Unlocking Your Creativity Through Your Ancestors’ Joys
How to tap into our ancestors' neglected creative legacy
Have you ever felt drawn to a particular craft, hobby, or profession without knowing why? What if your ancestors’ unfulfilled dreams were whispering to you across generations?
What psychogenealogy can teach us about ourselves never ceases to fascinate me.
Researching our ancestors and building a family tree opens the door to many discoveries essential to personal growth. I believe we should all embark on this genealogical quest, as it can reveal hidden aspects of our identity and purpose.
But I admit, it’s not always easy. Facing the traumas and difficult characters in our lineage can be challenging.
So instead of focusing on the struggles and suffering in our family history, let’s shift our attention to something uplifting—what made our ancestors feel alive.
So, let’s discover how, by exploring what brought joy and meaning to our ancestors, we can unlock our creative potential and overcome unexplained blocks in our lives.
Discovering the gifts of our ancestors
While our ancestors may have faced struggles, they also had strengths, skills, and dreams that sustained them. These talents and aspirations do not disappear when they pass away; they linger in our family’s unconscious, waiting to be acknowledged.
If you’re searching for your true calling, a great way to start is by exploring the talents or crafts your ancestors mastered—or longed to master.
Even if you lack direct information about their professions or hobbies, looking at their names and nicknames may be relevant. These signifiers can guide you, as they often hold clues to their identity and passions.
For example, if your last name is “Smith,” even if you don’t know of any blacksmiths in your family, why not try your hand at metalworking? Experimenting with an ancestral craft could lead to unexpected personal discoveries.
You should also pay attention to the names of the places they lived in. Towns, streets, and places they used to visit can be linked to famous personalities and art forms to explore.
This also applies to you. If you've lived on Mozart Street longer than you can remember, it might be time to turn to music.
Reconnecting with our ancestors’ joys:
The key is to reconnect with creativity that already exists in your family tree, even in an incomplete or embryonic form. Engaging in an activity your ancestors loved or aspired to could unlock your creative potential.
As we search for information about our ancestors, we should always look carefully for what may have been their joys in life, what made them feel alive. It could be their job, it could be a hobby, or even something they wanted to do but never did and kept dreaming of.
As you explore different branches of your family tree, try out various activities.
Write down a list of all known professions, hobbies, or artistic pursuits in your family tree. Even if it seems disconnected, try engaging in one of these activities for a few weeks and observe how you feel.
Be playful and intuitive in this process! Let your unconscious guide you.
For instance, if you notice that your grandmother wore a lot of jewelry in old photos, why not try jewelry-making? In past generations, women often had limited outlets for self-expression, so clothing and accessories might have been a way for them to bring beauty into their lives. Creating something similar could be a way to honor and reconnect with that energy.
Similarly, if you see a beautiful outfit in an old family photograph, try recreating it. Sewing, knitting, or even designing digital versions of historical clothing can be an engaging way to tap into your family’s past creativity.
This is the first step to unleashing your creativity: going back to what brought joy to your ancestors, the activities through which they could express their unique creative power and feel this vital flow of joyful creative energy.
Do this seriously (creativity is a serious matter). Take lessons, and see what happens. If you enjoy the process, you’re on the right path.
Overcoming Creative Blockages
Sometimes, creativity remains blocked due to unfinished stories in our family history. If an ancestor was unable to pursue their passion or suffered an untimely death, their unfulfilled creative energy may linger in the family, manifesting as stagnation, creative inhibitions, or unexplained frustration and sadness.
One of the most problematic aspects of a family tree is the premature death of an ancestor. When a life is left incomplete, that unfinished energy can create obstacles for future generations.
Take my own story, for example. My grandfather played the violin but had to give it up after his marriage. He was very gifted, but he eventually sold his violin to make ends meet. Years later, when I decided to take violin lessons, my life began to change for the better. It was as if reclaiming that lost passion opened up a new creative flow. Since then, I have written short stories and published books—something I had always wanted to do but never felt I could.
Releasing trapped creative energy
To unblock your creative flow, you need to reconnect with what your ancestors loved or dreamed of doing. Invest in yourself: take classes, enroll in workshops, and acquire the tools you need for your chosen craft.
If your ancestors dreamed of traveling to places they never reached, consider visiting those destinations in their honor. By walking the paths they once longed for, you may find a new sense of purpose and connection.
The goal is not to live their lives for them but to acknowledge what made them feel alive and allow that energy to flow freely once more. A wellspring of creative power is there, waiting for you to tap into it.
Take the first step
Start today. Choose one creative pursuit that connects to your family history and see where it leads you. Whether it’s painting, music, crafting, writing, or something entirely unexpected, trust the process and let your ancestors’ joys and dreams inspire you.
Try it and see what happens.
Thanks for reading!
I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please, comment and share your thoughts.
Great post! I’ve been thinking about this very thing lately. I need to get that post written. Thanks for the push!
You might find my work of interest. Here , I write about how hidden family history may be lurking in the background - https://open.substack.com/pub/johnmoyermedlpcncc/p/is-your-family-haunting-you?r=3p5dh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false