Artistic Expression Became My Greatest Perimenopause Healing Tool

I was painting in my home studio at two in the morning because I could not sleep due to hot flashes. I was frustrated with myself. I was frustrated with my body. So I was painting my frustration onto a canvas. The painting was terrible but the act of creating something felt healing. Within weeks, I had filled my studio with paintings. I had not even considered myself an artist. But perimenopause had awakened something creative in me.

How I got here

I had never been particularly creative. I had always been practical and logical. I worked in accounting. I did not consider myself an artist. But when perimenopause started and I was struggling with insomnia, I needed something to do at two in the morning when I could not sleep. I found some paints and a canvas in my closet that I had bought years ago and never used. I decided to try painting. It was a way to keep my mind busy instead of obsessing about my inability to sleep.

What I actually did

I started painting whenever I could not sleep or whenever I was feeling emotional. I did not try to make good art. I just let it flow. I painted my feelings. I painted hot flashes as orange and red flames. I painted anxiety as dark swirls. I painted hope as light. Within a few months, I had created dozens of paintings. People started asking me if I was selling them. I sold a few. Then I got asked to do a local art show. I exhibited my work. Some sold. I was shocked. I was creating art that was meaningful and people were responding to it.

What actually changed

My emotional expression improved. Instead of holding emotions in, I was expressing them through art. My sleep improved because I had an outlet for my emotions instead of lying awake worrying. My mood improved. I felt more creative and alive. I had discovered a part of myself that I did not know existed. I was no longer just an accountant. I was also an artist. That expanded sense of identity was healing.

What my routine looks like now

I paint several times a week. I have set up a proper studio in my home. I sell some work online and locally. I have found a community of artists who are also going through perimenopause. I track my mood and creative output using PeriPlan and I can see clearly that I am happier when I am creating. Artistic expression has become one of my most important perimenopause management tools.

If you are struggling with perimenopause, consider finding a creative outlet. It does not have to be art. It could be music, writing, dance, or any creative expression. Creative expression is medicine. Do not worry about being good at it. Just let your feelings flow onto a canvas or into a journal or onto a stage. This is not medical advice about perimenopause. But creative expression is healing medicine for your soul.