By Sophie Rey
Welcome! I'm Sophie Rey, an Artist, Somatic Coach and Yoga Teacher helping you explore the complexities and nuances of life and embrace who you are to feel at home in your body, increase confidence, emotional resilience and feel more connected to your innate creativity & Joy.
In this blog post, I'm discussing the importance of connecting with your body through Somatics, to support and enhance your creativity and self-expression.
There is no Creativity without Somatics
I'm an artist and the one thing that generally stifles my creativity is being in my own head.
Overthinking, worrying, self-doubt or fear that my art is going to be rubbish, has actively stopped me from creating in the past, as well as having too many ideas and not knowing where to start. I go round and round in circles and then end up creating nothing and it is such a buzz kill for creativity. I remember discussing this with my business coach when I was having a particularly difficult time connecting with my art, and it was Aneta who reminded me of the power of Somatics, and how there is no creativity without Somatics.
Creative minds need space, rest, boredom, connection, freedom and play, and they also need to be able to make mistakes. When we are in that overthinking state of mind, it can feel really hard to see clearly and figure it out the next step in the creative process, because usually for our own self-expression, we don't have guidelines or instructions. This can lead to being frustrated and annoyed, and we are quite often our own worst critic.
The Inner Critic can be loud and very mean, but really it’s a sense of something within us not feeling safe or perhaps feeling un-nurtured, and wanting to protect us from getting it 'wrong', which can have a huge impact on our sense of self and confidence.
Gentle Enquiry of the Inner Critic
When the inner critic is loud, instead of having an argument with them, could you invite them into a gentle conversation with you, asking "Where are your fears around this stemming from, and what do you think will happen if we get it wrong?"
With curiosity, consider what's currently going on in your life that might be inhibiting you from your creative expression, and perhaps asking if the voice of your inner critic is yours, or someone else's. There's usually more to the story than just being scared of the outcome.
When we are trapped in overthinking or worrying about what to create or whether it will be good enough, we aren’t giving ourselves the space or freedom to explore and experiment. We aren’t letting our imaginations wander and expand into the realm of ‘what could be possible here?’.
Your creativity deserves the space to roam, and the best way to help clear a bit of mental space is to connect back with your body. If you have ever experienced anxiety, overthinking or perfectionism, you may be very familiar with the frustration that comes with it, and the overwhelming feeling of being trapped in your own mind.
Connect with your Body

There are so many options when it comes to connecting with your body through movement; such as walking, dancing, Yoga Asana, Pilates, Tai Chi and more, so depending on how familiar you are with these practices, you can choose what will work for you, what will feel most comfortable, accessible and give you an additional boost of creativity.
Somatic Movement, which can include freestyle and intuitive movements, specific exercises focused around different muscle groups, or linked to the modalities above, helps you connect with your body and your inner experience in a gentle and compassionate way, whilst also helping to shift your internal state.
If you are feeling anxious or unsettled, when really you want to be relaxing and engaging in a creative practice, engaging in some focused and intentional movement encourages a release of excess energy, which builds up when our nervous system is in fight or flight, the natural response to your autonomic nervous system sensing a threat. Focused breathing, self massage and body scans are also Somatic practices, as they connect you with yourself in the present.
When we focus on the present moment, the sensations in your body, how your breath is moving and responding to the movement and the support of the ground beneath you, there is a natural shift within the nervous system. You move into the parasympathetic nervous system, and a more engaged, open and grounded state of being, where we feel a little more relaxed and can be more curious about the situation at hand.
Step out of your head

Somatic Practices help you reconnect with your body and step out of your head. By feeling more grounded and connected to your body’s innate creativity and wisdom, you can explore options, trust your intuition, and enjoy creating without overthinking or stressing about the outcome.
Your physical sensations, sensed through your nervous system, influence your mindset and the stories you tell yourself. As discussed, anxiety is connected to the fight-or-flight state, making you tense and unsettled, which often leads to searching for answers or inspiration online, can sometimes increase anxiety and stifle creativity if you tend to compare yourself to others and doubt your ability.
Instead, Somatic Practices help you engage in playful, soulful art-making that feels good for you!
Your breathing is a key aspect here too. Slow, deep belly breaths have that a nurturing, soothing effect on your nervous system by reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, again helps you to feel more grounded and energised. I love using my breath when I'm painting and noticing how a relaxed and long out breath and make the pen or brush stroke feel more effortless and natural.
Understanding what holds you back
When you enquire with those parts of you that are scared or uncertain, you begin to understand what is holding you back.
Moving your body slowly allows you to check in with your feelings, thoughts, and beliefs and gives you time to question doubts like, “Why do I think I’m not good enough?” or “Can I let myself create just for fun?” This self-awareness fosters growth and change, though it requires kindness and patience with yourself.
These practices build self-trust and safety. They connect you with parts of yourself, like your inner child, which holds your playfulness, your joy, and your creativity. By nurturing wounded parts of yourself, such as a critical inner voice or a hurt inner child, you can foster self-compassion and feel freer to create, letting those parts know that it is safe to play and express themselves, without being judged or punished.
Reduce the Noise
When you reduce the constant noise from outside of yourself and move your body to settle the noise within, you are lead by what feels intuitive, what feels right in the moment and what comes through when you have more space to allow things to happen. They might not be 'right' or what you wanted, but it is all part of the process, and you haven't lost anything. You can always try again.
Consider how children use their whole bodies to play and express themselves; they don’t tend to overthink their stories, they make up games even if they don't make sense, they embody their stories and they play out their imaginations. Sadly adults can lose their imaginations for a variety of reasons, but if you feel within your body that some creative spark is missing, that you are craving the creative outlet and the space to explore or express yourself, perhaps start listening to that inner whisper.
And if you feel held back by fear or self-doubt, or overthinking, put down whatever you're doing and start moving your body.
To get you going, here's a recorded Yoga Asana practice for a Creative Boost. Although it's a guided practice, make sure to pay attention to your inner experience and adapt as needed to suit your body, energy levels and accessibility needs.
If you'd like to continue your exploration of your creative self, you might be interested in my blog; Why Connect with your Creative Self-Expression, and HOW!
Thanks for sticking around and I can't wait to see you again soon.
With Love & Gratitude, Sophie xx
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