When I searched for ideas to reduce my stress and anxiety, I found tons of information on the importance of creativity. Articles in ScienceDirect, Psychology Today, MQ Mental Health Research, and other journals all say the same thing—the arts play a huge role in our mental and physical well being. Each article discusses how scientific research shows that activities such as writing, painting, drawing, dancing, playing music, or even cooking and knitting help improve our outlook on life and benefit our overall health.
But an article on creativity in Psychology Today says, “Many people feel that they have no or very limited creative ability—even some who work in creative fields.” That got me thinking about how often I feel like I am not creative or artistic enough and how these emotions increase my stress rather than reduce it. These doubts probably come from what Rupaul Charles calls “our inner saboteur,” the internal critic that we all have but need to silence. As the Psychology Today article goes on to discuss, creativity is not something that only a few people have. “Anyone, at any age or experience level, can learn how to be creative,” the article says.
Anyone can delve into the arts, and science says it’s the best way to improve our mental and physical well-being. So now is a great time to get our hands dirty and be creative. For me that means writing, storytelling, trying new foods, creating new cocktails, and dancing.
What creative activity helps you handle stress?