Caregiver Thursday: Caregivers and Creativity!

Productivity comes from the mind, but creativity comes from the heart.

Creativity is driven by the need to see things differently.

People who are creative believe the world is filled with possibility.

Caregivers are creative geniuses. No one approaches life as creatively as caregivers do. They simply could not survive without creative problem solving.  

Caregivers are constantly forced to think outside of the normal box, because we are presented with a puzzle that changes on a daily basis. Fresh perspective and fluid solutions make us rethink things and approach problems from different angles. 

The perfect example of this was the way I had to approach my Dad’s loss of appetite after his open heart surgery. It was really a battle and I was completely baffled. He had always been such a good eater and his doctors had no answers.

In desperation, I began to rethink everything. I knew there must be a reason food was turning him off, and was determined to solve the mystery rather than accept this as the new normal. 

I began to ask questions in an attempt to gain a new perspective. 

What was influencing him? What was different about his lifestyle? What had we changed during and since his surgery? Thinking it through, his appetite was not too bad post surgery so the answer was in the weeks and months following. Were the the things that were supposed to be helping him, hurting him? 

I began looking at his meds one by one and sure enough I found a high dosage medication that had LOSS of APPETITE as a main side effect. When I questioned the doctor he actually told me he wasn’t aware of that side effect for that drug but on my insistence allowed us to lower the dosage considerably.  We still got the effect we needed from the drug, but his appetite slowly came back.

Looking at this situation creatively, and believing in the possibility of a solution, I was able to find one. 

It should be noted that my ability to think creatively greatly increased when I was focusing on self care. When I was rested, eating healthy meals and nurturing myself, my creativity was so much easier to tap into. When we nurture ourselves, we have the energy and desire to tap into our creativity. 

So break the rules, think outside of the box, see possibility, be curious and tap into your ability to see the world differently. Search through choices and decisions and go for heartfelt re-evaluation. Come up with new ideas and be open to trying different things. The creative  process is all about opening your mind and heart so you can see and feel things with a fresh perspective.

Be the creative genius that you are!

Susanne White (Caregiver Warrior) is a caregiver, caregiving and caregiver advocate and supporter, writer, blogger, and podcaster. For additional caregiver and caregiving resources, tips, strategies, and inspiration, visit her website at caregiverwarrior.com and on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.