Creativity
The Magic of Drool - How Creativity Saves Us When We're Falling Apart
My husband was wide awake... and unknowingly drooling.
I know Eric made an appearance in the last issue on strengths, but this classic moment also deserves the stage.
When our family set off to travel around the world for a year, our guiding intention was “finding family flow”. We were inspired by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal work on Flow, that magic zone where time warps, self-doubt dissolves, and you’re fully absorbed in the magic of moment.
We figured if we left our American life behind and stripped away the stress of work, school, and busy calendars, we’d naturally open to this blissful state of flow - individually and as a family.
Wrong.
And also... right.
Turns out, even when familiar stressors vanish, hard emotions and discomfort are still part of the human experience (I highly recommend reading Eric’s reflection on this here).
Cue the drooling scene.
We had just arrived in San Sebastián, Spain, an unplanned stop meant to rescue our big adventure from exhaustion, homesickness, and sheer overload. We were sick of travel, I was sick with a nasty virus, and we were all so sick of each other. In a last-ditch effort to salvage our sanity, we stumbled upon an online art class (other forms of home-school were failing). The class: Doodling! Anyone could doodle, and we desperately needed a win.
Within minutes of starting, something magical happened. The passive-aggressiveness stopped. The anxiety about our next destination faded. We forgot about our crammed quarters. Instead, we became absorbed in simple marks on paper… no thoughts, just pure presence.
That's when Eric erupted with "Oh no!" He'd been so engrossed in his art that saliva had pooled in his open mouth. A drop of drool hit his pen sketch, turning it into an accidental watercolor masterpiece. We all burst into much needed laughter.
There it was: Flow.
Even in the hardest chapter of our journey.
Even in the mess.
Especially in the mess.
The irony wasn't lost on me, nor was the power of art.
Looking back at that moment now, I’m reminded of Martha Beck’s wisdom:
“If you want to feel better, make something. Anything. All creativity aligns us with Creation itself—the source of all healing.”
I recently facilitated a webinar called Creativity & Calm. I discussed the science of neuroaesthetics: how our brains respond to beauty and art. Then we workshopped the research by painting together.
The data is powerful: Creativity isn’t just fun. It’s healing. It calms the nervous system. It lifts mood. It restores connection to ourselves, to others, and to something greater.
Creating art…
lowers cortisol (stress hormone) levels
triggers dopamine (happy hormone) release in the brain
builds new neural pathways, enhancing brain connectivity
improves executive function and decision-making
provides emotional release while building practical life skills
Bonus? The form of art doesn’t matter and the benefits are accessible to everyone, regardless of talent.
The most magical part of the webinar wasn’t this cool research — it was watching genetic counselors across the US paint a DNA molecule at their desk in the middle of their workday. With watercolors. In real time. Laughing. Focused. Quiet. Creative. Perhaps a few of them even tasted flow. Or maybe even drooled.
Your turn: Make a little creativity emergency kit.
When you want to feel better, what’s your “make”?
A doodle from the class I just described? A watercolor painting? A needlepoint? How about gardening? Or woodworking? Sketching? Dancing? A song? A play? Pottery? Poetry? Adult coloring pages? Play-dough? Painting your nails? Cookies? A sourdough starter?
Write it down now so when you're next stuck or feeling overwhelmed, you've got your personal prescription ready:
℞:_________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Is your “make” a watercolor? Great! If you need a place to start - try the DNA watercolor I just taught to the genetic counselors.
You can! It’s free. You don’t have to be a genetic counselor and you need no experience!
I’ll guide you all the way.
👉 Click here to access the on-demand recording of the painting portion of the class (we journal too). Use any materials you have on hand: watercolors, crayons, colored pencils, lipstick. The medium doesn’t matter. The making does.
Because sometimes, when life feels impossible, the answer isn't to think your way out, it's to create your way through.
With so much love,
Daniela
Founder, The О̄nda Collective
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