Why being highly sensitive is both a gift and a challenge, and how art can help?
- Dr Pranita Rao
- Jan 14
- 6 min read
My Story as a Highly Sensitive Person
As a highly sensitive person, I have chosen to embody my sensitivity levels, vulnerability, unique needs, and all my gifts and talents. A few years ago, I struggled to understand my challenges because they seemed so different from those of others.
I didn't know anyone who would be as overwhelmed as I would, require as much time as I needed, felt as deeply as I did, or spoke as passionately as I did.
I remember sitting in my balcony and spending hours being close to the plants to feel like I was in my body. I would wake up and try to settle my energy and emotions for the fair part of my day. It almost felt as though the only thing I did on most days was to be able to survive that day. And I am not exaggerating. It wasn't until I learnt that I was highly sensitive, that I was able to develop the skills I required to support my sensitivity and my unique gifts.
Of course, it took almost two years for me to learn the precise skills I required to support my sensitivity post my discovery. However, I got there, and today, I know that I am better off being sensitive or highly sensitive.
Why Being Highly Sensitive Is Both a Gift and a Challenge?
Scientists like Dr. Elaine Aron have studied the trait of high sensitivity and recognized it as a trait that helps in evolution. In the past two years, I've shared many scientific facts about sensitivity and highly sensitive people in this blog. You can find some in this post too.
But today, I would like to share some of the benefits of being highly sensitive. All gifts and talents come with gains. Let's see what you could be dismissing about yourself.
Some benefits of being highly sensitive include:
having deeper insights into situations
having heightened senses
being more empathetic and can read others energy/emotions
being more compassionate
being emotionally, energetically, psychically, and cognitively gifted
being aware of threatening situations beforehand and can protect themselves from harm
being highly intuitive
being highly aware and more informed
being extremely creative
having high emotional intelligence
I understand that many sensitive and highly sensitive individuals can be critical of themselves and attract critical situations. However, it is important to remember that, as sensitive and highly sensitive people, we have many gifts and talents.
So, why be critical of ourselves?
Instead, we could celebrate our gifts and utilise them to support the world to evolve!
Comprende :)?
Now, I do have to emphasise that sensitive or highly sensitive individuals can come across challenges if they don't learn about their gifts or develop skills to manage them. The reason for this is that when our gifts remain unrecognised, they remain mismanaged or unmanaged. For no fault of our own, we would be blaming ourselves for not understanding ourselves or others.
When not managed, sensitive and highly sensitive individuals can experience:
fear
overwhelm
confusion
lack of self-belief
lack of confidence
self-doubt
wrong career paths
misdiagnosis or mental health issues that could seem like a mental health issue, but are actually a gap in understanding one's sensitivity (this is based on the research available and my personal opinion only)
attracting the wrong people and opportunities
imbalanced energies
Which is why, I find it important for sensitive individuals to learn about their gifts and talents, as it could open doors to health, healing, monetary gains, career opportunities, and soul expression.
Why Learning About Sensitivity and Art Matters?
Why is learning about sensitivity essential?
When we invest our time and energy in controlling situations or people that would never understand our uniqueness, we would be wasting our time and energy. In such times, individuals usually remain stuck for a long time, assuming that their sensitivity is their fault, and there could be many people who could support that belief.
Instead, sensitive individuals could recognise the need of the hour, which is their education about their gifts. When sensitive individuals invest in their education, they stop wasting time and energy on things, situations, and people they cannot control.
And if I am being fully honest, our gifts will always support us, even when the outer world doesn't. So, it is a better bet to depend on one's gifts than not.
Why can art support sensitive and highly sensitive individuals?
Art has a beautiful way of supporting sensitive or highly sensitive individuals. As a highly sensitive person, I understand that the fear levels of sensitive and highly sensitive individuals are fairly high. This is because we are constantly bombarded by different information like highly intense emotions, energies, and thoughts. If one is psychic (and isn't aware of it), they can also receive many downloads through their psychic or intuitive gifts, making them feel overwhelmed and scared.
And these emotions are valid.
One way to validate the emotions around our gifts is painting. I vouch for it, as I have painted my way out of stimulation, overwhelm, and information overload.
Of course, one has to be consistent with their practise to see changes. However, since we are sensitive, we could be quickly impacted by the benefits of painting.
Some benefits of painting for sensitive individuals include:
decreased stress levels
increased self-expression
gentle cognitive information processing
gentle emotional processing
gentle psychic information processing
decreased stimulation levels
increase in self-belief
decrease in the fear of feeling unsafe in one's body
I have gathered the pointers in this list after three years of consistent practise with art. I started off painting three hours a day, as my stimulation levels were extremely high. However, with time and education about my gifts, I now paint for a few minutes a day or a few times a week. Each time I paint, I feel as though I have shed off a few layers and a few kilos of information from different parts of my body.
When you scroll down on this page, you can find some reviews of my clients, sharing how art has impacted them through my one-on-one sessions with them. Please check it out if it interests you.
A Soft Invitation
Book a Clarity Call
If you resonate with my message and content, I invite you to book a 30-minute clarity call with me. The call is priced at 7$. If you find that you haven't found any value in the 30-minutes, you can refrain from paying the 7$ post the call.
In this call, we will discuss your challenges around sensitivity and your unique gifts, we will discuss where you are, what you need, and whether my 12-week coaching program is aligned for you. Please note, my hourly fee is 200$, and the fee for my 12-week program is 1800$.
Thank you for being here. If this blog post helped you, please like, share, and subscribe to my blog. Your support helps this work reach sensitive people around the world.
Please leave a comment if any part of this resonated with you, as I would love to engage with you.
You are also welcome to explore my other blog posts to learn more about sensitivity, creativity, emotional regulation, and intuitive growth. If you'd like to relax and learn, you can purchase my course on the basics of highly sensitive people and the impact of abstract art on the sensitive nervous system.
If learning about sensitivity feels challenging or triggering, that is understandable. When I first learned about my sensitivity, I felt overwhelmed by realisations, fears, and expectations. Embracing our gifts takes energy, patience, and self-compassion. My intention over the past three years has been to make this journey lighter, clearer, and more supportive for sensitive souls. So, please stay put and keep investing in your growth.
Thank you for reading, and I appreciate your presence.
Until next time!
-3, 2, 1, Cheers,
Pranita
Word count - 1585
Did you enjoy my post? If you're a visual person and need to hear someone's voice to understand them better, I encourage you to visit my YouTube channel and Instagram page. In fact, if you wish to consume more content by me, here is a video of me that help you learn about why sensitive souls are drawn to art?
Visit my Shop to purchase your favorite artwork or read my blog posts to understand my artistic perspectives.
My favorite pick for continuing the reading experience and related post:
Disclaimer:
Please note that the information on this site and blog is not medical information. Expressive Sensitive is a space to inform, educate, and engage highly sensitive people about the relationship between abstract art and high sensitivity. Please be advised that I utilize my education and experience as an artist, healer, energy worker, and a science communicator to create authentic content in this space.
To get medical support, please reach out to a qualified medical professional. Please reach out to authorized educational professionals to replicate my artistic or emotional coping methods.
The Muddy Space is a vertical that helps sensitive individuals embrace slow living through the metaphors of snails. It also displays angelic Reiki services for individuals wanting to receive angelic guidance, healing, clearing, and support for their energy health, emotional health, and soul wellbeing.
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