Here are some tips on how to keep your creativity alive: As you lose yourself in hours of sewing, crafting or painting, make sure your spine is well supported at your workstation. Which is why children who have art as their school curriculum, also do better in other subjects. The benefits of creating are too many not to give it a try. But the creative benefits and fringe benefits of creating are so well worth it. is creativity. When you create you will have times when you don’t know what the heck you’re doing or what to do next, but if you persevere you’ll learn how to cope with the situation. Last week I shared a story with you, about how my newfound joy of painting, or playing with colors as I call it, nearly came to an end, before I had barely started. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else. That's GREAT!. How silly of me to think that, I now know. Many people assume that because they don’t have a creative outlet or aren’t naturally drawn to a certain type of art form, they must not be creative. I create. You may not ever “do” anything with the product of your creativity, other than amassing a drawer full of doodles. But an overlooked aspect of total wellness is creativity. April is Stress Awareness Month — a time where mental health professionals campaign to increase our understanding of stress and how to improve our stress-coping skills. It’s like date time with yourself. One of the hardest things to deal with is when life is difficult. Therefore, I never thought of myself as being creative, let alone as being an artist. BECOME A BETTER PROBLEM SOLVER There isn't a… And I didn’t see myself as someone who could make things, or who ever got anything done half decently. All of a sudden, you open your eyes to something you had never considered before. Creating takes practice. Throughout the years, I became better at it. When we create, it gives us the opportunity to engage with the world without judging ourselves. Oct 4, 2017 - Creativity in the classroom is another form of play, and play is universally important to each individual’s sense of joy and well-being. In a way it’s funny, because through my businesses I was always visible, yet I was not aware of the creative act that building a business is, and so I never worried about it. And it worked, I love sitting on my balcony and play with colors. If you need a little help to get started, a really good question that I will invite you to ask yourself is: What is something I have enjoyed making or doing in the past? Finally, by acknowledging the many creative acts that make up every single one of my days as a person and a business owner, and by answering creativity’s calls, I feel much more accomplished as a person. If you’re feeling uneasy, or if there is a little voice inside of you that keeps on telling you to come out and play and express yourself, you might be ignoring creativity’s call. You learn to care less about what others think.This takes practice. And it's hard. For how can creating a business being anything but creative? Working on something creative, whether it’s writing a short story or growing a garden helps apply problem-solving and critical thinking skills as well. Coping skills.You learn how to cope with your feelings, and everything involved in the creative process. When you engage in creative thinking and a creative act, your brain makes new connections. Perhaps mostly of my own creativity. These are what I call fringe benefits. But the truth is everyone is creative, it’s just a matter of taking chances and trying new things to discover the creative medium that fits you. By allowing creativity to flow, both in my private life and in my businesses, I gained so much, especially during the last year. It’s a good thing I love creating so much, otherwise I’m not sure I would keep at it. Yet, my entire life, I’ve created things. The creative process is practice. Invaluable skill to have. Other forms of creative expression, such as theater, have shown to have benefits for older adults in helping them to maintain the cognitive skills required to continue living independently. I teach in Toronto, Canada. It’s what I do and who I am. To new and imaginary things.It's scary (which is why so many of us don't) but also hugely exciting and freeing. Many people may not understand fully why their creative expression makes them feel good, they just know that it’s something they have to look forward to outside their normal routine. But an overlooked aspect of total wellness is creativity. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable hard. By Aryn Plax, Breanna Ulsh on December 8, 2017 in Arts, Etc., Literature. Omg, I want to see instant results. When we think of wellness and the habits that are vital to our wellbeing, we immediately think of diet, exercise and sleep as the standards of health. 12 Personal Growth Benefits from Your Creative Process We often talk about creative benefits, in terms of how engaging in art, also helps us in science and other academic work. Show me something that does. Because creative work never goes according to plan. We often talk about creative benefits, in terms of how engaging in art, also helps us in science and other academic work. Where we did not have to know or be an expert. More and more of our society is now based on instant gratification, and our patience with ourselves and each other is paying a price. If you feel out of touch with your creative side and want to develop a practice that’s right for you, it’s important to reflect on what inspires you and evokes an emotional reaction. Sign up to receive my biweekly love letters straight into your inbox. Not focusing on how good what you make is but that fact that you take a little time for yourself. Having a creative outlet has positive impacts on cognitive health. It’s a common misconception that some people are just born creative and others aren’t, as if creativity were a prize in the genetic lottery. In fact, if there’s one thing I’m sure of about myself it’s that I know how to make stuff. The research showed that being creative helps adults build up a reserve supply of cognitive function, which delays future neurodegeneration. Healing.There is nothing like creating art of any kind, that'll heal you inside and out. Some benefits are fairly instant. PS: I love Instagram. Bring more excitement and enthusiasm to your relationships, Find more inspiration in daily life experiences, Carve out space in your home where you can work on your projects, Keep a journal of ideas that inspire creativity and write them down as they come to you, Schedule your creative time into your calendar and treat it as a priority, Embrace creativity as part of your identity and your truest self, As you lose yourself in hours of sewing, crafting or painting, make sure your spine is well supported at your workstation. Their findings revealed strong connections between art and mental health as well as physical health benefits. Whether you make art or music or express yourself through writing or theatre, you’re giving yourself the gift of wellbeing while doing something you genuinely enjoy. We use cookies and similar technologies to recognize your repeat visits and preferences, as well as to measure the effectiveness of campaigns and analyze traffic. But not until recently has science gotten involved in helping evaluate some of the more measurable benefits of being creative. Currency conversions are estimations only. It’s a human trait. It’s a human trait. Until I accepted my creativity, and allowed myself to be really seen through it. This past year, I’ve even come to believe that creativity is not only what made us survive and thrive, and become what we are today, but that it is essential to our well-being. Belgium. Perseverance. Freedom: There is no right or wrong way to be creative. Making Mistakes.When you engage in a creative act, you WILL make mistakes. Something like that is heavy to carry. And your curiosity is awakened. The North Axis principles, as a means to stimulate creativity, yield the content My expectations got high and as a result, my joy got low. What do we use cookies for? I’ve built businesses, offered ideas and concept to hundreds of clients, worked incessantly on my own goals and projects, while helping others with theirs. To me, it felt like there was this thing that bothered me, the fact that I knew there was more, and that I was more, yet I never seemed to be able to put my finger on what it really was. It’s a big step for me, to say something like that. Stepping into the unknown.Our instinct is to do what we already know. View all posts by sylviaduckworth.com Post navigation. If you continue to fill your creative fuel tank, you will continue to be compelled to create. , aimed to do just that—measure how creative practices enhance health and wellbeing. (A personal challenge of mine). I’m not a super patient person but I’m known for my perseverance. The Benefits of Creativity. Many of us don’t cope very well with struggle and not being good at something. No matter how much you know. Many people connect with their creative side by revisiting their childhood and remembering what forms of art they were drawn to.