Health Benefits of Creativity
You’ve heard me say this many times before: Everyone is creative.
In our world and society, we’re often taught to “stay within the lines,” adhere to the status-quo, that passion pursuits don’t pay, and not think outside the box in order to be successful. To the point that as we get older, we’re taught to stifle our inherent creativity, which is unfortunate. With all that in mind, I think it’s important for us all to recognize the many opportunities and benefits that it brings to our lives. There are actually proven health benefits of creativity that lead to living a more fulfilled and happy life!
“Creativity” has become a kind of woo-woo word, hasn’t it?
Maybe it’s because so many people believe they aren’t creative. Or simply don’t understand how to better embrace their personal creativity. But I’ve noticed that it’s talked about as almost an etherial aspect that’s reserved for a select few rather than an inherent part of our makeup.
But the truth is that creativity is, literally, everywhere. It’s a part of our makeup as humans; we’ve been creating since prehistoric times. (Think about things like our ancestors making tools, drawings on caves, cooking, or even establishing a home. All creative-based exercises that have been done since the dawn of humanity.)
History aside, there’s been a lot of research about the benefits of creativity in our lives. And how it truly lends to living a life that’s fulfilling. I recently found articles all about just this from Forbes and Medical News Today, and I thought it was interesting. Today, I’m recapping those findings to help spread the word on how just beneficial it is to go explore whatever it is that gets your creative mind flowing.
5 Proven Health Benefits of Creativity
Improves Happiness and Mental Health
Art such as painting, drawing or even writing has been shown to help express experiences and emotions. Particularly for those who have experienced trauma or hardship. Such as a loved one dying or being diagnosed with cancer, art is a way to effectively take negative situations and create meaning. It helps to provide an outlet for expression and way to positively cope.
But it’s not just the negative situations it helps with! One study found that asking people to write about positive experiences and about their best self was associated with an increased sense of well-being.
In regards to happiness in general, I love how the Forbes article addresses this point. It associates flow – the state you get in when you’re completely absorbed with something – with reduced anxiety, boosting your mood, and slowing your heart rate. And, when you’re finished with something, your brain releases the feel-good chemical dopamine, which further helps to motivate you!
Reduces Dementia
This study provide that practicing creativity is stimulating for dementia patients. It even helps to, “Reduce depression and isolation, offering the power of choice and decisions. Towards the end of life, art and creativity offer a path of opening up the windows to people’s emotional interiors.”
Creativity Embraces Your Inner Calm
Creative pursuits help to improve our focus, similar to meditation. In fact, LifeHack notes that “Drawing, writing, reading poetry, and crafting can all help lower stress, relax your muscles, reduce indigestion and inflammation, and increase self-esteem and productivity.”
Writing Boosts Your Immune System
Boom! “Writing increases your CD4+ lymphocyte count, the key to your immune system. Listening to music can also rejuvenate function in your immune system”. So turn that music on and don’t be afraid to jot things down on the regular!
Makes You Smarter
Music lovers will love this one! Playing an instrument and even listening to music taps into your left and right brain. It’s “Linked to improved cognitive function, increased language development from an early age, and positive social interaction”. Additionally, “Music listening and performance impacts the brain as a whole, stimulating both halves – the analytical brain and the subjective-artistic brain, affecting a child’s overall cognitive development and possibly increasing a child’s overall intellectual capacity more than any other activity affecting the brain’s bilaterism.”
So there you have it! Go on and embrace that creativity.
Whether singing in the shower, dancing during a night out, learning to play an instrument, writing down your thoughts, or even just taking the time to read, the health benefits of creativity are clearly a huge benefit to all of us.
When I think of my individual creativity and how it manifests, I do think that I’ve learned more and more to embrace it as I continue to explore it. Ways I express it and harness it is to write, practice photography, read, and listen to music.
