In recent years, research has increasingly shown a powerful link between creative activities and improved emotional wellbeing. Whether it’s painting, crafting, cooking or any other form of artistic expression, doing something creative can be a therapeutic tool for stress management and enhancing mental health.
Marcy Purdy, a board-certified art therapist in Vero Beach, says, “Creativity is the ability to use your imagination to generate ideas and solutions. The good news is that everyone has some creativity, regardless of what form it takes.”
VeryWell Mind, a reliable mental health and wellness platform, says creativity helps us perceive the world in new and different ways. It helps us create works of beauty, solve problems, and refresh our bodies and our minds. It’s fun, and when you are having fun, you are positively impacting your health.
Purdy explains that while you participate in doing something creative, your blood pressure goes down. “Dopamine, which counteracts depression, increases, as well.”
Just how powerfully beneficial creativity can be is shown by the fascinating fact that “observing something creative has the same positive effects as actually doing it,” according to Purdy.
“Even if you just experience creativity for a few minutes a day it will help you replenish your brain and control your emotions.”
There’s a reason people in all cultures have avidly pursued creativity throughout history. It brings a wide range of individual and collective benefits.
The American Psychological Association says that through music, theater, literature, visual arts and more, our species has surrounded itself with the arts. Those aesthetic experiences can improve health and wellbeing in a dazzling variety of ways.
Art therapy and engagement with the arts have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, ease pain, help people heal from trauma, protect against cognitive decline, and enhance social cohesion, among other benefits.
Listening to music can promote language development in children and foster new neural pathways in adults after a stroke. In people with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, dance has been found to improve balance and functional mobility.
Purdy says that, unfortunately, many people have been squelched as children. “There’s a quote by Van Gogh that I love: ‘If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.’
“Sadly, some children hear someone’s voice saying that they’re not good enough and they stop trying. They need a teacher, relative or religious figure to encourage them to keep at it.
“Kids can find fun through art even if they don’t have traditional talents – introduce them to working with clay or making a collage.”
Sandcastles and tree houses, pretend tea parties, imaginary friends and sometimes unwelcome crayon drawings on walls show that creativity is inherent in children, and science has proven that it benefits adults.
HelpDementia.com, an information and research sharing platform, says when you engage in creative activities, your brain undergoes changes that enhance its efficiency.
Studies have found that participants who took up activities like digital photography or quilting showed significant gains in their cognitive abilities.
These activities not only improved their memory and processing speed but also increased neural efficiency, meaning their brains didn’t have to work as hard to solve problems or recall information.
“In some ways, when we lived in simpler times it was easier to develop your imagination and creativity,” says Purdy.
“When people listened to ‘storytelling’ on the radio, they created their own vision of what they were hearing.”
The social aspect of living creatively can help virtually anybody, Purdy explains. “Getting together with other people with like interests and whose company you enjoy is invaluable.
“For those who deal with shyness, start with a small group or activity until you gradually feel comfortable with the other participants.
“Being creative allows you to get to know yourself. You get in touch with your inner feelings. You foster a good sense of self,” Purdy adds.
Writing on Betterkids.education, author Emily Kaiser reports that growing up in environments where creativity is encouraged benefits children by helping them:
- Develop empathy – when we are creative, we often find ourselves imagining the perspectives of others.
- Build social connections – provides opportunities for children with similar interests to come together and connect.
- Learn collaboration – when kids are creative together, they learn how to build on each other’s ideas.
- Strengthen emotional regulation – creative activities offer children a variety of coping strategies for dealing with emotions such as anger and fear.
“Opportunities to find creativity in our environment are all around us,” says Purdy. “Adult ed classes, workshops, classes and courses at museums and libraries are just a few places where we can begin or enhance our personal journey with creativity.”
Even without organizations, anyone can sit down to draw, write a poem or short story, or simply listen to music that moves them. Watching a good movie, planting a small garden, repainting a room, or framing and hanging a picture all tap the deep human urge to create.
Marcy Purdy, ATR-BC, has a master’s degree in art therapy from Michigan State University and a post-master’s national board certification from the American Art Therapy Association, which is the highest level of national certification in art therapy. She works with adults and children, utilizing art and movement, at her business, Artreach, located at 1365 18th St., Vero Beach. You can contact her at [email protected] or 772-538-5532.
