Somewhere inside of us all is a creative streak, and this creativity benefits your wellness in so many ways.  Have you ever felt the irresistible urge to dip your fingers into paint, write a story that dances off the pages, or turn everyday objects into masterpieces?  Well, it’s time to embrace that inner artist within you, because beyond the strokes and lines lies a world of incredible benefits that can enhance every facet of your life.  When you lean into the transformative power of embracing creativity, you could be tapping into all of these benefits to your health and well-being, just by doing something fun!

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How Does Being Creative Help My Wellness?

1. Stress Relief:

Art is meditation in motion.  Engaging in creative activities like painting or crafting shifts your focus and helps to calm the mind.  It can provide a relaxing and meditative outlet, reducing stress and anxiety while promoting emotional well-being. If you’ve ever worked on something and felt like you were ‘in the zone’, this is a state of optimal concentration and enjoyment, ultimately giving you higher levels of creativity, productivity, and happiness.

2. Boosted Self-Esteem:

Accomplishing creative projects and seeing your ideas come to life can boost your self-confidence and sense of achievement.  When you hold a finished piece of art in your hands, you’re holding evidence of your capabilities, giving you a sense of pride from your work. This sense of achievement ripples into other aspects of life, fostering greater self-assuredness. Creativity can also help you overcome self-doubt and criticism and allow you to embrace your uniqueness.

3. Improved Cognitive Function:

Creativity stimulates your brain, enhancing neural connections and cognitive functions like memory, attention, problem-solving, and focus. When you’re creative, you’re challenged to learn new things and adapt to different situations. All of these enhanced skills carry over to other parts of your life.

4. Emotional Expression:

Art allows you to express emotions, thoughts, and feelings that might be difficult to convey through words alone.  Through colors, lines, and forms, you can express feelings that words might struggle to capture.  This emotional release is like a soothing balm for the soul, allowing you to untangle complexities and experience catharsis.

5. Increased Happiness:

Engaging in creative activities triggers the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, leading to increased happiness, excitement, and gratitude. This is especially true if you are creating things that fulfill you, since you are enjoying the process of creating as well as your finished products.

6. Mindfulness and Presence:

Creative endeavors encourage mindfulness and being present in the moment, promoting a sense of calm and inner peace.  Engaging with colors, textures, and forms requires undivided attention, pulling you into the “now.” This mindfulness provides a serene escape from worries about the past or future.

7. Cathartic Release:

Art provides an outlet to release pent-up emotions, helping you process and cope with difficult experiences. When we’re able to cope with adversity better we can more easily move on from those situations and continue our focus on what’s really important.

8. Strengthened Resilience:

Navigating the creative process involves overcoming challenges, fostering resilience and adaptability.  Since the journey isn’t always easy, creativity teaches you to thrive even in the face of adversity, and cope with change and uncertainty more effectively. Because of the skills you’ve strengthened through creativity, you are able to bounce back from failures and setbacks, and learn from the experiences.

9. Personal Growth:

Creativity is pure curiosity in action.  The artistic journey is all about exploration – unearthing new techniques, experimenting with fresh ideas, and embracing the thrill of discovery.  Exploring your creative side pushes you out of your comfort zone, promoting personal growth and self-discovery.

10. Connection with Others:

Art forms bridges between hearts because it can be shared and enjoyed with others, fostering conversations, connections and meaningful relationships. These interactions and relationships are important to our happiness and well-being. Connecting with people who have similar interests and passions is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves as we get older.

11. Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills and Innovative Thinking:

Creativity nurtures out-of-the-box thinking.  Experimenting in creative activities allows your brain to become adept at seeking innovative solutions in all areas of life.  The creativity cultivated through art flows seamlessly into your problem-solving mindset and encourages innovative thinking and new perspectives.

12. Cultural Exploration:

Exploring different art forms exposes you to diverse cultures and histories, broadening your understanding of the world.  Art is a universal language that unites people with diverse backgrounds.

13. Time for Yourself:

Creative activities provide an opportunity for dedicated “me-time,” promoting self-care and mental well-being.

14. Outlet for Communication:

Art narrates stories beyond words.  Your artwork conveys narratives, allowing viewers to delve into your thoughts, experiences, and perspectives in a uniquely intimate way.  Art can also communicate complex ideas and concepts in ways that transcend language barriers.

15. Building Patience:

Many creative processes require patience, teaching you the value of taking your time to achieve your desired outcome.

16. Inspiration in Daily Life:

Engaging with art and the transformative power of embracing creativity can inspire you to find beauty and simplicity in everyday situations. This focus helps promote calmness and can reduce stress and anxiety.

17. Reduction in Negative Thinking:

Immersing yourself in creative pursuits can redirect negative thought patterns, promoting a more positive outlook. This in turn leads to greater happiness and well-being.

18. Physical Benefits:

Activities like painting and crafting can improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which becomes more important as we get older.

19. Lifelong Learning:

Art and creativity encourage continuous learning, exploration, and adaptation throughout your life. You can open your mind to different perspectives and ideas, and challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Studies show this is essential to healthy longevity and a happy, fulfilled life.

20. Rediscovering Wonder:

Art rekindles childlike wonder.  As an artist, you’ll find yourself viewing the world through a kaleidoscope of curiosity, capturing the beauty in everyday details.

How Can I Start?

If this was enough motivation to get your creative juices flowing, but you don’t know where to start, consider getting a beginner kit that includes everything you need to get started. It’s an inexpensive way to try a new hobby and see if there’s a spark there. Here are a few popular creative ideas and kits to get you going.

Paint with Acrylics

Whether you want to paint flowers, landscapes, motivational quotes, or abstract designs, painting with acrylic paint can be easy and very peaceful. You can find line drawings or illustrations on the internet to start with. And then this Acrylic Painting Kit includes everything you need to paint 6 canvases. And YouTube has no shortage of tutorials on learning how to paint whatever style you want. It’s like taking a class in your own home!

Paint with Watercolors

Watercolor has a bit more of a learning curve, but it’s definitely worth the effort because it’s such a fun was to be creative (it’s my favorite by far!) It doesn’t take long to learn how to paint flowers, leaves, trees, and simple objects. There are so many crafts you can create using your own painting skills, and many of them are very marketable and can be sold as a side hustle! This Watercolor Painting Kit actually comes with an online video tutorial series to help you get started, and there’s also a wealth of YouTube videos available.

Bullet Journal Set

If you’re a planner or list-maker, this may be for you! Bullet journaling is a personal organization system / mindfulness practice that helps you record, reflect, refine, and respond to your thoughts and tasks. In the journal you use bullet points to organize your information such as to-do lists, goals, inspirations, thoughts, plans, etc. Then there are all kinds of ways to customize and fill it with your creativity, using colored pens, stencils, washi tape, and stickers. This process helps you be mindful, enhances your productivity, increases your creativity, and achieve your goals. You may just discover things about yourself that you hadn’t realized before. And it turns your to-do list into a wellness work of art! This Bullet Journal Set includes the essential basics to get you started. Also learn more at bulletjournal.com.

Junk Journal Kit

One of my newest, favorite crafts is junk journaling. I’ve always been a saver of mementos, souvenirs, and memories. Even though I did nothing with them other than intend to put them in a scrapbook one day (which never happened!), I still kept everything. Then junk journaling came along and it’s like scrapbooking on steroids. It’s a creative way to use old papers, junk mail, greeting cards you received, sheet music, wrapping paper, magazines, and all those mementos you may have saved (ticket stubs, postcards, etc.) to decorate pages of your journal.

The use of ephemera (things that are not meant to last long or are only used for a short time) has become very popular too. Either you can find your own, or there’s no shortage of ephemera you can buy now, including stickers, decorative papers, tapes, dried flowers, etc. Also add your thoughts, ideas, memories, musings, thoughts of the day, or any kind of theme you want. Each page in your journal can be its own work of art and hold all kinds of meaning to you. This Junk Journal Kit comes with a variety of supplies, but you’ll also want to add some of your own to make it meaningful, one-of-a-kind creativity.

Creativity Benefits Your Wellness

So, when you open the door to your inner artist, you’re unlocking a trove of personal growth, emotional expression, and boundless joy.  Adding art to your life goes beyond the finished product – it’s about the process, the journey, and the positive impact it has on your well-being.  Whether you’re sketching, sculpting, painting, building, writing, dancing, singing, crafting, or any other artsy skill, remember that your creative endeavors extend far beyond the canvas or page. They’re tools for personal transformation, gateways to connection, and invitations to embark on a lifelong journey of discovery.  Unleash your inner artist and let the transformative power of embracing creativity unfurl in ways that enrich your life beyond imagination!

Let’s Start the Discussion!

Do you feel like you are a creative person, or do you feel like you have trouble tapping into that side of yourself? Do you have a creative process that you know is making your life better? Please share, I’d love to hear what you’re doing!