What is the definition of self-expression? According to Lexico, self-expression is “the expression of one’s feelings, thoughts, or ideas, especially in writing, art, music, or dance”. It is an important aspect of mental health because self-expression is an excellent way to find the real version of oneself, become more balanced, and lead a happier life. Reconnecting with your inner child can help you rediscover what you love to do as a result.
We begin self-expressing in childhood but usually forget how freeing it is as we grow older. Caring too much about the result and acceptance by peers is to blame. Anna and Nina share some personal experiences from when they were little, and we learn that they have a creative background in dancing and singing, respectively. Both Anna and Nina still love to do intuitive movement between client sessions to release the tension and feel lighter. They discuss the misconception that you need to be good at something to fully enjoy it. 
Instead, focusing on getting the feelings out should be your goal. Being a little bit dramatic is also a form of self-expression, and these extreme emotions could be a way to open up a dialogue with people around you. Feeling all kinds of emotions is perfectly okay, and taking a day off to be sad might help you get better instead of keeping everything inside. Connecting with other creatives is a way to encourage you to accept self-expression as it is and do what you want in that particular moment. Just letting your feelings out without any objective in mind can be very freeing. You might feel a bit uncomfortable because, after all, you are creating something and might want to share it with the world later on. 
Honesty is the key here. Your work should reflect your intentions, and it will be evident if you created something to express your true feelings or made it for an audience. Anna and Nina firmly believe that every person has a creative streak, and chasing perfection could hinder your self-expression. Anna shares her experience on how self-expression helped her build her circle of friends who all share similar interests.
Listen to the episode on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-human/id1575612024 (Apple Podcasts), https://open.spotify.com/show/1V8taFSZQDpMcXkrP5dGrs?si=y-giY6zKTTywl-yBqJ3qoA&dl_branch=1 (Spotify), https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9yTHpBOUg2Mg (Google Podcasts), https://www.stitcher.com/show/how-to-be-human-5 (Stitcher), http://tun.in/pkuiM (TuneIn), or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
The definition of self-expression
Self-expression and mental health
Narrow conceptions of creativity
Being truthful and using it for self-expression
Pushing past the fear and rediscovering self-expression

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.bccs.org.uk/our-stories/encouraging-self-expression (BCCS)
https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-expression (Lexico)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Harbutt (Charles Harbutt)

Follow Us:
https://www.howtobehumanpod.com/ (How to Be Human)
https://www.instagram.com/howtobehumanpod/ (How to Be Human Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/annatoonk/ (Anna's Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/humannamednina/ (Nina's Instagram)
https://www.annatoonk.com/ (Book a session with Anna)
https://ninaendrsthealth.com/ (Book a session with Nina)