Health Benefits of Creativity
I help creative people use mindfulness techniques to be more confident with their self-expression. So a lot of what I talk to my clients about are making tweaks to their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health habits, so that they can be more creative. In this post, I will explain how exercising your creativity actually has a reciprocal benefit for your health.
I’d like to pause for a second to talk to those of you who don’t think they’re creative. A lot of times people might think they’re not creative if they’re not a visual artist, musician, dancer or writer. I believe everyone, in no matter what profession they’re in, has the ability to exercise their creativity. I’d like to define creativity. Creativity is act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. So let’s say you’re a salesperson. You need to be creative to find new ways of offering your product. Or if you’re a student, you may use creativity to absorb the new information you’re learning. Or if you own a cleaning service, you may exercise your creativity in ways to be the most efficient with your services. In other words, creativity is “thinking outside of the box”.
With that being said, I would like to also say that I believe everyone has the capacity to use the process of making visual art to receive healing benefits. As a holistic health coach, I treat the 4 areas of health- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. I believe that each of these areas works together to support your system as a whole.
Who here thinks it’s a possibility that “making art” (ie “exercising your creativity) could be as important to good health as eating a healthy diet? Please consider the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of being creative.
Physical–
-It gets your body moving. Think about glassblowing, wedging clay for ceramics, woodworking, stonecarving, etc… All of these art activities are really a lot like sports!
-Improves coordination- paying attention to small details or using your body in different ways.
Emotional–
-Utilizing creativity often puts someone into a good mood.
-Creating is a distraction from negative and stressful worries.
-Boosts self-esteem and gives a sense of accomplishment
-Increases positive emotions.
-Helps confidence and communication with others,
-Reduces stress and anxiety.
Mental-
-Creative activities impact the body like meditation. In addition to relaxing qualities, creating also increases your awareness of details in your surroundings.
-Don’t stress out that you need to make a perfect piece of art. Finished product isn’t the point. It’s all about the process.
-Being creative is an opportunity to give yourself a break from screen time or social media.
-Occupies part of the brain that may otherwise be focusing on negative/ stressful thoughts.
-Exercises our critical thinking and problem solving skills.
-Improves communication between different parts of the brain, reduces deterioration.
-Memory can be enhanced and improved.
Spiritual–
-The process of making often requires self-reflection and greater understanding of oneself.
-You’re connecting with yourself in a way that you couldn’t otherwise.
-Outlet for getting to know your unique talents and perspective- inherently who you are.
-Creative activities can mold personality traits—known as “psychological resilience”—in a way that helps you handle outside stressors.
-Connection to something greater- community. A healthy social life is essential to our well-being. It’s exactly what a person needs to fill her heart—and mind—with positivity and affirmation. Without a solid community, it’s easy for our mental health to crumble. People bond through common experiences and interests.
-Art increases empathy, tolerance and feelings of love.
If you are interested in reducing stress, would like a distraction from work, and would like to increase your own unique talents, I’d love to talk about how you can implement visual art into your life.
Want to take it a step farther? Sign up for my free 4 Day Color to Declutter Challenge.
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Want to read more about the link between health and creativity? Check out this interesting article by scrapbook.com.
