Can creativity help our Mental Health?

Life, the world around can get a little crazy, with endless time spent behind your computer, working, worrying about your bills, rent, moving, shopping, organising, chores etc. Especially over the last few years when the negative programming on TV and in the media alongside the ever-escalating costs of living, and lack of job security makes even the best of us want to lock the door to our house and throw away the key.

When the walls are closing in, and we are more worried, scared or depressed, surely there has got to be another way? Can we in the midst of it all create the time and space to be ourselves and to play?

In a crazy world, where in all of this does our soul, that deeper spiritual part of ourselves fit, when do we create time to play, be and feel joyful, and enter a state of timeless bliss that lifts our spirit for the rest of the day and week.  This isn’t something reserved solely for kids. At what point did someone decide that being imaginative and playful is only for children and when did we lose that right as adults?

Creativity, play and ‘letting your imagination run loose’ rarely if ever make it onto one’s agenda or to-do list once we are grown up, when was the last time you added time to be creative to your calendar?

Yet imagine how amazing we’d feel if is the way we could start or end the day by being creative.

The Benefits of Being Creative

Numerous studies have shown that being creative helps to stimulate our problem-solving capabilities, relieves stress, improves our memory and brain functioning and boosts our self-esteem, confidence and happiness. Yet we don’t need to read scientific papers to demonstrate the benefits of bringing some playtime into our day.

The best way to test this theory is to go and do something creative for 20-40 minutes and know first-hand how much better you feel during and afterwards.

A few of the benefits that I experience myself or hear from other creatives:

• Power of the now, completely focussed on the present moment
• Enhanced creativity in all areas of life
• Self-acceptance – it doesn’t all turn out as expected, and sometimes it isn’t meant to
• Sense of internal Calm and peace
• Freedom
• Limitlessness – the range of possibilities is endless
• Joy/ contentment

I could keep going, and going and going. although I’d rather finish this post and get back to being creative.

Lately, I’ve been playing with mixed media cards and artwork and its so mesmerising to continually discover new techniques.  Once lost in a piece, the biggest question in life is simply whether to use the lighter or darker pink.  The best thing it really doesn’t matter what you chose, there are no wrong decisions, you learn, evolve, and improve along the way.

Where and how to start being Creative?

Now if you’ve been in business or a grown-up for a while, and focussed on all things grown uppy, you may have forgotten what to do in your free time, other than the gym/ chores and those other lovely items on your to-do list.

While that is crazy to me now, it wasn’t so long ago that I too was completely obsessed by my work, and if I wasn’t working I was catching up with friends, eating out or working out in the gym – and that was it.  There was no time for anything else, and as I can’t draw or paint I didn’t believe that being creative was a thing.

When I took a year off to follow my bliss, I wasn’t sure what my bliss was – or what made me happy. A little confused once the novelty of having free time had worn off, and there is only so much yoga you can do in a day, I started doing creative workshops.  In time you come across a few creative ventures you might not enjoy but a whole lot more that you do.

On route, I’ve found I am not so good at printmaking, still no good at drawing or painting, however totally love knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, pottery, mixed media, photography, and as always writing.  There is no end point to this journey as I am finding new creative routes to explore every day – and am loving the learning and discovering of new techniques, some of which I like and some that I don’t.

The great thing is as an adult we can choose what we study, and follow the journey on whatever route it takes us.  There is no deadline, no pressure, no right or wrong, it’s a fantastic window of opportunity to just play, be and express whatever you feel at that moment.

The best news ever is that it’s never to late start.

And in the words of Robin Rose Bennett;

“It is within your power to make your life more magical. Let yourself think magically. Symbolically. Metaphorically. Loosen up and let the boundaries between mundane and magical living become thinner. Invite yourself to see like an artist, to think like a poet’.

A few highly recommended places to inspire your creativity and to get started (no affiliate links, and suggest you do a search locally if you are looking for something nearby – otherwise the list would be endless):

Books:
The Artists Way: Julia Cameron (highly recommend doing the morning pages journalling)
Big Magic:  Elisabeth Gilbert

Websites/ Communities
Ravelry
Scrapbook

Inspirational creators/ courses and sources
Lavinia Stamps
Craft Courses UK
Find a craft
Etchr, Art Courses
From Britain with Love