham’s podcasts on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Recommendations
Book Recommendation
Graham recently received his copy of the book called, The Bushido of Bitcoin, which is an exploration of the values of the different warriors throughout different cultures and how they all relate to the values of Bitcoin.
Movie Recommendation
The God Father is a movie Graham just watched for the first time! He says,
“It was a fun film, and it was cool just to kind of go back in time a bit and watch a film that everybody had talked so much about and and shamed me for not watching.”
Song Recommendation
Graham has been loving Connor Price’s music lately, and in particular his new song Let Me Cook.
Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube.
Life Lately
Through a chain of connecting flights leaving from Calgary, Alberta, Graham made his way to Australia on November 5th! Despite it being somewhere he has always wanted to go, it was Graham’s first time visiting this part of the world. He notes that,
“I loved meeting new people, and finding new spots, learning about new cultures.”
While in Australia, Graham hosted host a Meet & Greet with some folks who support his work. To show his gratitude for those who attended, he says
“Thank you to those of you who were able to meet me in Australia, it is always an honour to connect with new people, sharing good conversations and laughs.”
Prior to leaving for Australia, most of the leaves had fallen off the trees, there was frost during the nights, and mornings were very foggy in Alberta. This seasonal change was another reason that Graham was happy to visit Australia and get some more sunshine before the Canadian Winter sets in for the coming months. Alongside preparing for Winter, Graham explains that
“I have had some big changes in my life recently. I'm not ready to talk about them just yet publicly, but there's been some good changes in my life recently that I'm very excited about, very happy about, and inspired by. So when the time is right, I will share that.”
As Graham mentioned, his poetry post cards are available on his website. These are a great gift for yourself or a loved one with the upcoming holiday season.
Thank you for reading this newsletter. I hope this exploration of creativity and its connection to the healing process encourages you to approach the topic with a softer heart, remembering that we are all creative beings.
With gratitude and kindness,
Cyan
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